You're Killing Me Smalls
by Phoenixhp5
Summary: This story explores the growing father/son relationship between Tony and Peter, and all the trouble a teenage superhero can get himself into. WARNING: this story will contain disciplinary spanking at some points, but it is not the main focus. If you don't like this, then don't read or bother flaming me!
1. Chapter 1

**You're Killing Me Smalls**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel characters**

 **A/N: Okay, so this is a departure from what I regularly write, at least in terms of fandom, but I'm a huge iron man and spider-man fan, so after I saw the movie and read a few fanfics I just HAD to write this. As soon as I saw the movie, this idea popped into my head. I was hesitant, but after reading some fanfics looking into the Tony/Peter relationship, I decided to give it a shot! So, sorry to those of you waiting for another twilight story.**

 _ **WARNING: This will contain disciplinary spanking at some point. It is not the main point of the story, but it will happen. I'll put up another warning on the actual chapter it occurs. If this bothers you, then don't bother reading or reviewing**_

 **Chapter 1: Perspective**

 **Peter's POV:**

"Hey Karen, what can you tell me about the Russian revolution, the Bolsheviks, and Lenin? I'm supposed to be writing a paper comparing how it influenced the book, _Animal Farm_ ," I questioned as I glared at the blank computer screen in front of me. I was wearing my mask, hoping she could lend me a hand with my homework. With the amount of time I spent doing my extracurricular activities, my grades were suffering, and my aunt was having none of it.

She knew about me being spiderman, and after many hours of tears and arguing back and forth she had accepted who I was and what I did. She was definitely afraid for me, but I could also see pride, which caused me to smile. Things were definitely easier now that she knew. I didn't have to hide anything from her…well, at least I didn't have to hide that I was a super hero. I did downplay the amount of danger I put myself in sometimes, but only because I knew she'd freak out even more. She wasn't happy about what I was doing, but she understood my intentions and knew me well enough to know that I wasn't going to stop.

After the events with the Vulture, Mr. Stark—I mean, Tony had given me back my suit and reinstated my "internship". Aunt May knew he was looking out for me, but she was also pissed at him, thinking he had dragged me into this superhero business. I suppressed a laugh as I recalled the tongue lashing she had given him after she'd found out my secret. She had called Tony, demanding that he come to our apartment this instant. I'd been mortified, but he had dutifully come and taken all my aunt's hostility with good grace. I'd been afraid he'd get mad or defensive, but he'd reacted with compassion and understanding, even apologizing for having dragged me to Germany before assuring her that he'd do his best to keep me safe. Who knew he could be so diplomatic? To my annoyance he also informed her that I'd agreed to being only a "friendly neighborhood spiderman", meaning I wouldn't be taking on any more _monsters_ like the Vulture. I'd hoped he had only said that to pacify my aunt, but the look he'd given me and the brief conversation we'd had afterwards assured me that he was very serious. It was robbers, bike thieves, and lost cats for me.

I had thought the conversation would end there, but _nooooo_ , Aunt May had gone crazy and not asked, but _demanded_ that _the_ Tony Stark come to dinner at _our place_ at least once a week so she could get to know the man who was mentoring her " _young, impressionable nephew"_. I knew Tony had to be laughing uncontrollably in his head, but all he showed outwardly was a mild smirk in my direction, mirth clear in his eyes. Whatever day Tony chose for dinner was a day I wouldn't be allowed to go out as spiderman because this would also be a day to catch up on homework. My grades were crap, and my aunt was going to make sure I passed my classes or there would be no more "playing hero". Playing hero, Aunt May? Really?

I'd tried to get her to change her mind about having Tony over every week. I mean, the guy was an Avenger, so he was busy, not to mention what the neighbors would think! May waved away my concerns, saying the neighbors didn't care about or notice anything out of their own lives (which was sadly true), and that if I wanted to continue to be Spiderman, then Iron Man had better be willing to come over and "hang out". Ugh. How embarrassing. But he'd agreed, and I still couldn't believe it. I thought he'd come once or twice before convincing my aunt that he didn't need to do this, or that he was too busy. That hadn't happened, though, and when I'd told him with a good amount of embarrassment that he didn't have to continue coming over because Aunt May said he had to, he just rolled his eyes before simply remarking, "I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be. Why? You getting tired of me?" I'd rapidly shaken my head negatively, marveling at the fact that he actually wanted to be here. He wasn't lying to me was he? But no. If he really didn't want to be here, then I knew no matter what Aunt May said, he wouldn't come.

"Using Karen to cheat, little spider?" a voice spoke from my doorway pulling me from my musings, and I jumped, giving Tony a mild glare before sputtering out, "N-No, of course not! I was just—she was just"…I trailed off, ripping the mask off my face.

He just smirked, raising a disbelieving eyebrow at my stuttering before shrugging and plopping himself onto my new, ultra-soft bed. "Yeah, this bed is so much better than your old one," he sighed. "Have I told you that already?"

I rolled my eyes as I replied, "Yeah, like a million times already." He just hummed in response. It'd been weeks already since he'd gotten me this new mattress. He claimed it was so that he could be comfortable when he was over, but I kinda felt that that was just an excuse to get me something. He was weird like that, and well, yeah, I maybe felt a little, no, alot touched by his actions. It was like he cared about me, which was cool cuz he didn't have to.

"So, what's the reason this time?" I asked him with a knowing grin.

He piled my two pillows on top of one another and lay himself down fully before answering, "Your saucy aunt sent me in here to make sure you're doing your homework, so you should get on that. Honestly, I think she just wanted me out of her hair until dinners ready." He gave me a cheeky grin at this, and I laughed. For a guy who'd scoffed at my homework excuse when he wanted me to go to Germany, my aunt had turned him over to the darkside by getting him to get on me as well about my grades. It was funny and annoying at the same time.

"I take it Peppers not here then?" I asked. Aunt May always preferred it when Pepper came along because she was able to control the billionaire's mouth and actions and well, pretty much everything about him. The few times she didn't manage to make it (and even a few times when she did), Tony always seemed to find himself directed (banished) to my room for one reason or another. I'd been embarrassed and shy at first having him here in my dinky little room, but as the weeks went by I'd found myself relaxing. I wasn't nervously twirling in my chair talking a mile a minute about anything, and he wasn't awkwardly standing there with his hands in his pockets just staring at me or my messy room in amusement.

I liked it. No, I loved it. Being spiderman was the coolest thing in the world, but days like this where Tony and I just hung out like-like we were, or he was…well, I loved these days. We didn't always talk much, sometimes I'd just work on my homework and he'd play with his phone or tablet, the only interruptions being me when I mustered up enough courage to ask for some help ( _"I wondered when you'd get around to asking me. You've been fidgeting and throwing me these weird looks for hours," he exaggerated_ ). Other days he'd talk away, telling me about stuff he was working on, or I'd regale him with my awesome tales of stopping some bank robbers or even about school stuff. Somehow over this time Mr. Stark, the almighty Iron Man had become just Tony, and the times where I felt intimidated and overwhelmed by his mere presence were fewer and farther between.

There were topics that were avoided, though. I learned from day one not to bring up anything to do with the accords or the missing Avengers. He shut me down, plainly stating that he didn't want to talk about it, like ever. I was somewhat surprised, and a little hurt seeing as he'd dragged me into the mess in Germany, but after pressing a little, the snapped, "Drop it!" and the cold, haunted look in his eyes quickly told me to let this go. I didn't want to piss him off. Like he had his secrets, I had mine. I didn't tell him about my nightmares when I accidentally mentioned how tired I was and he asked why, and I didn't mention the bullying I endured at school when he noticed my broken phone, courtesy of Flash Thompson. It had been too easy to just chalk up the broken device to a spiderman thing, so he hadn't pressed. Instead he'd just given me a new, more durable phone, insisting that it'd be able to handle my web slinging activities better than any phone I'd find on the market. He was right, of course, as it had survived "accidentally" being run over by Flash.

"Nah," she's got business meetings to go to, he replied, "boring stuff, y'know. I'm so glad I'm not in charge of the company anymore," he mumbled before looking away from his phone to me. "So, you need any help with that stuff? I figured we could skip the whole awkward you looking between me and your homework before asking for my help thing." I felt my cheeks mildly heat up, so I turned away and pulled my mask on before resuming my homework.

"No thanks, Tony. Karen is better help than you," I teased, grinning when I heard him sputter in outrage.

"Did you forget who made Karen for you, kid?" he retorted. "Me, that's right, _me_ , the genius."

"So, does that mean you want to sit with me and help me write this essay for English?" I shot back, and he opened his mouth before waving a dismissive hand. "No, I think Karen has your back." I snorted, shaking my head.

Silence descended upon us as I blocked out Tony's silent murmurings in order to converse with Karen. I needed to get this paper done tonight as it was due two days from today. Everything I got done today meant the more free time I'd have tomorrow.

I worked diligently for an hour, blowing through the paper with ease because of Karen. I next moved onto math, which I decided not to use Karen for help. Help from Karen for a paper was one thing, but I kind of felt that using her for help with solving some math problems was a bit of a cheat. I worked through a few problems before I found myself stuck. Sighing, I glanced back towards my mentor to find him actually sleeping. I blinked in surprise. His phone lay on his chest, one arm hanging off my bed while the other was above his head. He'd never fallen asleep before. Huh.

I shook my head, giving myself a mental smack. He was a human, after all, and humans slept. As I looked closer, I frowned noting the dark circles under his eyes. He looked pretty tired, and I suddenly felt guilty that he was wasting his time with me. He shouldn't have to be coming here every week because my aunt was overprotective. I mean, he was _Iron Man_. I'm sure he had more important things to do than hang out with a loser high school kid like me.

I decided to leave him be, and I turned back to my never-ending homework. Aunt May checked in on me at this point and stared at the billionaire with a surprised look. I noticed the way her expression softened, and now I was the one to be surprise. I knew she wasn't the biggest fan of Tony, and that she really only put up with him because of what he was doing for me. She also seemed to get along real well with Pepper, which was a plus. Pepper was a really nice, smart, and funny woman though, while Tony could be a bit, uh, abrasive. I think he was growing on her, though, if her expression was anything to go by.

"Dinner will be ready in 10 minutes, so you might want to get him up," she suggested.

"Are you sure we should wake him?" I questioned. "I mean, it looks like he could use the sleep."

May gave a half nod before saying, "He could also use the meal. Pepper has told me that he's not the best at taking care of himself."

"She said that?" I asked in surprise, feeling embarrassed on Tony's behalf.

"Yes, so make sure he gets up or I may just get to urge to pour a bucket of ice water on him," she remarked with a devious look in her eyes. I gave her a wide eyed look before snickering at the mental image of that. I was half tempted to let her do that, but one more glance at the older man's weary expression and I pushed it from my mind. I also didn't want to imagine how'd he react if I did that. Probably blast me with the gauntlet he had hidden in his watch, which would ruin my room, piss off my aunt, and no doubt freak out my clueless neighbors. Yeah, I so didn't need that.

I was just approaching the man when he suddenly flinched, jerking awake with a loud gasp. Did he just have a nightmare? I marveled at the mere idea that _Iron Man_ would have nightmares. I mean, I sure did, but that was me. He groaned, rubbing a hand over his face and through his tousled hair before gracing me with a suspicious look. "Jesus kid, were you just standing there watching me sleep? That's a bit creepy."

"What?" I responded, my cheeks heating up as I shook my head and took a step back. "No, no, no, no! No way, I swear I wasn't! It's just that Aunt May said dinner was going to be ready in 10 minutes and that if I didn't wake you up she was going to wake you up with a bucket of ice water," I explained rapidly, nervously shifting from one foot to the next.

"She said that?" he responded with wide eyes before letting out a laugh.

"Wow, Pete, your aunts a wild one. Guess she just wanted to see me with a wet shirt," he commented with a cocky grin. I flushed, mortified by what I was hearing.

"Jeez, Tony, that's _my aunt_ you're talking about!" I nearly screamed.

"Sure is, a very smoking-hot aunt," he replied with the same grin, smoothly getting up, straightening his clothes and making his way out of my room. I followed, face still red as I gave the back of his head a disgruntled look. I knew he wasn't really after his aunt, but damn, did he really have to act like such a flirt. I swear he did it just to get a rise out of me.

Dinner thankfully went quickly and uneventfully, Tony somehow managing to make no move to flirt with my aunt. It could've been the evil eye I was throwing him, but I was probably giving myself more credit than I deserved. I barely repressed laughter, though as my aunt kept shoveling food onto his plate. Tony's appalled look at the sheer amount of food on his plate was priceless. He didn't manage to eat even half of it, so May packed his leftovers along with all our leftovers into Tupperware for him to take. Tony just shook his head bemusedly, knowing better by now than to argue with May, before giving us both a wry grin. I followed him down to his car, feeling the need to apologize for my aunt's craziness. He waved it away, saying, "Don't worry about it, kid."

He dropped the leftovers into his passenger seat before starting to head towards the driver's side. Before stepping out onto the street, though, he suddenly stopped and walked back towards me. He seemed suddenly uncomfortable, and his hands were stuck in his pockets. I became nervous, wondering what it was he wanted to say. Was he really upset by my aunt? Was he tired of doing these weekly dinner things? Did I do something wrong?

"Peter, I swear to god, stop whatever it is you're thinking because you're no doubt wrong," he stated, giving me an odd look. He then took in a deep breath before giving me a serious look. "Look, I just wanted to say that, uh—well—damn, I suck at this. Stupid dad," he murmured, more to himself than me. He ran a hand through his hair, looking anywhere but at me. I was confused now, wondering what could be making _him_ nervous. I mean, he was the epitome of confidence all the time, so what the heck?

"Good job lately," he finally got out, giving me a small, hesitant smile. "Happy, Karen, and not to mention you have been keeping me up to date on what you've been up to, and uh, good job," he repeated, giving me a squeeze of the shoulder. I stared at him in shock, a warm feeling swelling up in me. "You've been playing it safe, helping the little people, and-and I uh, I'm proud of you," he finished quietly, a small, embarrassed smile adorning his face.

"Uh, I'm, uh, thanks," I stammered, internally wincing at the sudden high pitch of my voice. Tony let out a short laugh, nodded his head and then hopped into his car. "Keep it up, hero," he stated with his trademark cocky grin before speeding off.

Wow, I couldn't help but think as a huge grin adorned my face. Wow, wow, wow, wow! Tony Stark was proud of me! _Me!_ Peter Parker! He thought I was doing a good job, and he had called me a hero! I felt giddy as I skipped up the stairs to my apartment, feeling the intense urge to go out tonight. He was proud of me, and I wasn't going to let him down! I was going to be a superhero just like him! I disregarded the scolding he'd given me ages ago, and how he wanted me to be better than him. There was no way I could be better than him.

 **Tony's POV:**

I was down in my lab fixing the leg of my Iron Man suit when Pepper strolled on in.

"You're still up?" she asked, and I looked up at her distractedly.

"What're you doing back so early?" I asked back, and she raised an eyebrow before saying, "Friday, tell me the time, please."

"It is 6:54 AM, Ms. Potts," my AI announced, and I frowned minutely, not having realized the time had gone by. I had intended to actually go to sleep today, but I guess I just got carried away like usual. Giving the love of my life a grin I remarked, "How do you know I haven't been sleeping and just decided to get up early?"

She responded with a knowing look while allowing me to pull her into my arms. "If you had, you wouldn't still be wearing the same clothes as yesterday, you wouldn't smell so bad, and you'd actually look rested."

"Huh, that's true," I quipped back, pecking her on the lips. "I'm glad you're back."

"Me too," she replied, giving me the loving look that even now made me go weak at the knees. I wasn't sure if she knew it, but Pepper had a way of making me feel like a love-struck teenager. Every time I looked at her it was like my heart rate would speed up, and my focus would zero in on only her. My thoughts would be about her, and all I wanted to do was—

"No, you can stop that train of thought right now," she declared, gently pushing me away before leaning back against one of the tables. I couldn't help but pout as she gave me an innocent look.

"How's Peter doing?" she asked, and I tore my eyes away from her extraordinarily beautiful, long legs to answer the question.

"Huh? The kid? Yeah, he's good, as usual," I informed her, moving over to stand next to her. "Didn't really talk much today, but I kind of fell asleep, so…," I trailed off with a mild shrug.

"And this is what happens when you don't sleep, Tony," she chided with some exasperation. "I hope you're not encouraging Peter to stay up at all hours of the night. He's a boy, a teenage boy, which means he needs his sleep to stay healthy."

"Come on Pep, you know I wouldn't do that," I argued, giving her a frown. "I tell the kid to make sure he sleeps and stuff like that."

"And stuff like that," she repeated, shaking her head in amusement. "You need to set a good example for him, Tony. You know he looks up to you, right? You have to have been able to tell by now."

"Yeah, I guess," I murmured, ruffling my hair with a grease covered hand. "I mean, I know he does, but, jeez, he really should pick a better role model than me," I declared, giving a nervous laugh. "You know me better than anybody, Pepper. I'm not meant to be anybody's role model or mentor or whatever. Peters a good kid. He doesn't need me to help him be that."

"Tony," she sighed sadly as she placed herself in front of me rather than at my side. "You're right that I know you better than you do yourself, and because I do," she explained, "I know that you're a good person. I know that Peter is lucky to have someone like you around. And, _yes_ , he does need someone to mentor him. He's a child, and like all children he's going to make mistakes. You already know that, and I know you'd never lead him astray."

"I already did," I felt the need to admit, guilt forming in the pit of my stomach. "I dragged him into this stupid super hero mess. I brought the kid to Germany, I've given him a suit, and I've just enabled him to go out there and put himself in danger every day. I offered him the position with the Avengers because I figured he was capable, but moreso that I'd also be able to keep a closer eye on him. I'm happy, I guess, maybe even proud that he turned me down. I'm glad he's decided to focus on regular bad guys rather than enhanced or super powered aliens, gods, and crazy billionaires like me." I looked down towards the floor, ashamed of these thoughts and actions. I'd dragged a fifteen-year-old kid into a mess he never should've been aware of. Because of me he'd felt he could take on a man like the Vulture, and he'd nearly died.

Pepper wrapped her arms around the back of my neck and leaned in close as she vehemently informed me, "Peter is lucky to have you and don't you dare forget that! He was Spiderman before you met him, and now with you he's more protected and safer than ever. He's got you to help him where before he had no one, not even his aunt. You've been there for him when he's made mistakes, even giving him a bit of tough love when you thought he needed it," she remarked, giving me a raised eyebrow. I shook my head in amusement, all the while thinking my tough love didn't do anything but put him in more danger. Taking the suit had been a stupid plan. Not that I admitted that to the kid, of course. "You are the best thing that could've happened to him, and I know Peter feels the same," Pepper finished, placing her hands on either side of my face.

I listened, finding it difficult to believe her, but doing it all the same. Letting out a soft laugh, I looked her in the eyes as I asked, "And how do you know he feels the same way? Has he actually told you that?"

She snorted now, shaking her head before answering, "I don't need him to tell me anything, I just need to look at him. I just watch the way he is with you and the way he talks about you. Tell me you haven't noticed the way his face lights up when he sees you? It's really adorable," she commented with a wide smile.

I rolled my eyes at the adorable remark, knowing the kid probably wouldn't appreciate it. "I guess I have noticed," I then responded. It was true. I had noticed the way the kid would grin widely when he saw me, his eyes lighting up. It was so weird to be looked at that way. It was so weird that he'd be so happy to see me. What was even weirder was that I was always just as happy to see him. I didn't know why, but hanging around Peter was just so easy and carefree. I didn't have to pretend around him or be on the defensive so much. I loved being with Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy, but with Peter it was different. Maybe it was his age and that he was just so damn good and innocent. It was refreshing to be around someone like that. It was nice to be around someone who wanted me, because let's face it, I could count on one hand the number of people who felt the same way as him.

I internally flinched at the reminder, hurt welling up inside me as memories of the Avengers, or who we used to be flooding through me. Another family come and gone because of my mistakes.

"Come on, let's take a shower and then get some sleep," Pepper stated, taking my hand and leading me out of the lab. "I'm exhausted and I know you are too, so come on, Iron man." I smiled widely at her, pushing away my dark thoughts as I allowed her lead me away.

 **A/N: I've never written anything for this fandom, so I'm nervous about your reviews. I tried to nail their personalities as best I could, but since I know it's not perfect I still hope you've enjoyed this first chapter**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Decided for the first day of this fic that I'd post two chapters to get you a better feel for the story**

 **Chapter 2: Creepy Lizard Dude**

 **Peter's POV:**

I crawled through the sewers slowly and quietly in search of the giant lizard who'd been terrorizing New York recently. Technically, I knew this wasn't part of my job description. Hero or no hero, Tony had been insistent that if I ran into something like this that I needed to inform him, or if I couldn't get in contact with him, then I should inform Happy.

Tony had been gone for three weeks now, ever since he'd told me he was proud of me. We texted a little, and he told me he had Avengers business and Stark Industries business. He'd been in Brazil one day, Costa Rica another, and then China afterwards. I asked about the Avenger business, but he refused to comment, saying I didn't need to worry about that. I understood that he was trying to protect me, but I'd also wanted to know what he was doing so that I could know if he was okay. It was stupid, but I was worried about him. Aunt May told me not to stress so much. She said he was fine, but I still couldn't help but worry.

Idiot, I scolded myself. He's Tony freaking Stark. Nothing could hurt him. I'm sure he was fine. It'd been a few days since I'd heard from him, and he wasn't returning my texts, but I was sure he was fine. He was just busy, or maybe he just didn't want to text me back. Maybe I had annoyed him with all my questions. These thoughts seemed to stab me in the heart, but I ignored them. He was just busy. I should've known that eventually he wouldn't be able to come by anymore. He had a lot going on, and I wasn't a priority.

I'd get his attention again, though, if I took down this lizard/guy hybrid thing that was attacking people. Maybe he'd get in contact with me and tell me what a good job I did…I shook my head, feeling embarrassed suddenly at how pathetic I sounded. I didn't need his praise. I was starting to sound like a pathetic kid that wanted his dad's approval.

I flinched at that thought, heat flooding into my cheeks as I realized the truth of these thoughts. I'd known it for some time, but I'd been trying to deny it. It's not that I thought of Tony as my dad, but I couldn't deny that I did view him as a father-figure. With Uncle Ben gone I guess I'd just latched on to the next man who'd taken an interest in me, and with my dumb luck, it had ended up being Tony Stark. Ugh. God, why did I sound like such a needy child? I was fifteen years old and a super-hero! I didn't need someone to depend on.

No matter how many times I told myself this, though, my heart couldn't agree. I wanted, or I guess needed Tony's approval and attention. I needed him to care.

I shook my head quickly, willing these ridiculous thoughts to leave me. I needed to focus. I needed to focus on what was—OH NO! I suddenly thought as my spider senses kicked to life. I jumped up when the Lizard lunged himself at me. That was too close of a call.

Get your head in the game, Spiderman!

"Woah, you're even uglier than I thought you'd be!" I shouted, eyeing the thing up and down. "Are you wearing a doctor's robes?" I then shouted in disbelief.

I dodged a few more hits before his tail smacked me into a wall. Ugh!

I shot out my webs, snagging his arms and using momentum to launch me feet first towards his head. He (is it a he?) let out a lizard kind of roar or shriek or whatever kind of noise lizards make, and instead of landing a solid kick, he used my webs against me, once more slamming me into another wall. Yikes!

Okay, so he was a little stronger than I had anticipated. Quicker too, it seemed as I had to flip and then twist out of the way of his claws and tail. I landed on a wall and pushed hard, launching myself towards the green guy, and was able to land a solid punch in its ugly face. This time it was him who went flying into the wall.

"Haha! Take that baby Godzilla!" I yelled, grimacing internally at the dumb name.

The creature quickly righted himself, and before he could regain his balance I rushed up, grabbed his tail and put all my strength into launching him upwards into the ceiling. I guess I'd used too much strength because he went flying through the ceiling onto a busy street.

Crap, crap, crap, crap! I jumped up into the street, avoiding cars as they attempted to swerve out of the way of the two of us. I noticed one car about to slam into a light pole too fast, so I ran towards them, barely managing to grab onto the back bumper of the car to keep them from crashing.

"Hey Spiderman, catch this!" Lizard Man shouted, and I almost let the fact that he could actually talk keep me from catching the people he had started throwing through the air.

Oh, come on dude, I couldn't help but think as I focused completely now on catching the flying people either with my hands or with my webs. I had barely set down the last person when a car came sailing next smacking me square in the chest.

"Ahhh!" I cried out in pain, cursing myself for rushing into this without a plan while shoving the car off of me and taking off after the creepy hybrid.

"Here lizard lizard lizard!" I called out as I ran between cars before jumping on the side of a building. "I've got some tasty rats for you!" Did lizards even eat rats? Clearly my pathetic calling wasn't working, but the screams definitely worked in helping track him down.

He was shoving cars out of the way, intent on getting back into the sewer when I caught up to him. I shot out my webs, wrapping them around his long tail before throwing him up into the air. Disgustingly, the tail actually ripped off as the monster went sailing through the air. Dropping the tail I rapidly moved to where he would be failing before jumping into the air and landing several punches into his abdomen. He roared, getting his icky spit all over my mask. Ugh, so disgusting!

"God, your breath stinks! You ever hear of mouthwash?" I yelled as I watched him drop loudly to the ground. I landed hard onto the top of a car and I noticed that I seemed to have knocked him out. He was unmoving. I wondered now what I was supposed to do with this guy. Should I take him to the police? How exactly would they take care of that? Why had I not thought this out beforehand? It wasn't like I could just expect the cops to be able to handle this thing. Police and ambulance sirens were nearing, and I watched as a couple officers started to swarm towards us.

"Hey officers," I called out, holding out my hands to stop them. "I don't think you're going to be able to contain this guy, so I'm going to call"—I didn't get to finish my sentence as my spider senses flared to life. They came a little too late as the supposedly unconscious creep tackled me, raking his sharp claws all along my side. I screamed out in pain, writhing in order to get away. He snarled, moving to bite down on my face, and I barely managed to put up my arm, which he sunk his sharp teeth into. I heard bones cracking, and I let out another yell before finally managing to get my feet under him and push him off.

I quickly scooted away before getting to my feet. My wounds were deep and bleeding profusely. They also burned fiercely, and I wondered briefly if he happened to have poison claws or teeth. That would be just my luck. Jeez, how did I end up in these messes?

 **Tony's POV:**

I yawned widely as I walked out of a meeting. It had been a long, boring debriefing of what the Avengers had been up to the past couple weeks. The two missions had been successful, but I was never a fan of the constant meetings, explanations, and paperwork that we now needed to file. It was grueling and boring, so, so, _boring_! Did I mention how boring this was?

At least the meetings took place at the base, which was where Pepper and I were currently living. This way it would be a short walk to my bedroom where I would sleep until whenever I felt like it. I hoped Pepper was there.

Looking at my phone as I walked, I glanced through the missed phone calls and messages. I hadn't been able to be in contact with anyone during the last mission. Frowning, I noticed the missed messages from Pepper. There were only a couple, and it seemed she thankfully figured out that I wasn't able to reach my phone. I figured someone must have alerted her to the fact that I wouldn't be able to contact her.

My little spiderling had left several text messages as well, the last one which caused me to freeze in place.

 _I'm not sure why you haven't been answering. I mean I guess you're busy. No big deal. I just wanted you to know that there's been some crazy lizard man dude causing some trouble. Don't worry, I'll take care of it. I'll update you when I've got him._

No, no, no, he didn't, I thought before beginning to walk rapidly towards my lab.

"Friday," I called out, "I need you to search the news for any mention of lizard man and/or spiderman."

"Of course, sir," she replied, the information I wanted flicking across my phone screen.

"It seems there is a commotion going on in downtown New York City involving both the lizard man and spiderman," she spoke, and my eyes widened as I watched the grainy Youtube footage of the kid swinging all around to catch people.

I was at a full out sprint at this point, exhaustion completely gone when I entered my lab. Calling the suit to myself and taking off in record time I demanded Friday to give me the location of the reckless kid.

What the hell had he been thinking? I told him not to take on these kinds of problems! I told him to call Happy if I wasn't available, and I knew if he'd contacted Happy he sure as hell wouldn't be out there putting himself in danger! The little daredevil had promised me he wouldn't do this again!

I pushed my suit as fast as it would go, arriving to the proper location in under 15 minutes. Record time.

I took in the chaotic scene before me, my heart pounding rapidly as I quickly zeroed in on Peter. He was lying on the ground, unmoving with the Lizard man (what kind of a name was that?) hovering over him menacingly. It right hand claws were raised and no doubt ready to come down on the kid. Panic flooded through my entire being, but it thankfully didn't stop me from flying down at full speed to take out the creep standing over my young protégé. I landed a hard punch, causing the thing to go flying, and before it hit the building I raised both my hands and blasted it.

Landing on the ground I rushed to Peter, asking Friday to explain his condition to me.

"He has two broken ribs, fractures in his left arm, and 15% blood loss due to where the creature slashed him," Friday assessed. "Shall I inform"—

"Inform doctors back at base that I'll be there in 20 minutes max and that they better be ready for me," I ordered, anger filling me as I looked over Peter's unconscious body. It's gonna be okay, kiddo, I thought to him before glaring over at the Lizard as it pulled itself from the rubble.

Using my suits abilities, I was able to zero in on the nametag on the doctor's coat it was wearing. Dr. Conners, huh. Never heard of him, but clearly this had to be a scientist experiment gone bad. I'd research him later. Accident or not, this guy was going to pay for what he'd done to Peter.

"Come at me, Conners!" I shouted, flying quickly towards him when he began to charge. Easily dodging his attack I charged up the energy in my right gauntlet, higher than I'd normally use for this sort of case, and blasted Dr. Lizard's arm clean off. I wanted to kill him, but I knew how the kid felt about that, and I didn't want to disappoint him. I didn't want this damned monster's death to weigh him down. Ugh, when did I start to care so much about what a fifteen-year-old boy thought?

The reptile howled in agony, crawling on the ground to get away from me. I watched as the hisses and growls slowly turned into the yells of a man. It seemed the Lizard was transforming back into a human. Deeming him no threat now I ordered Friday to inform the base of the situation down here. They'd send someone to pick up the doctor and take care of the damage done.

Rushing over to the kid, I gently picked him up.

"Is he safe for flight?" I questioned, wondering if I'd have to get him into a nearby hospital and how I'd deal with keeping his identity a secret. I knew how much it meant to him that no one know who he was, so I would do my best to honor that, but if it was life and death…

"I don't recommend it, Mr. Stark, but yes he is," she responded. "I would advise though that you put a blanket or jacket around him to keep him warm, and that you reduce your normal speed."

I nodded my head, immediately setting him down before stepping out of the suit. Hastily ripping off my own jacket, I gently wrapped him around it, wishing I'd had more to offer him.

"M-Mr. Stark, I mean, Iron man, sir," a voice tentatively called out, causing me to whirl around and glare. My glare immediately softened though when I saw an EMT offering me a blanket. I nodded my head in thanks, feeling an uncharacteristic lump in my throat as I wrapped this too around the kid.

"Take care of him," the EMT told me, somewhat nervously, and I gave her a single nod before getting back into my suit, carefully picking Peter up, and taking to the skies.

On the way to the base I called Happy to inform him of what happened, and to also tell him that he needed to go pick up May.

"Should I tell her what happened?" Happy asked concernedly, and while I wanted to say yes, I knew it should be me who explained to her what happened.

"Just tell her that Peter is injured, he's at a hospital, and that he will be just fine. Let her know that I'll explain everything when she gets to the Avengers base," I responded.

"Got it, boss. Take care of the kid," he said.

"That's the plan, Hap, now see you later," I replied, disconnecting the call.

I flew much slower than I had to arrive in New York, which frustrated me to no ends, but I knew that flying at those speeds could only further injure him. I was really concerned that he hadn't awoken yet, but that concern only lasted minutes because as I began to descend, Peter began to stir, giving a quiet groan.

"Whas goin on," he mumbled, beginning to shift around. I let out a sigh of relief.

"You're gonna be just fine, kiddo," I told him, but he didn't seem to hear as he began to struggle. I was grateful that we were at the base now, doctors waiting at the entrance with a stretcher. I stepped out of my suit, quickly telling Friday to store it as I followed the doctors. Peter was really beginning to stir, and so I placed a gentle hand on his chest to both comfort and help restrain.

"Hey Peter, I need you to relax," I spoke softly and earnestly to him. "You're at a hospital on the Avengers base, so you don't need to worry about your identity. Everything is okay and you're going to be alright. That lizard freaks been taken care of and your aunt is on her way. You're safe now, you're safe now." I continued following the doctors until they stopped me.

"You have to stay out here, Mr. Stark, but I promise to update you on his condition as soon as I can," one of the nurses said, and I sighed heavily before nodding in understanding. I stiffly made my way over to a chair before deciding I was too antsy to actually sit down. I chose instead to pace around the room, rubbing my face with both hands as I groaned.

"Is every thing alright, Mr. Stark," a voice asked, and I froze momentarily before whirling around to see Vision.

"Son of a bitch, Vis, you've got to start announcing yourself or using a door or something. I swear I'm going to put a bell on you or something," I rambled, shaking my head.

"I will bear that in mind," he remarked in amusement before giving me an inquiring look.

"The kid," I simple stated before he even asked anything, waving an arm towards the room Peter was in.

"Peter Parker?" he questioned concernedly, and I gave him a wide-eyed look as I questioned back, "How did you know his name—never mind it's you, and yeah, Peter Parker. The dumb, idiotic, reckless son of a gun got himself into trouble he had no business being in, and now he's injured!" I shouted, once more beginning to pace.

"Will he be alright?" Vision then asked, and I nodded my head. "Yeah, but that's not the point, Vision! I told that kid not to get involved with monster and stuff, and he goes and does exactly that! He was supposed to call me or Happy or somebody, not jump in headfirst into an overwhelming situation. God, you should have seen him when I got there. He was unconscious, and this creepy lizard dude was hovering all over him ready to _kill_ him! He would've died if I hadn't been there! If I hadn't randomly happened to check my stupid text messages I would never have known the trouble spiderboy had gotten himself into, and he'd BE DEAD!" I shouted, my fear, no terror finally getting the best of me. "He would've died and it would've been my fault. All my fault," I finished quietly, finally taking a seat and burying my head in my hands.

"Sir, if I may, young Mr. Parker is just fine," Vision began speaking as he moved closer to me. "He is alive, and you did save him. As for the guilt you feel, I am not quite understanding"—

"It's not your fault, Tony," Pepper interrupted, and I looked up at her. She touched Vision's arm, giving him a grateful look before heading over to me. Vision seemed to understand that we needed a moment, so he quietly left, but not before giving me a sympathetic look. Pepper kneeled down in front of me, looking me in my eyes as she repeated, "It's not your fault, Tony."

"But it is, Pepper," I argued, my voice a near whisper. "I gave the kid the suit. I encouraged him to be Spiderman"—

"He was Spiderman before you met him, and I know you didn't encourage him to get involved with-with whatever he was fighting with right now," she countered in a gentle voice. "Peter made his choice."

"He's a _fifteen-year-old kid_ , Pepper, and his choice was stupid!" I spoke harshly. "What the hell was he thinking? He promised me he wouldn't do shit like this, and at the first opportunity when I'm not there to watch him, he goes hog wild and lands himself in a situation that almost kills him!" I gave her a look I knew was full of fear, but at the moment I just didn't care.

She sighed sadly, pulling my head into her arms. "You said it yourself, Tony, he's a _fifteen-year-old boy_ , and like any boy he's going to screw up. He may have these powers, and he may be a superhero, but at the end of the day he's still a child. Just think of how you were at his age. Did you always do what your parents told you to?"

"But I'm not his parent," I shot back, and she just shook her head, so I fell silent, pushing that particular thought to the side before contemplating what she'd asked me.

No, of course I hadn't always done what my parents wanted me to. In fact, I had made it a mission to do the exact opposite, at least if it was my father who was giving the orders. I had much more respect for my mother, but she had always been there for me, and she hadn't put up with any of my bullshit. She'd had very good ways of putting me in my place, one of those ways being rather embarrassing and painful to my backside. I hadn't been a kid with superpowers, though; _although_ I had been a kid with the powers of wealth and fame, and I had used them to my advantage. I didn't go looking to put myself in danger, but I had put myself in those situations nonetheless. Nothing like the kind of danger wonderboy put himself into, though.

Pepper sat herself next to me now, rubbing my back with her hand. "You're going to need to talk to him, Tony," she commented, and I frowned while also nodding. "Yeah, I know, but what the hell am I going to say? What can I do to get him to listen? I already tried taking his suit and all that did was put him in more danger because he went out in his jammies."

"Well, let's not worry about that right now," she remarked. "Let's just focus on making sure he heals and rests before he goes out as Spiderman again."

"Yeah," I agreed, letting out a tired sigh. The exhaustion was hitting me now, and I wasn't looking forward to May's arrival. She would no doubt blame me, and she had every right to, but I just didn't have it in me to get into an argument.

It was a half hour before the doctor came out and said Peter would be just fine. They had stitched him up, wrapped his chest, and put his arm in a removable cast. Due to the kid's accelerated healing, I had no doubt he'd be out in two days or so. Still, it was a relief to know he was okay. They said he hadn't woken up yet, but that it wasn't a concern. I asked if I could visit and they replied that it'd be no problem.

I walked in to the room, noting they'd changed Peter's clothes into some pajamas. Advantage of this hospital was that we didn't end up with those horrid gowns with no back. My heart clenched at how young and vulnerable he looked. Stupid kid, I couldn't help but think. You're such a pain in my ass; but even as I thought this I found myself sinking into the chair at the side of his bed.

Pepper made a noise of distress when she noticed Pete's appearance, and she immediately rushed over to run a hand through his hair. I smiled at the tenderness she was showing him.

"He looks awful," she commented.

"He'll look right as rain in a couple of days, I guarantee you," I informed her. "He's got rapid healing like…," I trailed off awkwardly, not finishing the sentence. I'd been about to say like Cap, but the twisting of my stomach had stopped me. Pepper clearly understood because she gave me a sympathetic smile before nodding her head in understanding.

I let out a deep sigh as I leaned back my hair in the chair. He was okay, I repeated over and over in my head. He's okay.

I am so going to kill him when he wakes up.

 **A/N: I have to apologize for Peter during his "fight" with the Lizard. I know he's usually really talkative during fights, but I really couldn't come up with things for him to say. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please let me know if you'd like me to continue. I've actually got 15 ½ chapters already written, but if people aren't reviewing, or I get too many flames, then I'll just remove it.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you so much to those who have taken the time to review! I've been worried about how people would take this story as I'm new to the fandom. I just really, really loved the relationship between Tony and Peter, and I've had so much fun writing this. I've got 16 chapters so far, and this is the fastest I've ever written a story in my life!**

 **Chapter 3: Woah**

 **Peter's POV:**

I jerked away, gasping for breath before letting out a groan. I'd been dreaming, I think, of my fight with…Oh my god, what happened?!

"Peter, sweetheart, Peter, it's okay, you're alright," Aunt May stated, instantly at my side.

"Aunt May," I murmured, "what happened? Where am I?

"Don't worry about that right now. Just know that you're safe and that everything is okay. You're going to be just fine," she said vehemently.

I'm going to be fine? What did that mean? These thoughts had barely left me when I suddenly felt the ache of my no doubt broken ribs. I noticed the cast on my right arm, and I suddenly remembered how I'd received these wounds.

"Aunt May, what happened to that, uh, to the thing I was fighting? Is everyone okay? How did I get here? Where is here?" I asked rapidly, my anxiety shooting up.

"Shhhh, Peter, please calm down," my aunt ordered firmly, "You're only going to hurt yourself more if you keep moving around. Take a few breaths and I'll explain what I can, okay?"

I took in her tired, concerned eyes and decided it'd be easier to just do as she said. I took in several deep breaths, my heart rate going down. When she was satisfied that I was no longer freaking out, she began to explain.

"First off, you don't need to worry about the Lizard. He's been taken care of," she began, and I noticed the sudden stern edge to her tone along with the dark look in her eyes. I was in trouble. Thankfully, it seemed that she was going to wait for the scolding until I felt better.

"Tony saved you. When he found out what you were doing he flew over and defeated that monster before bringing you here," she recounted. "We're at the Avengers base, in their medical ward."

I tried to process her words, but I was beginning to feel overwhelmed. I had messed up, totally.

"How long have I been here?" I questioned, and she brushed stray strands of hair out of my face before saying, "Less than a day. You were brought in last night, and it's only the afternoon right now. I've been told you have rapid healing, which means you'll be able to leave here after you're looked over."

"So, we're going home?" I asked hopefully, knowing that right now I wanted to be as far from Tony Stark as I could get. I hadn't processed everything, but I knew I didn't want to see how angry he was about what I'd done. I couldn't believe that he'd had to come save me. I couldn't believe I'd passed out!

"No, not yet," Aunt May responded with a shake of her head. "Tony recommended you stay here in one of the rooms until you're completely healed. This way you'll be right by the doctors if something happens. Not to mention there will be more people to keep an eye on you," she added sternly. I hunched my shoulders, not at all looking forward to her anger either. Still, I imagined her relief at me being okay would trump the danger I'd put myself in.

"How do you feel?" she now questioned concernedly, and I gave her a smile, letting her know I was only feeling sore.

"I'm so glad you're okay, you have no idea," she remarked, bringing me in for a gentle hug. "I was so worried when Happy showed up saying you had been hurt. You can't do this to me, Peter, do you understand me? I already lost Ben. You're all I have now, and I can't lose you!"

There were tears in her eyes as she spoke, and I had to fight back tears of my own at how worried she sounded.

"I'm sorry, Aunt May, I mean it," I stated. "I won't put myself in such danger again. I know what I did was stupid, and it won't happen again. I'll always be there for you, I swear."

"I know, sweetheart, I know," she spoke quietly, pulling me in for another hug. I returned it full heartedly, ignoring the flare of pain in my ribs. I felt like such a jerk for having worried her so much. She didn't deserve this. I wished I could tell her that I'd quit being Spiderman, but I couldn't. _I was Spiderman_. It wasn't just a job, it was a part of me. She had to understand that.

"Enough with the heavy stuff," she suddenly stated, brushing away a few tears. "I'm going to get the doctor so they can check you over. If they give the okay, Pepper said she'd show us where you will be staying."

"Will you be staying too?" I pressed, part of me wanting her here to be a barrier between me and Tony while another part of me wanted her gone so I wouldn't have to see how stressed and worried I'd made her.

"I have to head back home soon because of work. They've already told me if I miss too many more days I'll be fired," she informed me in distress, willing me to understand. We needed this money, she said silently, and I understood completely. "I'll be back in two days, though, I promise. You'll probably be able to come home then, okay?"

"It's fine, Aunt May, don't worry. I completely understand," I replied with a loving smile.

"Of course you do," she stated, giving me a kiss on the cheek. "I'll call every day, and know that you can call me for any reason, okay?"

"I know, and I will if I need to," I responded with a nod.

"I love you Peter, and I'm so proud of the young man you've become. Your uncle would be proud of you as well" she then said after several moments of silence.

Joy and sadness welled up in me, a lump forming in my throat. I had to clear my throat noisily before telling her I loved her too.

"Alright, I'm going to get the doctor. You just stay here," she stated, giving me a mock stern look.

I laughed, before settling myself in the bed. "You mind asking them about food while you're at it. I'm starved!" She nodded her head before heading out.

I let out a loud sigh, knowing I probably wasn't going to get much of a scolding from her. As I'd suspected, she was just relieved that I was okay.

A doctor came in shortly and began to ask me questions. If I hadn't known I was at the Avengers base I probably would've been panicking, but I figured if he worked here then he must be trustworthy. I allowed the guy to check over my injuries, and I was happy to know that the slash marks seemed to be nearly healed. The broken bones were mending, but still hadn't healed. My cast, thankfully wasn't made of plaster, so I could take it off, but the doctor made me promise I'd keep it on for another week at least to make sure the bones healed correctly.

Once I was given the okay, I was forced into a wheelchair before being led by my aunt and Pepper to the room I'd be staying in.

"We figured you'd be more comfortable in here than in that clinic," Pepper informed me as she opened the door. My eyes widened when I took in the view. There was a king-sized bed with a Spiderman comforter! There was a blue and red theme going on, and I noticed some framed newspaper clips on the wall, all having to do with me. I had dressers, a desk, a huge TV with a game system, and my own bathroom. Oh my god!

"I hope you like this room," Pepper remarked, eyeing me closely. "I made the mistake of letting Tony take over the decorations, and as you can see he went a little overboard with the Spiderman theme. There are clothes in the dressers, and hopefully they're not all Spiderman themed as well.

"This is awesome! I can't believe I this is my room! I can't believe I have a room here at the Avengers home base! Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! This is the coolest thing ever!" I gushed, ecstatically rolling into the room and looking all over.

"I'm glad you like it," Pepper said with a smile. "I was afraid you might think it was all a bit too much."

"No way, this is amazingly awesome! I can't believe it's all mine! Look at that TV, and oh wow, that's a PS4! Are there games? I've got to get Ned over here! And look at that! Star Wars Legos!" I was yelling now, completely in awe of everything that I saw. Looking at Pepper I thanked her profusely over and over again. She just laughed, waving it away.

"It's no problem, Peter," she responded kindly. "We wanted you to be comfortable here. Tony and I figured there'd come a time when you needed to spend the night here, and we both wanted you to feel at home."

"Can I invite Ned over?" I had to ask. "He already knows that I'm Spiderman, and I swear he wouldn't tell anybody about anything! He's gotta be worried about me having no doubt seen the footage on the TV. Please, please, please can he come over?"

"Peter," my aunt scolded gently, "this is a government base. You can't just invite whoever you want over."

"No, May, it's not a problem," Pepper stated with an amused grin. "Tony figured you'd want to invite Ned over, so he's already been cleared, at least for this portion of the base."

"Yes, yes, yes!" I shouted, standing up and letting out a yell of joy. I instantly regretted my actions when pain shot through my injured ribs.

"Ouch!" I yelped, and both women instantly came towards me, guiding me over to the bed— _my bed_!

"Honestly, sweetheart," Aunt May scolded, "you're still recovering. You need to take care of yourself, and that means no jumping around. Rest is what you need. Promise me if Ned comes over you won't overexert yourself, do you understand?"

I had to contain my excitement as I rapidly nodded my head in agreement. "I understand, and I will," I assured her.

"Good," she said with a nod. "Someone should be bringing you food soon, and I'm afraid I have to leave." She looked to Pepper now and began to ask, "Would it be too much trouble if I asked Happy to"—

"It's already been arranged, May," Pepper interjected with understanding. "Happy is waiting outside to take you home. Peter is in good hands, I assure you, but please feel free to call any time. I've given you my number, in case you can't get hold of anyone else, or if you just want to talk."

"Of course, and thank you once more, Pepper," my aunt spoke to her. "I will never be able to repay all the kindness you've shown me and Peter."

"It's our pleasure, I assure you. We both care for you and Peter, and want the best for you both," Pepper explained, giving me a loving smile. I was taken aback by her openly admitting how much she and Tony cared. I had always thought of myself as a bother. Pepper didn't seem to think so, but did Tony? I hadn't seen him yet, and I was between relieved and hurt. Didn't he care that I'd been injured? On another note, I understood that he was probably pissed at me, and I didn't want to experience his anger again. I did wonder where he was, but I was too chicken to ask.

"Bye Peter," Aunt May told me with a final hug. "Behave yourself and you do whatever Pepper or Tony tell you to. Don't you dare go looking for trouble or even think about going out as Spiderman. All you're going to be doing for the next several days is resting, do you hear me young man?"

I bit back a disgruntled sigh as I nodded my head. "I hear you, and I'll behave," I assured her, embarrassed that she felt she had to tell me this. I was fifteen, not ten. She gave me one last kiss on the cheek before leaving. Pepper decided to walk her out, and thankfully, right as they stepped out my food arrived.

Oh, thank god, I thought to myself as I took in the mouthwatering scents. This was not regular hospital food, I thought as I took in the huge plate of chicken. I inhaled my food and was nearly finished with it when suddenly something or someone floated through my freakin' wall!

"What the heck!" I hollered in surprise, my food going flying as I jumped onto the wall.

"Oh dear, I apologize Mr. Parker, I did not mean to startle you so much," the man stated as he _floated_ (oh my god!) over towards me with an apologetic look.

"You're Vision!" I yelled, my shock quickly turning to fascination.

"Yes, I am," he responded with a small smile. "I just wanted to stop by to introduce myself and see how you were, but I realize I probably should have knocked…or used a door. You humans seem to startle very easily."

"Woah, this is so cool," I murmured to myself as I jumped down onto the floor, "and you know my name!"

"Yes, you are Peter Parker, also known as Spiderman," he responded. "Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts speak very highly of you. It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Yeah, nice to meet you too," I said, in awe of being in his presence and of the fact that Tony and Pepper actually talked to him about me.

"I have the room next door to you," he informed me, pointing to my left, and I just nodded my head. I was right next to the Vision! This was the coolest thing EVER!

"What are you? Why are you purple? Why do you have a British accent? Are you an alien? You're an Avenger, right?" I questioned rapidly, stopping when I realized that some of these questions may have come off as rude.

"Err, sorry, I guess some of these questions are rude, but I'm just so curious! I saw you in Germany and you were shooting a laser out of that crystal in your head and that was so cool, and you can actually fly!" I rambled, realizing now that I wasn't even allowing him to answer anything. He was just looking at me with curiosity and amusement.

"To answer a few of your questions," he began once I had quieted down, "I am an android, I suppose you could say, composed of a synthetic vibranium body. I was created by Dr. Cho for use by Ultron, but once Mr. Stark got a hold of me he synthesized his AI, Jarvis, into my being. I was brought to life when Thor used his lighting to charge the mind stone I have right here," he explained pointing at the stone in his forehead.

"Woah," I whispered, honestly not having understood everything. I didn't know who Dr. Cho or Jarvis was, but I'd gotten the gist of everything. I hadn't known Ultron had been the one responsible for creating him.

"As for my coloring," he continued, "I am unsure as to why I am the way I am. I just am. The reasoning behind my accent is because Jarvis, who is now a part of me, spoke with a British accent. I have his voice. No, I am not an alien, and yes, I am an Avenger. Have I answered all your questions?" As he spoke I noticed him beginning to pick up the food I'd thrown about. I quickly went about helping him, ignoring the stabs of pain movement caused me.

"Thanks for the help, and yeah, you've answered all my questions," I responded, giving him a wide grin.

"Not a problem," he responded kindly, "now I suggest you stay in your bed. I would hate for your condition to worsen because of me."

"I'll be fine," I told him, waving away his concern.

He smiled as I did as he suggested, and once I was settled he asked, "How did you come about your abilities?"

He actually wants to know? I swelled up in excitement before launching into my tale, perhaps making it sound more exciting than it'd really been. He then asked about what exactly I could do, and I launched into an explanation, feeling the need to bring up a variety of times I'd used them to help people. He listened with rapt attention, seeming extremely curious. He was sitting cross legged on my bed now, and after I finished speaking I decided to ask him about Avengers business. To my disappointment, he informed me that he was not at liberty to give details on missions, but he did give me some information on the other current Avengers, which were just James Rhodes (War Machine) and Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) at the moment. Both were currently off base.

Vision and I talked for another hour before a nurse came in to give me some medication for pain. I took it gratefully, and began to feel sleepy shortly afterwards. The android bid me goodnight, also informing me that he'd endeavor not to startle me so badly the next time he stopped by.

I slept peacefully, waking up to Pepper gently shaking me.

"Hey Peter, I'm sorry to wake you, but I figured you should eat something," she stated quietly, giving me an apologetic look.

"S'fine," I mumbled, sitting up and taking the tray she offered me.

"How are you feeling?" she asked in concern, and I gave her a smile as I responded, "I'm good, Pepper, really. My body heals fast. I'll be right as rain in no time."

"I'm glad to hear it, kiddo, you have no idea how worried we all were," she told me, giving me a smile. I noticed, though, that her eyes still showed concern. I paused in my eating as I began to feel guilty.

"I'm sorry for worrying you guys," I apologized sincerely, "I didn't mean to."

"I know you didn't, Peter," she said with a sigh, "but you have to take better care of yourself. You almost died, did you know that?"

I froze, not really having considered that. "I did?" I asked in a small voice.

"If Tony hadn't been there," she remarked, shaking her head, "you would have been. I'm sorry, Peter, I don't mean to frighten you, but"—

"No, it's fine, I mean, I understand," I stammered. "I just, I mean…I didn't know."

"I know you didn't, which is why I'm telling you," she said gently. "You have to take better care of yourself. If you had died, we would've been devastated. You have no idea how upset Tony has been since this happened. He's been blaming himself…," she trailed off sadly, and my heart clenched as I now asked, "Where is he?"

"He's not here right now," was all she gave me, and from the look in her eyes I knew I wasn't going to get more details.

"He's okay, right?" I pressed, and she nodded, gracing me with a smile. "He's just fine, honey." I nodded, wondering why he wasn't here. I was too shy to ask, but Pepper guessed what I wanted because she added, "Tony spent all last night with you. Didn't leave your side until your aunt and I forced him away. He'll check in on you when he can, okay?"

"Yeah, okay, that's-that's cool," I replied, unable to keep the relief out of my voice. "Is he-is he really mad?" I forced myself to ask, my voice coming out as more of a squeak. How embarrassing.

Pepper's look seemed more than understanding as she responded, "I won't lie to you, Peter. Yes, he's mad, but only because of how scared he was about what happened and what could have happened. He's more disappointed than angry, though, and I know he's not good at showing or even saying it, but he does care about you."

I suddenly felt choked up at the sincerity of her words, and so I just nodded my head in understanding of what she'd said.

"Okay, if you're finished how about you try and sleep again," she suggested, and I gave another nod as she took my try of food away.

"Do you think it'd be fine if I showered first?" I suddenly asked, realizing that I was still covered in grime and dirt from my battle.

"Of course, but then it's straight to bed," she ordered.

"Yeah, and can I invite Ned over tomorrow, please?" I quickly asked before she left.

She laughed before nodding her head. "Yes, you can. I'll have Happy pick him up if that's okay?"

"Awesome!" I crowed as I slowly stood up and headed towards the bathroom.

"Everything you need is in there," Pepper added, "and there are pajamas in one of these drawers. If you need anything, ask Friday."

"Friday?" I questioned, tensing when a voice in the ceiling said, "Hello Mr. Parker, I am Friday. If you have any questions or would like me to contact someone, please let me know."

"I-uh-wow," I stuttered, looking up at the ceiling. Pepper laughed once more before wishing me another good night.

 **Tony's POV:**

I arrived at the compound, shedding myself of the Iron Man suit, and wearily making my way inside. After sleeping and getting some food, I'd headed over to New York City to help deal with the aftermath of the Lizard situation. I'd learned more about the good doctor and why he'd ended up the way he had. He'd been researching lizard genes in the hope of coming up with a way to cause limb regrowth. Clearly, his plans hadn't worked out, but it had been a noble cause. The road to hell was paved with good intentions, though. I was well aware of that.

I walked through the dimly lit corridors, glad that I could go straight into the living quarters without having to deal with SHIELD people. I was walking without a real destination in mind when I realized that I was suddenly standing outside a room labeled Spiderman. The kid. I wonder how he is?

"Friday, is he awake?" I whispered, and I received the written response on my watch. "No, sir, he has been asleep for two hours already." I absentmindedly nodded my head before quietly stepping into the room. I stealthily made my way towards the bed and sat myself in the empty chair that had been left by his bedside. Watching him closely, I couldn't help but smirk when I noticed he was wearing a spiderman t-shirt. Ha, I knew he'd like those. He seemed in much better shape than last night, and I was grateful. My stomach seemed to unclench slightly at the sight, my muscles also beginning to loosen.

Idiot spiderling, I thought to myself. Taking on something you never should've been involved with. What am I going to do with you? Look at you, sleeping all peacefully. You have no idea how worried you made me! You have no idea that I've barely been able to sleep because of how scared I was for you.

I took in a deep, calming breath to keep myself from throttling the boy right now. He needed his rest, and I wasn't in the right state to be talking to him anyhow. I was too angry still.

I sighed inwardly while settling myself into the chair. I just wanted to keep an eye on him right now and make sure he was okay. I would leave soon, buy not yet, not yet.

 **A/N: Please review! Reviews will keep me posting, if I know you're enjoying this. I've said it before, but the entire story is already written. I may add more as ideas come, but as of now there are sixteen chapters.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you for the continued reviews and encouragement, it is much appreciated! I'm going through my story now and making edits, and I am also brainstorming more ideas on what to write. Please enjoy this chapter!**

 **Chapter 4: Good and Bad**

 **Peter's POV:**

"Hey Peter. Psst. Peter. Peter Parker," I heard someone whispering not so quietly. I groaned quietly, turning to the side to ignore whoever it was calling my name.

"Really, Peter? It's your best friend in the whole world. It's the guy in the chair. Come on Peter, wake up," the voice continued to speak, now poking me in the cheek as well.

"I'm up, I'm up, I'm up," I murmured, opening my eyes and coming face to face with Ned's huge grinning face.

"Good morning Peter!" he shouted, and I had to cover my ears at the suddenly high volume.

"Ahh, jeez, Ned, you know how my hearing is!" I hissed angrily. "Keep it down, dude."

"Oops, sorry buddy, it's just you have no idea how excited I am to be here," he began to speak rapidly. "I mean can you believe it? This is the Avengers base! This is where Iron Man, Captain America, Hawkeye, Black Widow, and everybody _lives_! Do you think we'll see them? Well, I guess not Captain America, as he is a fugitive, but still. And have you seen your room? I mean, wow, this is the coolest room I've ever seen! And I'm so jealous! You have an actual room in the freaking Avengers base!"

I laughed out loud. "I know, I know!" I yelled back, my own excitement from yesterday coming back.

"When'd you get here?" I asked.

"Fifteen minutes ago," he responded before giving me a nervous look. "Uh, Mr. Stark was here when I came in, and dude, it kind of looked like he slept here in that chair."

"He was?" I asked in bewilderment. "You think?"

"Yeah, Pete," he said, "I mean you know how he always looks so cool and neat and suave? Well, his hair was all messed up, his clothes were rumpled, and he looked pretty tired."

I felt surprise at what he'd just said. Tony had been here? He'd been here all night? My heart hammered as I wondered why he would've done that. Pepper said he cared, and it really seemed like she was right.

"Oh, and uh, he said something to me before he left," Ned continued, suddenly looking a little scared. "He told me that if I stressed you out in any way that he'd throw me off the roof! Can you believe it? Do you think he was telling the truth? Am I stressing you? Please tell me I'm not stressing you! I don't want to be thrown off the roof! I don't have super powers to save me, Peter!"

I laughed loudly at his concern, knowing Tony would never follow through with such a threat. "He was just messing with you, Ned," I assured him. "I promise you he'd never do that."

"Are you sure?" he asked concernedly. "He looked serious."

"Don't worry, Ned, I'm serious, you're fine," I continued to assure him, getting myself out of my bed and pointing over towards my TV. "Now, are you ready to try out all these video games I got?" I asked, which immediately wiped all concern from Ned's expression.

"Yes, yes, yes!" he shouted, running over to see what games I had. I followed at a slower pace.

"You sure you're okay, Peter?" Ned asked, his face now showing concern. "I saw the footage on TV, and everyone says you're fine, but, are you? Really?"

"Yeah, totally," I replied with confidence. "I'm fine. This cast is just the doctors being over protective. I'll be back in school within a couple of days, no doubt."

"Cool, cuz I was totally worried!" he admitted. "I can't believe you went after that thing on your own! I mean, I thought you weren't supposed to do stuff like that?" he questioned, and I gave him a guilty look.

"Technically, no, but, let's not talk about that right now, okay?" I pleaded, and he just nodded his head and smiled.

"Just glad you're okay," he remarked before pointing out a game he wanted to try out. We played games for hours, food being brought to us. I managed to convince Friday to get someone to bring us snacks and sodas, and Ned and I had a blast. It was a relief to be a kid and just play. Pepper checked in a couple times, and even Vision stopped by. Ned went wild, asking him more questions than I had. Vision took it all with good grace, asking his own questions of Ned. He seemed rather intrigued by the concept of school, which was weird, but whatever. We invited him to play video games with us, but he declined, choosing instead to just watch for the time being. When we tired of the games we moved over to the Legos. There were some unopened boxes, and then there were bins with no picture or instructions of what the Legos built. Ned and I decided to build a Millennium Falcon, and while we worked on that we gave Vision a box of Legos to see what he could do with it. I was shocked when in no more than thirty minutes, he had completed three different types of racing pods.

"What the-how did you do that?" Ned asked in wonder.

"Looking at the available pieces, and researching Star Wars Legos, I realized there were only a couple different configurations that these pieces could create," he explained, like it was no big deal. Ned and I shared a look before quickly grabbing all the unlabeled boxes and creating a huge pile.

"Alright Vision, let's build!" I announced with a huge grin, and he blinked once before smiling and saying, "Very well, let us build."

Time passed quickly, and we went from building Legos to searching around my room. We found a couple lightsabers, which then caused us to go through my clothes. We grabbed what we could and managed to put together ridiculous Jedi costumes. Upon seeing what we were doing Vision, the lucky android, just transformed his outfit to look similar to ours.

"What are we doing?" he asked curiously.

"Jedi battle!" I shouted before launching myself towards Ned. I made sure to temper my abilities so as to make it fair and fun for Ned too. Vision just watched us in amused confusion, so I turned my toy lightsaber on him. "Defend yourself, Darth Visionis!" I hollered, flipping over Ned and taking slow aim at Vision. My hit went right through him.

"Woah, that's awesome!" Ned yelled, jumping off my bed and rushing towards Vision.

"It's cheating!" I exclaimed, though. "No superpowers allowed, Vision, you have to use the lightsaber."

"Like this," Ned said, slowly showing him how to move the lightsaber around, even giving his own sound effects.

"Is this like sparring?" Vis asked.

"Yeah, but more like play," I had to add. "We're not trying to hurt each other. This is just for fun. Watch us," I said, once more engaging into battle with Ned. We parried a few blows before we both turned back to him. "Now you try."

Ned slowly went at him with the lightsaber. Vision blocked all of his hits with no problems, so Ned started to increase the speed of his hits. I decided to jump in to his aid, yelling, "Death to the dark side of the force!"

"I assume you're referring to me as the dark side?" Vision asked with a smile as he continued to easily avoid our blows.

"Yeah," Ned answered cheekily. "You're Darth Visionis, and you're trying to take over the galaxy. Peter and I are the last remaining Jedis, and we're going to take you down!"

"Very well, young Jedis," Vision responded, giving us a little bow. "Show me what you can do."

We both yelled and charged at him. As the seconds went by I allowed myself to use my acrobatic skills, beginning to leap around him and onto the wall. Vision was laughing while we both yelled out death threats when I noticed the door open and Pepper walk in. She froze in the doorway, eyes wide as she took in the scene before her. Freezing, I had to admit things were a mess in here. My sheets were all over the floor, clothes were hanging out of my drawers, Legos were everywhere, video games were strewn about, and there may or may not have been a foot sized dent in the wall.

"Uh, hi Pepper," I greeted quietly with a guilty grin.

"Oh, hello Ms. Potts," Vision greeted formally, as though there was nothing odd about this at all. "Young Peter and Ned here were having a Jedi battle with me," he explained. "Apparently I am a dark lord taking over the universe and they need to defeat me. It is called playing, I believe."

Pepper looked from Vision to me to Ned and then back again before bursting out into laughter. "Hahahaha! Oh my god, you guys are so cute! Friday, please tell me you've been recording this!" She was literally doubled over, holding on to the door for support, and I couldn't help but be embarrassed and offended.

"We're not cute," I muttered.

"Of course, Ms. Potts," Friday answered, and I glared up at the ceiling.

Pepper continued to laugh for several more seconds, even as she got her phone out and began to take several pictures. I huffed, jumping down from the wall onto my bed.

"Come on Pepper, don't make fun," I pouted. "We were having fun. What're you going to do with those?"

"Relax Peter, I'm not going to blackmail you or anything. It's just, you guys are too funny," she explained with a huge grin. "I have to show Tony this"—

"No!" I shouted, "You might not blackmail me but he will if he sees me like this! He already thinks of me as a kid, and if he sees me like this he might think I'm too young to be Spiderman!"

"Technically, you are a child, Peter," Vision had to oh so helpfully cut in, "as in your society, one does not become an adult until eighteen." I completely ignored him as I gave my puppy-eyes to Pepper. Her smile left as she just sighed.

"Peter, relax, honey," she said comfortingly. "Tony isn't going to ask you to stop being Spiderman, especially not for something like this. And Vision is right, you are a child, and Tony already knows that."

"I just…This is embarrassing," I mumbled, feeling my face heat up. For the past several hours I'd forgotten where exactly we were. This was the home of the Avengers, Earths mightiest heroes, and here I was playing dress up.

"I found this quite enjoyable," Vision commented with a smile, and I glanced at him before Ned chimed in with a, "yeah it was!" Seeing their joyful faces brought me out of my temporary funk, and I laughed.

"I take it since you're bouncing all over the place you're feeling better then, Peter?" Pepper asked, giving me a raised eyebrow. Oops. I forgot I wasn't supposed to be jumping around.

"Oh no!" Ned suddenly cried out, "Mr. Stark said if Peter was injured while I was here he'd throw me off the roof! Tell me you're okay, Pete, tell me you're not hurt anywhere!"

"Tony said what to you?!" Pepper cried in exasperation, while I just laughed.

"No, Ned, I'm fine," I reassured him. "I told you, Tony was just messing with you. He'd never throw you off the roof, right Pepper?"

"Of course he wouldn't," Pepper snapped. "Of all the absurd things—honestly, that man, I swear he's more of a child…" she trailed off angrily before looking at Ned. "Don't worry, I promise you Tony won't lay a finger on you. He likes you, Ned, and he knows your Peter's best friend, so he'd never do anything to hurt you. You can rest easy."

"Oh, thank god," Ned sighed, putting a hand to his heart. "I hate heights, and so I don't think falling off a roof is good for my health."

Pepper just shook her head before informing us that we should start cleaning up. "I'll have dinner brought up, and after that Ned, I'll have Happy take you home."

"Thanks Ms. Potts," he replied, and then Pepper turned to me, her face serious while her tone remained light. "Tony said he'll be by this evening to talk with you, okay?"

"Uh huh," I murmured, my insides going cold. Turning to Ned I quickly asked, "Are you sure you can't spend the night?" Tony wouldn't be able to yell at me if Ned was here.

"Sorry, man, but my Mom wants me home," he explained. "I've still got a history project to work on. It's a miracle she allowed me to hang out this long."

"I can be very persuasive," Pepper mentioned with a smirk before giving me a knowing look. Yikes. She knew what I'd been trying to do.

"Well, hop to it boys," she stated with clapped hands. "You too Vision," she added pointedly, and Ned and I snickered at the suddenly sheepish expression he wore. He magically changed his clothes back to what he had been wearing before beginning to help us clean up. With my abilities and Vision's, it actually didn't take us too long, and right as we were finishing dinner arrived.

"Yes!" Ned and I both yelled, surrounding the scrumptious looking pizza. We chowed down at which point Vision excused himself. We thanked him for hanging out with us, and invited him to do so another day. He responded that he'd enjoyed himself, and that he wouldn't mind learning what the fuss was all about concerning video games.

"This was the best day ever," Ned sighed after finishing his last slice. "I wish I didn't have to leave."

"Me either," I agreed, my nerves starting to get to me. "I wonder if you can convince your Mom to let you stay. Tell her we'll do your homework here or"—

"I already told you I can't," he repeated sadly. "You have no idea how much convincing it took for her to let me come today. I don't know what Ms. Potts told her, but she said I had to be home by 7 at the latest or I'd be grounded for a week. Sorry man."

I groaned, putting my head onto the table. "Tony is going to kill me," I admitted, feeling the need to get my concern off my chest. Maybe if I told him I could convince him to stay?

"What makes you think that?" Ned asked confusedly.

"I wasn't supposed to be getting into fights with monsters," I explained dismally. "I promised him I wouldn't, and then I did, and then he had to rescue me because I was unconscious! He'll probably take my suit again, or he'll tell me he doesn't want to see me. I screwed up."

Ned was frowning now, his face sympathetic before he said, "I think you're stressing too much. Mr. Stark seemed pretty worried about you earlier. I mean, he spent the night sleeping in that uncomfortable chair, and he threatened to throw me off a roof if I let you get hurt. I doubt he'll be too hard on you. Also, didn't he ask you to be a part of the Avengers not too long ago? He's not going to take your suit for this one thing," he spoke with certainty.

"I don't know," I mumbled, my nerves keeping me from listening to his reasoning. "You just didn't see how mad he was after the thing with the ferry and the Vulture. He's going to be even more angry now, I guarantee it."

"Maybe he will," Ned agreed thoughtfully, "but it's only because he cares. I mean, my parents get mad at me, and it sucks, but I know they're only trying to help. It's the same with him, I guess. He's like your super dad or something," he said with a contemplative look.

"What?!" I sputtered in embarrassment. "No, he's not," I argued, even though a part of me felt that he may be right.

"Whatever you say, Spiderman," he said with a shrug and a smile. "You screwed up. He'll go all dad-like, and then you'll be cool. No biggie."

I wished I could have his faith, but I didn't. I didn't see this confrontation going so smoothly. Ned just didn't know Tony as well as I did. He wasn't going to treat me like his kid, he was going to treat me like a subordinate who'd gone against his orders.

There was a knock at the door before it opened. It was Happy.

"Hey kid, how's it going?" he asked me, and I was surprised by the amount of concern in his tone. I didn't know he cared so much.

"I'm good, Happy, thanks," I responded with a smile. He smiled back before simply saying, "You're an idiot, but I'm glad you're alright." I didn't know what to say, so I just gave him a sheepish look. He turned to Ned then.

"Let's go, Ned, time to get you back home," he announced, and we both groaned.

"Later Pete, and good luck," he said as we did our secret hand shake.

"See ya soon I hope, and thanks," I responded, desperately wishing that he wasn't leaving.

Once they were gone I lay down on my bed, groaning at both the situation and at how sore I suddenly felt. I shouldn't have been moving around as much as I had, but when I'd been having fun I hadn't really noticed the pain. My bones still ached, so I figured I should cool it with the acrobatics for at least another day.

I lay there for several minutes, horrible scenarios going through my head before I got up and began to pace around my room. What was he going to say? How mad was he? Was he going to kick me out? Was he going to stop me from being Spiderman? He was pissed, he had to be. Where is he? When is he going to be here? I glanced up at the ceiling and gathered the courage to ask.

"Hey Friday," I whispered, "can you tell me if Tony is here, please?"

"Mr. Stark is here," she responded. "Would you like me to let him know you're looking for him?"

"No!" I screeched, shaking my head at the roof. "No, I'm good. Thanks Friday." My heart was pounding as I then asked my next question. "Where is he, Friday? Is he on his way here?"

"I'm not sure, let me ask him," she replied, and I shouted, "NO DON'T!" I covered my mouth at how loud that came out, and looked towards my doorway, wondering if anybody would come running. "Please tell me you didn't ask him," I pleaded with Friday.

"I did not," she informed me calmly, "however I will not be able to answer your question without asking him. May I ask why you don't wish to speak with him directly?"

"I'm in trouble Friday, and he's pissed at me," I attempted to explain. "If you tell him I'm wondering where he is, he'll just come here sooner, and I don't want to talk to him."

"I see," the AI responded before adding, "I assume then you would like me to keep this conversation a secret from Mr. Stark then?"

"Yes, please," I stated, giving the disembodied voice a grateful look. "Can you-can you tell me what he's doing right now?"

"Since sir is in his private quarters I am not allowed to explain what he is doing without first asking," she explained, and I let out a sigh, sitting myself on the edge of my desk.

"Could you tell me then when you think he's on his way here?" I questioned hopefully, and I could swear there was a smile in the voice when she replied, "Of course young Mr. Parker. I will let you know when he is heading this way. May I ask what you plan on doing with this information?"

"I-uh-I don't really know," I admitted, my heart still hammering away. "I know I don't want to be here for this conversation, so maybe I'll just…" I trailed off as I looked towards my window. Glancing out I noticed I was on the third story of the building facing towards the back. Could I run for it? It was dark, so it'd be more difficult for anyone to see me. I could just go home and tell Aunt May they'd let me go.

"Sir, your heart seems to be beating at a rather elevated rate. Would you like me to contact someone for you?" Friday asked in concern.

"No, Friday, I'm good," I responded, my voice sounding out of breath to even me. "It's just the nerves." Opening my window, I paused before deciding to search around my room in hope that there was a costume lying about. No luck. What I did find was a spiderman sweater, which I decided to put on with jeans. I looked around again to see if my web shooters were here, but no such luck either. How the heck was I going to get home without a costume and shooters? At least it's night time, I assured myself. Nobody will be looking, and if they see you, they'll also see the spiderman hoodie and just…just assume you're spiderman? God, this is ridiculous!

"Mr. Stark seems to be en route to your room," Friday announced quietly, and I let out a whimper.

"Does he look mad?" I asked, and there was a pause before she answered, "I am unable to tell. His expression is hard for me to interpret, but like you his heart rate seems to be elevated. He is walking rapidly and my estimate is that he will arrive in five minutes."

"I'm gone," I declared, not even thinking before jumping out the window and sticking to the outside wall. Crouching down, I used my leg muscles to push hard off the wall and towards the forest. I landed clumsily on one of the trees, causing me to let out a yell of pain as my injured ribs and arm were banged up again.

"Crud," I muttered to myself before forcing myself up and just running. If I can get to a road I can hitchhike on top of a truck of something. Better run fast, Spiderman, I told myself.

 **Tony's POV:**

My mind was working furiously as I walked towards Peter's room. I still wasn't sure what to say to him, but I knew we needed to talk before he went home tomorrow. I couldn't let the kid think it was okay to risk his life like he did. I arrived at his room in no time, and when I saw the door closed I sighed before deciding to knock. I should respect his privacy and not just barge in, I told myself. See Pepper, I'm being nice, I thought sardonically. When I received no response, I frowned, muttering "Screw nice," and opened the door.

Nobody here.

I pursed my lips, likely scenarios going through my head.

"Where is he Friday?" I asked with a calm I knew I didn't feel.

"Mr. Parker would prefer I not reveal his location," she spoke, and I raised my eyebrows, giving her camera a pointed look.

"Uh huh, and why would that be?" I asked curiously.

"He feels he is in trouble and that you are angry with him," she responded, and I rolled my eyes at the concern in her voice. Of course I'm mad, but I wasn't planning on killing the kid.

"He is in trouble, Friday, and he and I need to have a conversation, so tell me where he went this second," I ordered firmly, and she had no choice but to obey.

"Five minutes before you arrived Peter jumped out the window. I do not know where he is going" she informed me.

What?! Is she serious? Did Peter really run away? I immediately called my suit towards me before shooting off one last question. "Did he run because he knew I was coming?"

"Yes, sir," she responded. "He seemed quite nervous about you coming to speak with him. His heart rate was extremely elevated before he left." Really kid? Did I scare you that much? What did he think I was going to do?

I shook my head in exasperation, jumping out the window into my suit before taking off into the forest.

"Search for heat signatures in the forest, Friday," I ordered, "specifically one that's moving rapidly."

"There is a heat signature to your left two miles away that seems a likely candidate for young sir," she advised, and I immediately took off towards it. I caught up to the running spiderling in less than a minute and landed several feet in front of him.

Peter jumped back in surprise, and threw me a nervous grin. "Woah, uh, hey Mr. Stark, how's it going? Fancy seeing you here. I was just going for a…" he finally trailed off speaking when I began to close the distance between us. I wasn't even really thinking just acting when I gently grabbed the boys uninjured arm and twisted him so I could land a swat on his reckless backside.

"Ow!" Peter yelped, jumping before I let go of his arm. He rubbed his backside with one hand while looking at me with a gob smacked expression.

"You just—I can't believe—what did"—He was stammering, but I cut him off as I opened my face mask.

"Stop talking," I ordered sharply, "and get yourself back to your bedroom at the base this instant before I decide to give you another." The boy's mouth snapped shut, his eyes still wide as he nodded his head and turned tail. I stayed where I was, silently fuming at the fact that he would just leave like this. How did he plan on making it home? He wasn't even wearing a costume, and he didn't have his shooters. Was he really just going to run home?! I took in several deep breaths to calm myself, and when I did, I let out a groan as I realized that I'd just swatted the kid.

"Shit," I muttered, hoping desperately I hadn't hurt the kid badly. I knew the swat had hurt, but I hoped it hadn't been too bad. And what the hell was I doing swatting the kid anyway? He wasn't my kid. I mean he kind of was in a way, but not like that. He was my responsibility, but…

But he so deserved it! And he listened to me afterwards, didn't he?

Letting out a huff of air, I shook my head and blasted back towards home. There was no sense in putting this off and causing the nervous kid to run again.

It took me five minutes to get back to the Peter's room seeing as I didn't want to just jump through his window again. When I arrived at his door I just went right in, glad to see him just sitting on his bed. He looked at me with wide, nervous eyes, and I flat out asked, "You want to tell me what the hell you were doing getting into a fight with the Lizard?"

Clearly this hadn't been the question he'd been anticipating, because his eyes just widened even more while his mouth just opened and closed.

"Not a rhetorical question, Peter, so you had better start talking, and _quickly_ because I'm not feeling very patient at the moment, especially after this little stunt you just played!" I snapped heatedly. I mean, what the hell had he been thinking running away like that?

"I'm sorry Mr. Stark, but I thought I could handle it," he defended, and I just scoffed at his over confidence.

"Oh, you thought? You _thought_?" I retorted sarcastically. "To me it doesn't seem like you thought at all, because if I recall correctly, you gave me your word that you wouldn't do something stupid like this. You gave me your word that you'd contact me or Happy or _somebody_ if some mutant freak showed up in the city! Or did you forget that?

"I did inform you! I texted you," he argued, and I gave him a look of exasperation.

"A text doesn't count and you know that!" I rebuked. "I thought you were smarter than this, kid, but I guess I was wrong. Jesus," I exclaimed, pacing around the room while running an agitated hand through my hair. "Do you have any idea what would have happened if I hadn't arrived? Do you?!"

"I—uh, I mean I would've…" he trailed off, clearly having no clue on how to respond.

"You were unconscious," I informed him, my voice turning stern. "You were unconscious and that damned creature was standing above you ready to deliver a killing blow. If I hadn't been there, if I'd arrived even a minute later, _you would be dead_!" I roared furiously, and Peter flinched, looking as though I'd slapped him.

"I-I-I didn't know. I mean I d-d-didn't realize…I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" he yelled back at me, standing up and giving me a desperate look. "I know I messed up, but I couldn't just stand by and do nothing! He was killing people! Why won't you understand that?"

Excuses. He was still giving me excuses. "Why don't you understand that this wasn't your battle," I hissed with narrowed eyes. "You _knew_ this, Peter. You _knew_ you weren't supposed to deal with things like this. You _knew_ what you were supposed to do, but you deliberately disobeyed me. You took advantage of the fact that I was gone, and like a spoiled, arrogant child you did what you wanted," I lectured, my voice and face clearly revealing my frustration and disappointment. Internally, I couldn't help but flinch at the kid's hurt and apologetic expression, and at the fact that I sounded exactly like my father. I swallowed heavily, wanting to stop talking, or wanting to do anything but this. I didn't want to be in this position, but this damned kid was going to get himself killed, and if he did that…I didn't even want to imagine that.

Peter's broken expression quickly turned to anger at this point, his fists clenching. "I wasn't acting like a child, I was acting like an Avenger!" he snapped. "You offered me the job, and I declined, but clearly you thought I was capable of doing what you did, so why is now different?" His voice turned haughty, and it grated on my nerves. He reminded me of what I was like as a kid, and I suddenly felt a little sympathy towards my parents for what I'd put them through.

"As you just said," I countered, "you _turned down_ the job offer. You said no, and you said you were going to help the little guy. We talked about this, and we set guidelines, and you _gave me your word_. If you'd agreed to be an Avenger, you would've gone through training before being sent into the field, and even then you would've been sent in with a _team_ and with a _plan!_ What was your plan, genius? How were you going to take care of the Lizard?" I questioned angrily.

His anger lessened dramatically, uncertainty and shame replacing it. I had my answer. He had no plan, and that only further fueled my ire.

"Your silence tells me more than your words could," I stated icily.

The youth opened his mouth, but I cut him off before he could utter a single syllable. "I don't want to hear it anymore. You screwed up, _again_. There are no excuses, and frankly, the fact that you keep arguing with me makes me incredibly glad you decided not to become an Avenger. I was clearly wrong about you."

My heart nearly broke at the tears that welled up in Peter's eyes, the hurt look burning in his eyes. I was having none of it, though. Puppy dog eyes weren't going to save his life.

"I'd take your suit away if I knew it'd do any good, but I know you'll go out regardless," I stated with clear displeasure. "Here's what's going to happen instead. Spiderman is taking a break. You're not going out for at least a week starting today. You'll stay in this room until it's time for you to go home, so don't even think of stepping a foot outside this door or window. This conversation isn't over, Mr. Parker, but I'm not going to argue with you anymore. If you want to mature a little and accept that you messed up, then you know where to reach me. Until then, I don't want to see or hear from you, do you understand?"

A heavy silence filled the room, Peter's face paling rapidly, and I felt that any moment he was going to start crying. My father's voice suddenly filled my head shouting, ' _Dry your tears, Tony, they're a weakness and Stark men are not weak!'_ I swallowed down those words, feeling sick as I realized how like my father I was acting.

"I understand, Mr. Stark," Peter finally spoke in a near whisper, his tone completely defeated.

My teeth were clenched as I gave a single nod, whirled around and stalked out of his room. I had the sudden urge to destroy something, so despite how exhausted I was I went down to a training room and started punching anything and everything.

 **A/N: Yeah, Tony came off as a total jerk, but he's new to this. He was just super scared, but I promise he'll realize his mistake and he and Peter will repair this little rift. Also, I have 17 chapters, not 16! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This will be the only chapter with Pepper's POV. Was not intentional, but I prefer writing in Tony and Peter's POVs.**

 **Chapter 5: Fix It**

 **Pepper's POV:**

I had just hung up the phone in my office when Friday called out to me.

"What is it, Friday?" I asked wearily, pinching the bridge of my nose. I'd just gotten off the phone with a board member from SI, and I was just plain irritated by their constant concerns with money. It was always about the money.

"Mr. Parker seems rather distressed," she informed me, "and I highly recommend you come see him."

I froze. "What? Is he alright? Does he need a doctor?" I asked, standing up and immediately making my way to the boy's room.

"Physically, he is fine, but emotionally I feel he is unwell," she explained. "He is currently crying, and due to the fact that this is as a result of his conversation with Mr. Stark, I felt it best to contact you rather than him."

Oh no, I thought, my concern deepening as I increased my speed. Peters crying? What did you say, Tony? Why would you leave him like this?

"Where is Tony?" I questioned.

"He is in training room 2 using one of the punching bags," she answered, a note of concern in her tone.

Oh no, I thought again, letting out a deep sigh as I reached Peter's room. I could hear the sobs coming from inside, and it broke my heart. What did you do, Tony?

"Oh good," I heard, and I looked to my right to see Vision sticking his head out of his room. "Peter seems quite distressed, and I was wondering what to do. I didn't think he'd appreciate me coming in to his room, though."

"I'll take care of this, Vision," I assured him, and he nodded before disappearing back into his room. Taking in a deep, calming breath I walked into Peter's room, sadness flowing through me as I saw the state he was in. He was sitting on his bed with his knees up to his chest, sobbing his little heart out.

"Oh, honey," I spoke softly, and he looked up in shock, trying and failing to stem his tears.

"P-Pepper, I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he repeated thickly, attempting to wipe at his eyes. I quickly rushed over to him, sitting myself on the bed right next to him.

"Hush, Peter," I told him gently, "you have nothing to apologize for. There's nothing wrong with crying." I wrapped my arms around him at this point, and his resolve to remain silent crumbled, the tears falling even harder.

Goddammit, Tony, what did you say to him?

I held the sobbing boy in my arms for several minutes until he managed to calm himself down. There were still tears going down his young face as I lifted his chin to look at me.

"Peter, please tell me what happened," I outright pleaded. "What did Tony say to you?"

He stubbornly shook his head while taking shuddering breaths, but I forced him once more to look at me.

"I need you to listen to me, kiddo," I spoke earnestly. "There's something you need to understand about Tony, and that's that he sometimes says things he doesn't mean. I don't know what he said, but from the state you're in I do know he was wrong."

"N-n-no he wasn't," he argued feebly. "I screwed up, and he hates me."

"No, he doesn't," I disagreed strongly. "Tony…I told you Tony was scared by what happened to you, right?" I questioned, and he gave a hesitant nod.

"Well, when Tony is scared, he makes mistakes," I informed him. "He was so worried about what happened and what could've happened to you that I have no doubt he lashed out in anger. He's afraid of losing you, so he probably lashed out at you in an attempt to push you away."

"B-but he's right about me," he defended, more tears rolling down his face. "He said-he said…" he trailed off, rubbing at his tired eyes, and I stilled his hands and gently wiped away stray tears.

"Tell me what he said," I requested firmly. "I need to know, honey, so I can help."

Peter seemed to hesitate, but at my imploring eyes he finally gave in. Avoiding eye contact, he recounted everything from the point he jumped out the window to when Tony stormed away. Peter had to stop several times as he talked to me, and when he finished, he was once more crying, so I held him tightly, inwardly cursing Tony for letting his own insecurities get the best of him. Hearing what he'd said to Peter, I knew he'd allowed his fear do the talking.

I comforted Peter as best as I could, telling him that Tony had said all this out of fear, and that he wasn't as angry as he seemed, but I knew my words had little effect. Tony would have to fix this himself. Exhaustion seemed to take over, thankfully, and the boy fell asleep. I sighed sadly as I got out of the bed.

"Keep an eye on him, Friday," I instructed before once more asking where my idiotic boyfriend was.

"I will, Ms. Potts, and sir is still in Training Room 2," she answered, and I clenched my teeth before stalking off towards the training rooms. The closer I got to Tony's location the angrier I got. The nerve of that man! I understood that he'd been frightened, but Peter was just a 15-year-old kid, and he'd had no right to treat him so harshly! The kid had definitely deserved a scolding, but Tony, of course, had to take it too far and traumatize the boy, making Peter feel as though 'Mr. Stark hated him'.

I walked into the training room and instantly zeroed in on the resident genius's location. He was sitting against the wall, staring off into space with a blank look on his face. I grimaced at both that and the blood on his hands. Withholding a sigh, I slowed my pace, feeling even more disheartened when Tony didn't even notice my presence. The lack of awareness, blank expression, and self-harm all equaled that he was hurting and avoiding the issue. At least he wasn't drunk, I thought.

Instead of sitting down right away I grabbed a first-aid box and then kneeled in front of Tony. Taking his injured hands in mine I gently took off the sports tape before cleaning the wounds with alcohol. The sting seemed to bring him out of his reverie, for he blinked before focusing his eyes on me.

"Hi Pep," he greeted hoarsely, and I just narrowed my eyes at him. I continued tending to his hands, and after I finished wrapping them up, Tony muttered a quiet, "I'm sorry."

I outright glared now as I snapped, "For what exactly? For what you said to Peter? For leaving him a sobbing mess that I had to deal with? For making him feel worthless and as though you hate him? For letting your fear get the best of you? Or is it for running away and instead of fixing your mistake, you decided to just come down here and beat yourself up?"

Tony's blank expression faded away with each word I spoke and became replaced with shame, guilt, and pain.

"Uh, yeah, all of that, I suppose," he replied.

"You suppose?" I nearly growled, and he flinched, before amending. "No, I—no, I messed up. Really messed up. All of what you said was right." He looked everywhere but at me now, frustration evident before he just stared down at his injured hands.

"He was crying?" he asked quietly, and I nodded my head.

"Is he okay now?" he then asked, and I shook my head. "No, he's not. I was able to help calm him enough to sleep, but he won't be alright until you fix this. Peter is a child, Tony, and he doesn't know you well enough to know that you lashed out due to fear. He truly thinks you hate him now."

"Shit, what a mess," he muttered, putting his head in his hands. "I just—God, I just lost it, Pep. The kid just doesn't realize the danger he's in. He doesn't get that if he died, I wouldn't—I mean…," he trailed off, finally looking back up at me with haunted eyes. "I wouldn't be able to handle it if he died because of me. Do you get that? I don't know when I started to care so much, but I do, and it _terrifies me_. He's just a kid and he's out there fighting and worrying about bad guys when he should be in school and worrying about asking out a girl and getting his driver's license."

My anger subsided greatly at his open honesty, and I reached out to lightly caress his face. He leaned into the touch, closing his eyes at this small gesture of comfort.

"Tony, you need to tell Peter this," I implored him. "Right now, he believes he's let you down. He thinks he's ruined his relationship with you, and that you'll never trust him again. He thinks you hate him, do you understand that?"

"I do, I get it, I just—I don't know how to tell him. I don't know how to talk to him," he attempted to explain.

"That's a load of crap," I stated heatedly, and he gave me a wide-eyed look. "You've done great at talking with him for months now to the point where he looks to you like a father-figure. He _loves_ you, Tony, and you clearly love him, so just tell him. Explain why you acted like such a jerk, and tell him how you feel."

"It's not that simple," he argued pathetically. "You know I'm not good at this kind of thing, and maybe it's good if the kid stops depending on me. I'm not a good"—

"Stop this ridiculous self-deprecating talk this instant, Tony Stark!" I snapped harshly, glaring down at him. "This isn't about you anymore. This isn't about you and me either. This is about Peter Parker," I declared, eyeing him up and down sternly. "Be the adult he needs you to be. You chose him and he's chosen you, so buck up and swallow your pride and insecurities." Tony looked at me now with surprised yet guarded eyes.

"You're not Howard Stark," I then added, feeling guilt when he openly flinched, his eyes now going dark. Several tense seconds passed by, and I wondered how he would react. While Howard hadn't been abusive, he certainly hadn't known how to raise a son, and I knew Tony hated being compared to him, and even more so hated acting like him.

"I'm not," he finally agreed quietly, his shoulder muscles relaxing.

"Then don't act like it," I ordered firmly, standing up and holding my hand out to him.

His lips were pursed as he looked at me, and then just like that, his eyes lightened up. He then let out a snort, smiling wryly as he grasped my hand and allowed himself to be pulled up.

"Are you going to fix this?" I asked, and he nodded his head. "Yeah, I got this. I'll talk to the kid tomorrow before he leaves. I'll apologize, and uh, well, we'll see how it goes," he explained, giving me a small smile.

"He had better not leave here in tears or you can spend your nights on the couch in your lab for the foreseeable future," I commented mildly as I began to walk away.

He let out a light chuckle before running over until he was in front of me. Placing his hands on my shoulders, his face turned serious before he simply said, "I love you, Pepper." He looked at me with adoring eyes, and I melted. Allowing him to embrace me, I let him know that I loved him as well.

"You're just such a jerk at times, Tony, I swear," I muttered after we broke apart. He laughed, smiling like a school boy as he took my hand.

"Yet you still love me," he declared, his chest puffing out, and I just shook my head in amusement. Yes, I do.

 **Peter's POV:**

Even in sleep, my mind was in turmoil. My battle with the Vulture and the Lizard played over and over before Tony's disappointed face and words struck through me. His anger. It stabbed through me, and I cried out how sorry I was, but he didn't listen. He just walked away, and no matter how fast I ran I couldn't catch up. I begged him to stop, but he didn't, he just kept—

My dream was abruptly cut off when I felt a hand gently shaking my shoulder and someone calling my name quietly. Completely startled, I shoved the person off me before getting to my feet and preparing to fight. The person who I pushed, swore quietly before looking up at me with raised eyebrows. It was Tony. Oh, shit.

I froze, my mouth dropping open in such shock that I wasn't even able to form words. He was rubbing his chest as he stood up, and I tensed, awaiting the blow up that was about to come. I couldn't believe what'd just happened. What was he doing in here? Oh my god, I can't believe I pushed him! What if I really hurt him! If he didn't hate me before, he sure does now!

"Sorry," I eventually managed to choke out, hating how pathetic my voice sounded.

"It's fine," he responded, looking me up and down. "You were having a nightmare. I shouldn't have startled you like that."

"I wasn't," I argued automatically, to which he responded with a disbelieving look. He didn't press the matter, though. Instead, he just stood there, looking at me and then around the room. My heart was pounding with nerves as I wondered once again why he was here in the middle of the night.

"Did I wake you?" I had to ask, feeling that would be the only logical reasoning behind him being here. I didn't know where his room was, but…

"No, of course not," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck somewhat agitatedly. "I was just…I wanted to apologize for earlier," he eventually stated, giving me an inquiring look.

What the hell? He's apologizing? For what exactly? I don't understand. I was opening my mouth to say something when he out of the blue said, "Do you want some hot chocolate?"

"What?" I asked, feeling rather dumbfounded.

"Hot chocolate? You drink that, right? The Avengers and I used to…," he grimaced before continuing to speak once more, "we kind of had a thing where we'd all get hot chocolate together when somebody had a bad nightmare, or night, y'know. It was a corny kumbaya kind of thing, but it helped." He shrugged at this point, looking decidedly uncomfortable.

"Um, okay," I finally said, getting off the bed and staring at him with uncertainty. My answer seemed to please him for he smiled, clapped his hands together and began to walk out of the room. I followed him, unsure of what was going on, but pleased to see that he didn't seem to be angry anymore. I was also intrigued by the tidbit he gave me regarding the Avengers. They had nightmares?

The kitchen was close by, and when we arrived my eyes widened when the lights turned out. The kitchen was, of course, state of the art with two large fridges (why two?), but it wasn't that that caused my eyes to widen. This was like a huge common area with a large table, the biggest TV I'd ever seen, a pool table, arcade games, tons of comfortable looking couches, movies, and more.

"Wow," I whispered in awe, and Tony glanced up from what he was doing to look at what I found so interesting. He nodded, sporting a brief smile before his eyes went sad. Something to do with the Avengers, I surmised. A surge of sympathy raced through me as I wondered what happened between them.

I stood there awkwardly, watching Tony make the hot chocolate. He moved with practiced ease, which let me know he'd done this many times over. When both drinks were finished, he sprayed some whip cream, before drizzling a little bit of chocolate syrup on them both.

"Take a seat," he said, motioning over to the table with his head. I chose a seat on the end and was surprised when he sat down in the chair next to me. I was beyond confused by this behavior. He'd been so angry with me earlier, and now he was acting almost like nothing had happened. What was this?

"Kid, just drink it, it's not poisoned," he ordered, when all I'd done was just stare at him.

"Uh huh," I muttered, hastily lifting up the drink and taking a sip. "Mmmmm," I murmured, letting out a sigh of contentment. This was really good! "Thanks," I had to say when I was given a curious look. He gave a brief smirk in response before drinking out of his own mug. He closed his eyes briefly, letting out a pleased sigh of his own. I noticed now the bandages on his hands and wanted to ask what happened before deciding against that. A million questions were running through my mind, but since I didn't know what was going on, I figured I'd just stay quiet.

We both just quietly drank our hot chocolate for several minutes, me avidly watching Tony while he stared down at his mug.

"I was wrong," he said abruptly.

"About what?" I asked, when he said nothing more.

"Earlier, about you," he answered, finally looking up at me. My heart sank, realizing that he must be meaning to continue our conversation now. He was probably going to start lecturing again.

"Oh," I murmured quietly, and his brow furrowed before he let out a sigh and shook his head.

"No, not that—I mean, this isn't what you think," he stammered, but letting out a breath of air. "God, I really do suck at this." He pursed his lips and looked at me with eyes I couldn't read. "You deserve to be an Avenger. I didn't mean what I said earlier. You are a hero, and I shouldn't have…I should have calmed down before speaking with you." My stomach did a backflip at his words, and my heart began to beat rapidly for a different reason, happiness.

"I was an ass," he admitted, grimacing as he looked down at his hands. "I said a lot of things I didn't really mean, or at least I did, but not in the way I said it. I'm sorry, Peter," he then stated, his eyes locking with mine once more. He was dead serious. There was no humor, but there was also no anger like earlier.

"What you did was reckless and stupid. You could've died," he began, his voice stern. "We've talked about it, and you get that, right?"

"Yes, sir," I replied respectfully. He frowned momentarily before then saying, "The reason I was so hard on you, the reason I was so angry is because…it's because I care." He pursed his lips, and I could tell how difficult it was for him to talk about this; but he never looked away from me. "I don't exactly get why it happened or how, but that's just the way it is. You're now part of a small group of people that I really care about, and that I…" he paused now, as though struggling to get the next words out. It probably was, I realized. "You're part of a small group of people that if anything happened to you, I'd never forgive myself."

My eyes were wide now as I comprehended what he was saying. He cared. He really, really cared…about _me_. What he'd said earlier had just been because he'd been scared. I couldn't believe it, but it was true. He'd just said it was! My heart swelled now, and the stupid tears were back in my eyes now, but they were tears of joy.

"You mean it?" I had to ask, and he gave me a real smile as he replied, "Yeah, kid I do. I wouldn't have said it otherwise."

I couldn't help but get choked up at this revelation, so I buried my head in my hands to stem the tears that were close to falling. "I thought you hated me," I felt compelled to admit. "You were so angry and I know what I did was stupid, and I'm sorry, Mr. Stark, I really am."

"Stop that," he ordered, mildly irritated, and I looked at him in confusion.

"It's Tony, kid, not Mr. Stark. I thought we'd gotten past this stage," he explained, giving me knowing look. "Listen, Webster, just because I'm angry with you doesn't mean that anything's changed between us. I don't think I could hate you if I tried, no matter how much you screw up. I'm not good at this…mentoring stuff. I'm doing the best I can, but I'm Tony Stark, so when I screw up, I screw up big." His expression turned somewhat bitter at this point.

I didn't like seeing him like this. He had all the right in the world to be angry. I'd been stupid. "You don't need to apologize to me, Tony," I informed him. "I'm the one that messed up. I didn't listen to you, and I put myself in danger. I'm the one that was too scared to face your disappointment that I jumped out a window and ran for it," I confessed, my cheeks heating up as I stared anywhere but at Tony.

I heard as he let out a heavy sigh. "Dammit," he muttered before he requested that I look at him. I stubbornly fixed my gaze on my empty cup. " _Hey_ ," Tony called more firmly, giving my hand a flick with his fingers. I finally raised my eyes to look up at him, hoping beyond hope that he wouldn't be smirking or laughing.

Thankfully, he was neither. His face was serious, his eyes kind, and his voice understanding as he began to speak. "You messed up big time, pal, but thankfully crisis was averted and everything is alright now. You're okay, and _we're_ okay. I'm not going to downplay what you did, but I think I've made my myself pretty clear on how I feel about what happened, right?"

"Yes, sir," I agreed.

"Ah, no, no, no, _you_ don't call me sir. I'm just Tony, kay?" he asked with a grimace, and I let out a short chuckle as I nodded. "Got it."

"Right, so you messed up, you know it, I know it, so enough said on that," he declared. "I'm going to stand by grounding Spiderman for the week. I know you heal fast, but I want to make sure you're at 100% before you start going out again. Understand?"

"Yes," I responded, more than happy to agree with him. Now that everything had been cleared up, I was feeling extremely elated. In fact, I couldn't help but grin widely as we continued to speak.

"Woah, wipe that smile off your face, Spiderling," Tony spoke, "I've got a warning for you that I need you to take _very_ seriously, so focus up."

I quit smiling immediately and nodded my head.

"My rule regarding you dealing with creeps like the Lizard stands firm," he informed me, his eyes very serious. "This last stunt should be reason enough to do as I say, but if not—if you find it too difficult to keep your daredevil neck under control, you and I are going to have a conversation that you will not enjoy in the slightest. If I'm forced to go and save your sorry butt again, it's going to be your butt that pays the price, do you understand what I'm saying?"

I sucked in a breath of surprise, my face heating up as my stomach seemed to flip flop. It sounded like he was threatening to—but he wouldn't right? I thought back to earlier this night when he'd caught me running through the woods. He'd swatted me, so yeah, I think he was serious. I had to be sure, though.

"Do you mean you would…like you did earlier today?" I managed to ask, hoping he wouldn't actually make me say the word.

With the mildest of smirks he answered, "You bet your ass I will. If talking doesn't work, and I can't take your suit, then I'm going to take a leaf out of my mom's book and try busting your butt. It worked for me as a kid, and I've yet to meet a kid more stubborn and disobedient than I was.

"I don't want," I started to whine, but one look at Tony's narrowed eyes and I just fell silent.

"Then don't go behind my back again, Peter," he stated firmly, all traces of amusement gone from his face. "You know what's expected, so I'm not going to bother going over that again unless you want me to?"

I shook my head negatively, frowning unhappily. Shaking my head, I rid myself of the negativity. I wasn't planning on breaking his trust again, so I didn't need to worry about future consequences. I gave Tony a small smile now, which he returned. He then took in a deep breath, downed the rest of his drink before speaking again.

"One more thing, Pete," he said, "I know I can come off as a hard ass, but please don't be afraid of me. The last thing I'd want to do is hurt you, so if I start acting like a jerk, just tell me. Remind me of this conversation. I wish I could promise you that I won't overreact again, but for some odd reason I'm finding it difficult to control that emotion when it comes to you."

"Oh, um, yeah, sorry about running," I apologized with a blush. "You're kind of scary when you're mad, but it's more that I don't like it when you look at me with disappointment."

He groaned loudly, placing his head on the table. "You're killing me smalls," he murmured, and I smiled at the _Sandlot_ reference, although I wasn't sure why he was saying it. Looking back at me with dismayed eyes, he asked, "You really care about what I think that badly?"

"Well, yeah," I admitted honestly. "I…you…I mean, I care about you too, and I already told you that I wanted to be like you. When you get mad at me, it's like I failed, and I hate that."

Tony leaned his head back and started to rub his face with both hands. When he stared at me again, his expression had turned calculating. I had to resist the urge to fidget as I had no idea what was going through his head. I really had to resist backing away then when he pushed his chair back and came to kneel right in front of me. Now, I was looking down at him.

"Look, I'll be the first to admit that I'm far from perfect, no matter how arrogant I act," he informed me, his face an open book. "I've made lots of mistakes, and some of those mistakes have cost a lot of people their lives. This relationship between us—god, that sounds bad, let's say this _mentorship_ between us is new to me. I'm not used to having someone like you, a kid, depend on me. I'm not used to being looked up to. I suck at this, as you've no doubt noticed," he said with a wry smile. "I can't promise that I'm not going to do something to ruin this, but I can promise that I'll do my damndest not to. I take care of the people I love, and now you're one of them; so you're going to have to put up with me butting into your business and keeping more than one eye on you."

"You've been doing a good job so far," I informed him, "and sorry for putting you in this position. I don't mean to make you uncomfortable or to add to your stress. I know who you are, and I know you've got so many responsibilities"—

"Yeah, I'm going to stop you right there, and let you know something else about me," he interrupted with a grin. " _Nobody_ can make me do anything I don't want to do. Well, maybe Pepper, but that's a whole different ball game. If I didn't want to help you, visit you, or even want you around me, then none of this would've happened. Remember, kiddo, I chose you. I came to you, not the other way around. I started this, and I'm not going to be the one to end it. We both know that I've got a lot going on, and that like recently, there are times I'm not going to be available for you, but it's not because I don't want to be. Like you feel the responsibility to help people, so do I. I didn't become Iron Man because it sounded like fun. It's not just a job, but who I am." I'd never actually thought about what pushed him into the superhero business, but at hearing this statement I suddenly wanted to know why; but tonight wasn't the time to ask.

"I get that, I really do, Tony," I had to say. "I feel the same way about Spiderman, and I would never try to get in the way of what you do. I know I've been coming off as needy, and I'm sorry"—

Tony held up a hand, cutting me off once more. "Stop apologizing for such ridiculous reasons. Just understand this. I'm here for you," he declared, giving my chest a pat, "when you need me to be. You're not being needy, you're being a kid. I get it, I really do, and I'm going to do whatever it takes not to let you down. Just _please_ don't feel the need that you have to prove anything to me. That's what this was about, wasn't it? That's why you went after that monster?"

I tensed, squirming as he had nailed it right on the head. Biting my lip, I just gave him a single, guilty nod.

"I thought so," he sighed. "You don't need to do that. You have _nothing_ to prove to me whatsoever. You're a great kid and a great superhero, and despite whatever screw ups you've done or will do, that's not going to change. You're going to be a better person and hero than me, and I'm going to help you get there." I had no idea how to respond to that, so he gave my arm a pat before standing up, grabbing our mugs and dropping them in the sink.

"So, you think you can sleep now, or…" he trailed off, obviously not knowing what else to say.

"No, I'm good, thanks Tony," I replied, standing up and giving him a smile. "You're the best," I added, and he just scoffed, rolling the eyes.

"Yeah, whatever, off to bed with you, little spider," he ordered, pointing in the direction of my room. I nodded, but didn't leave yet. I had the childish urge to want a hug, but I sure as hell wasn't going to ask, so I just stood there awkwardly. Thankfully, Tony's genius mind seemed to understand what I needed because he shook his head with a smile, closed the distance between us and wrapped me into a tight hug. I grinned widely, relishing in the comfort I felt coming from him.

"If you need anything or have another nightmare, just tell Friday to let me know, and I'll come over, got it?" he asked once we broke apart. I just nodded my head, feeling so much better than I had earlier. I began to leave when I suddenly felt the need to ask. "Are you going to stop by this week?"

"Sure am," he responded with a nod. "Gotta make sure you're doing your homework, and show your aunt that I'm taking care of her 'young, impressionable nephew'." He laughed after that, and I decided to just leave, not wanting to endure his teasing. Feeling more lighthearted than I had in a while I had no troubles falling asleep. Tony cared. Tony cared about me a lot. Awesome.

 **A/N: Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing! Please continue to let me know what you think.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you for the continued reviews! I'm so glad you guys are enjoying the story, and that you like my portrayals of the character. I can only hope that I do not disappoint.**

 **Chapter 6: Hanging Out**

 **Tony's POV:**

Pepper and I arrived at the Parker residence. We were trying to remain inconspicuous, so Pepper had convinced me that continuously arriving in a sports car totally ruined that idea. Giving her a sheepish smile, I listened to her recommendation that we have Happy drop us off at a train station. I balked at the mere thought of mingling with people in such a crowded situation, so we'd compromised with having Happy drop us off here.

"So, guys, you ever think you'll invite me to your little shindigs?" Happy asked as we began to exit, and Pepper immediately whirled to give me a glare. "You haven't invited him yet?"

"Must've skipped my mind," I defended, giving Happy an apologetic look. "Next time, Hap. Sorry." He just laughed at my expression before taking off. Yikes, I thought at the exasperated look Pepper graced me with. We took the elevator to Peter's floor, knocked on his door, and were promptly invited in by the Webster himself. He grinned hugely as we came in, a grin I couldn't help but return.

"Hey kid," I greeted while Pepper went and gave him a hug.

"Hello Peter, how are you?" she asked sweetly, and he responded with a "great".

May appeared next and greeted us both, and once again Pepper went in and gave her a hug. I marveled at how easy it was her to engage in physical contact like that. It had never been something I'd envied, but when it came to the kid, it seemed he needed it. I had to admit, that as a kid I'd craved physical affection, but had only ever received it from Jarvis and my mom, and even then it had been sparingly. The Stark family just hadn't been big on hugs and stuff. Dad had been standoffish, and I winced internally realizing that that's how I was coming off. I'd have to work on it, for the kid at least. I still had an image to maintain.

"Peter, homework," May ordered, once the greetings were out of the way.

"But"- he began to protest, but May managed to silence him with a look. "You've had this entire week off so far from duty and you're still behind, so march, Mister."

"Aww man," he complained, throwing his aunt a sulking look, looking every bit like the teenager he was. He then threw me a puppy-dog look, which was harder for me to ignore than I wanted to admit.

"Nuh uh," I said, shaking my head. "Don't get me involved with this."

"Worth a shot," he mumbled before slowly making his way to his room.

"Thank you," May said to me, and I was going to wave away the apology when I noticed how serious she was.

"Yeah, well, homework's important," I said instead, and it seemed I said the right words for she nodded her head.

"Before you disappear into Peter's room" ( _you mean before I'm banished),_ "I just wanted to thank you and Pepper for everything you've done for Peter," May said to us both. "Things have been hard for us ever since he got his abilities and with the death of Ben. Then, you come into our lives and he started smiling more. You've saved his life, and I'm not sure you realize how much you've given him. That room you made for him was astounding, and I'm so happy that Peter has someone besides me looking out for him. Just, thank you. I don't know how you did it, but when Peter came home from your house the other day I'd never seen him happier. I don't know how I could ever repay you for the kindness you've shown us," she said with deep gratitude.

"Oh May, it was our pleasure," Pepper responded, taking the woman's hands in her own. "It's been no trouble at all, I've told you, and we adore Peter. You two are family now, so think nothing of it." Thank you Pepper, I couldn't help but think. I wasn't sure how I would've handled this situation without her. The only emotional woman I could handle was Pepper, and even then I felt like I was walking in the dark at times.

"He's a good kid," I added after Pepper gave me a pointed look. I looked to her for approval, and she just rolled her eyes.

May smiled and then headed towards the kitchen to do whatever she needed to do. Pepper followed, chuckling softly when she looked over to see me slowly making my way towards Spiderling's cave. I gave her a winning grin, and when she didn't call me over I continued walking away. While May and I seemed to have an understanding now, and she was clearly grateful to me, I still felt as though she didn't quite like me. Conversations between us always seemed somewhat forced and very awkward.

I casually strolled into the kid's room, not at all surprised to see him hanging from the top bunk and staring at a book.

"Did you really try to get me to intervene on your behalf in regards to homework?" I had to ask, giving him a disbelieving look. "And before you ask, I came here on my own. I was not sent here."

Peter grinned in amusement before saying, "I had to try. I didn't want to spend your whole time here working on school stuff."

I understood what he was getting at, but still felt the need to ask, "And why do you still have so much homework? You haven't been going out as Spiderman, have you?"

"No, of course not!" he replied, waving his hands at me. "I swear, I've been here every night. I've got a lot of homework because my teachers don't get that our lives don't revolve around school like theirs do. I can't just sit still and do this all day. I take breaks, and sometimes Ned and I hang out. Since I'm not going out, he and I have been able to get together more."

I pursed my lips, wondering whether to say the obvious. He wasn't finishing his homework because he was spending too much time being a kid. Did I have a right to get on him about this, though? It's not like it was related to him being Spiderman. I'd certainly spent a lot of time messing about as a kid, but I'd had the advantage of being a genius; well, and I also didn't have friends to go out with, but that was besides the point. Rarely had I been challenged in school by the work. Deciding to keep my mouth shut for the time being, I settled with giving him the benefit of the doubt. Better let his aunt take care of this.

"When can I go back out again?" Peter now asked, and I raised an eyebrow as I asked back, "Has it been a week?"

"No," he sighed, and I smiled as I said, "Well, then there's your answer." Peter then shrugged, giving me a smile, and I was glad he wasn't letting this get to him. Seeing that he looked rather comfortable on his bed I grabbed his desk chair to sit on. As I was rolling the chair around I noticed his laptop in the trash. I furrowed my brow in curiosity, wondering why he hadn't just asked me to fix it.

"What're you looking at?" Peter questioned, and I settled for grabbing the laptop out of the trash and showing it to him. I was surprised when his eyes widened and he jumped down to the floor. "Leave it, it's broken, don't worry about it."

I raised an eyebrow as I said, "You do know I'm Tony Stark right. Whatever is wrong with it, I can fix it."

"It's trashed, you can't fix it," he insisted, and I probably would've let it go if he hadn't looked so worried. He was hovering, looking very much like he wanted to snatch the laptop out of my hands.

"Let me be the judge of that," I murmured, holding up a halting hand when he made to move closer. "It's nothing," he muttered again in a sad tone, and looking at the laptop more closely I understood why he didn't want me to see this. In silver sharpie all over the case and even on his screen the words Penis Parker were repeated over and over. The laptop was also crushed on both sides, and I knew without asking that Peter had been the one to do that.

"Leave it," Peter demanded, his voice filled with embarrassment and shame. "Don't say anything, just don't say anything, please. It's nothing." I heard his words, but I knew he wasn't just lying to me but to himself as well. I gritted my teeth in anger, not at my kid but at whatever ass hat did this to him. Looking up at Peter for the first time, I saw him looking at the floor, his face bright red with embarrassment.

Pushing my protective anger aside, I suddenly felt a rush of empathy for the young hero. I knew bullying very well. I'd skipped grades and was in high school at eleven years old, and in college by fourteen. Kids were older and intimidated by my genius and name. They preferred to think I'd bought my way into these grades, blatantly ignoring my obvious skills in class. Whether it was name-calling or physical bullying, I'd endured it all. I'd also tried everything I could think of to stop it. Everything from hiding, bribery, blackmail and fighting, the last of which rarely worked as I had been so small and scrawny.

Peter was so good, though. He didn't deserve this at all. He must've been dealing with this for a while, because if it'd started after he'd gotten his powers he would've dealt with it. I felt a newfound respect for the kid as I realized how difficult it must've been for him to continue to take this sort of bullying when he had the means to stop it. How bad was this, though?

"What are you thinking?" Peter suddenly whispered, and I realized I'd remained quiet too long. His pessimistic mind was no doubt feeling I was thinking negatively about him if his guarded face was anything to go by.

"I'm thinking you're a great kid that doesn't deserve this. I'm thinking you're an even greater kid for continuing to put up with this kind of shit even when you have the ability to kick the ass of whoever did this," I informed him. "I don't think I could've done what you're doing right now."

"Like I said, it's nothing," he repeated, although I noticed his muscles had relaxed and he didn't seem so nervous.

"Enough with the lies," I chided gently, "I get it."

He openly scoffed at my words, clearly disbelieving. "You're Tony Stark. You've been famous since the day you were born. What could you ever know about…about _this_?"

"Fame isn't everything," I informed him, my tone very serious, which caused him to frown. "I was in high school at eleven years old, and in college at fourteen. Tell me, kiddo, how do your classmates treat geeks and nerds? How do they treat the smart kids, like you?" His widened eyes and wince informed me that he understood.

"But you—you're _you¸_ and you're always so confident. You're the coolest guy I've ever met!" he declared, and I couldn't help but smirk.

"Thanks for the ego boost, little spider, but I wasn't born like this," I confessed. "I've been where you're at, and it didn't matter who my dad was or how much money he had. I was just a little know-it-all who needed to be put in his place. When I told you I knew school sucked, I wasn't lying. It was torture for me. Things got a little better in college, but that's because I met Rhodey, and while I'd probably never tell him, he saved my butt more than a time or two." I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling my own sense of embarrassment.

"That's insane," Peter muttered, seeming to look at me with brand new eyes. There goes the hero-worship, I thought sardonically. Oh, well.

"What about you?" I abruptly asked, my tone business like. "Is this common? Is this kind of crap the worst of it?"

Peter bit his lip, and I wondered if he was going to clamp up again, but he didn't. "Yeah, it's kind of common. It's one guy mostly, but nobody ever stops him. He always calls me that, and I ignore it, but it's hard when he writes it all over my stuff."

"Is it physical?" was my next question, and he immediately shook his head. "No, even before I got my powers, he did nothing more than trip or shove me. He prefers to just put me down or call me childish names. It's not—I guess, it bothers me, but not like it used to. It actually helps knowing that I could kick his butt if I wanted to. I like to imagine what his reaction would be if he found out who I was, and that helps keep me from bashing his face in when he does things like this. You've probably already figured it out, but he's the one that destroyed my phone."

I nodded my head in agreement. I had figured that out. I was relieved to know he hadn't been getting beat up or anything like I had been. The guy who was bothering him was lucky, because if I'd found out he'd been hurting my spider, I would've come down on him with all the might of Tony Stark and Iron Man, kid or no kid.

"What's his name?" I asked, and he just shook his head.

"No way, Tony. I don't want you doing anything," he responded, giving me a mild glare.

"What makes you think"—I started to ask.

"You're protective of me, and I could tell by the look on your face," he stated, and I couldn't help but grin at him.

"Guilty," I had to admit.

"I've got this, I swear," he insisted seriously. "It's not a big deal, so let's just leave it at that. I don't need you fighting my battles for me, okay?"

I pursed my lips, not really agreeing with him, but understanding the sentiment. "Alright, hero, I'll leave you to it," I agreed. I'd let him handle it, but I was definitely going to find out who was tormenting my kid. I figured I'd call Ned later and ask. He couldn't say no to me.

"Okay, I'll get you a new laptop by tomorrow," I stated, throwing the one in my hand into the trash.

"What? Tony, you don't have to do that!" Peter complained. "I can get one with my own, uh…" he trailed off, clearly not able to claim he could afford one with _his_ own money, especially when he didn't even have a job.

"Jesus, kiddo, are you serious? Do. You. Know. Who. I. Am?" I had to ask, and he just rolled his eyes.

"Tony Stark," he answered dully.

"Exactly, so money isn't really an issue here," I explained. "You need a laptop, and I'm going to buy you one, enough said. Besides, just looking at this ancient thing is making me cry."

He opened his eyes to no doubt continue arguing, but I just shook my head. "No arguing with your elders," I said with a large grin, and he just laughed.

"Fine," he said with a sigh, "but just don't go overboard. I don't want to attract attention with"—

"Nope," I interrupted with a firm shake of my head. "You don't get to tell me what I can or can't get you. You're interning for Tony Stark, so it's only natural that you get the best, and you can tell the little bastard whose bugging you, that I'll come after him if he so much as touches this laptop."

"Jeez, you're impossible, you know that," Peter sighed once more, but I could tell he was more amused than irritated.

"Of course I do," I responded with a huge grin. "Pepper tells me that at least three times a day." He outright laughed at that. "Now, get that homework done before May gets all over my back. You know she can barely stand me as it is."

He groaned overdramatically in response, but dutifully picked up his book and returned to reading. I smothered a laugh when he casually flipped upside down and began to hang from the ceiling like a bat. Throwing one last glare at the busted laptop, I got out my phone and texted Ned.

T: _Ned, this is Tony Stark. You've got one minute to tell me whose been harassing your best friend at school before I decide to come over and persuade it out of you._

It took less than thirty seconds for him to respond.

N: _Ohmygod ohmygod, don't come after me! His name is Flash Thompson!_

I smirked evilly, before sending my next text.

T: _Thanks Ned._

T: _Oh, and one more thing. Mention this conversation to Peter, and you'll never visit the Avengers base again._

N: _I swear I'll never mention it. That place is so cool! You can't ban me! I mean you're Tony Stark, so you can do whatever you want, but please don't ban me! I'm the Guy in the Chair, and Peter needs me! I promise, I promise, I promise I won't tell him!_

I let out a snort at the kid's ramblings. Teenagers were so easy to rile up. Now that I knew the bastard's name I searched him up, eyeing Peter to make sure he wasn't seeing what I was doing.

Flash Thompson. Who the hell names their kid Flash? Oh, his name is Eugene? Hahahaha! Eugene. Who the hell names their kid Eugene? Okay okay. _Eugene_ is sixteen years old, and in the same grade as Spiderman. Good looking to some people, I guess. Smart enough since he goes to the same school. Comes from a wealthy family, which explains how the little ass still has his license after repeated tickets and a fender bender. I'd scoff, but I was guilty of using money to get out of tickets and losing my license in not just my youth, but my pre-Afghanistan days as well. Kids got decent grades. Part of the Academic Decathlon like Peter. Also, part of the basketball and football team. Of course, he was. It must be a pre-requisite for bullying to be part of a school sports team.

Hmm, what could I do to make this kid's life hell? I glanced up at the studious spider, and frowned thoughtfully. He didn't want me getting involved. He wanted to handle this on his own. I felt and said the same thing at his age, but had I meant it? Kind of. Damn. I'd leave it up to Pete for now. An adult coming to his rescue wasn't going to make things better, especially if it was me. I had a tendency to sometimes overdo things. Truthfully, I certainly would've been appalled if my father had ever tried to fight my battles for me.

A loud snap pulled my attention away from my phone. Peter let out a huge sigh as he threw his book onto the desk beside be. "Boring!" he cried out as he hopped down to the ground. I grinned while shutting down my search so he wouldn't see.

"What're you doing?" he asked, curiously looking down at my phone.

"Nothing," I answered, giving him a light shove away from me. He rolled his eyes before throwing himself onto his bed.

"Why'd you become Iron Man?" he asked out of the blue, and I froze, my eyes focused entirely on him now. While his question had been asked casually I couldn't help but notice that his body had tensed up as well.

"To destroy my weapons that had illegally been sold to not so nice people," I explained, and when he suddenly turned to give me his full attention, curiosity burning in his eyes, I knew that answer wasn't going to be enough for him. How much did I want to tell him, though?

"I remember years ago, and I kind of read on the internet that back in 2008 you were…," he trailed off, biting his bottom lip as he gave me a nervous look.

"Kidnapped," I finished the sentence for him, and his eyes widened in concern, which I found kind of touching. It'd been ages ago, and clearly I was alright.

"Can you…What happened?" he asked quietly, and I looked down, wondering how much to tell him. This wasn't something that I talked about, but he deserved some sort of answer. I'd skip the gory details.

"I was out giving a weapons demonstration—this was before I shut down my weapons manufacturing business," I began to speak, "and afterwards when I was headed back towards the base I was ambushed." I kept out how "I" was really a "we", and about the soldiers that had died. "I was injured, and then taken." I looked up back at the kid, and he was completely enraptured with what I was saying. Should I tell him about the reactor? He didn't really need to know that.

"Is that when you got that thing put in your chest," he questioned concernedly. "Is it because of how you were injured? Or was that something else?" Ugh. What happened to the days where he was too intimidated to ask these sorts of questions.

"Uh, yeah, that thing you're talking about was called an arc reactor," I answered, rubbing the scar where it used to be "and it was keeping me alive. I had shrapnel in my chest making its way to my heart, and the arc reactor worked like an electromagnet, keeping it away."

Peter's eyes widened more than I thought they could before he mentioned, "You don't have it anymore."

"No," I replied, "I got it out a few years ago, so I'm all good now. Anyhow, the creeps that kidnapped me wanted me to build them a missile. I told them I would, but instead I ended up building my first iron man suit."

"You built it while you were kidnapped?" he questioned, sitting up completely and giving me a look of awe. "How did you do it without them realizing it?"

"Uh, I hid the schematics from them and had a missile out that made it seem like I was doing what they wanted," I recounted with a shrug, making this seem like it hadn't been a big deal. "So, once I finished building the suit, I used it to escape. When I returned home I built a new and better Iron Man model and decided to go out and destroy all my weapons. Someone in my company had been dealing under the table, so I dealt with them as well." I shrugged, feeling I'd done a good job of recounting the experience without traumatizing the kid. He was still young, and I didn't think he needed to know the gory details; and frankly, I was still not comfortable talking about them.

"So, Iron Man started because the weapons your company used were being used to hurt people?" he prodded, and I nodded my head. "Yeah, that's how it started, and then it kind of evolved into more," I finished, giving the boy a wry smile.

Peter remained silent for a bit, taking in my story no doubt. I could see questions going through his head, and hoped he wouldn't ask for more. "You didn't give me all the details, did you?" he pressed hesitantly, and I shook my head in both agreement, and that I wouldn't be telling him anything else.

"I can't, kid," I admitted, looking away from him. I didn't want him to know, and I still couldn't talk about all that happened. About experiencing open heart surgery without anesthesia and while awake. About Yinsen.

"Well, you certainly have a better origin story than me," Peter abruptly declared. "I mean, I just got bit by a spider. I tell that to people and they think I'm pulling their leg. You thought I was lying as well," he recounted, and I laughed.

"If you want, I'll help you come up with a better origin story for your fans," I offered, "you know, something that omits you screaming and passing out after you were bitten." I gave him a cheeky grin, and he responded by throwing both pillows at my face.

"Hey!" I complained, "careful with the hair!"

"You and your hair," he muttered, giving me a good-natured grin. "I thought it was only girls who worried that much about their looks."

"I don't worry," I retorted cockily, "I know I look good." He laughed loudly and just shook his head.

"Pepper must be a saint to put up with you," he remarked in mock seriousness, and this time I threw the pillows back at him. He agilely dodged them, reminding me very much of Barton and Romanoff. I had very rarely ever been able to nail them with anything, be it a nerf arrow, food, pillow, or shoe.

"Laugh it up, Underoos," I spoke drily. I received another pillow to the head for the nickname, but only responded with smirk.

A knock on the door and the call of dinner stopped my teasing, but the pillow to the back of my head as I walked out made me give the kid a look promising revenge. The revenge came towards the end of dinner when I looked towards boy wonder and oh so innocently asked, "So, is there anything going on between you and, uh, what's her name…Michelle? MJ, right? You've been mentioning her more lately, so I"—

"What?!" the boy exclaimed, and I smirked as his voice cracked. "No! No, no, no! There's nothing going on between us. She's just a friend, I swear. Just a friend!"

"A girlfriend?" I pressed mildly, and he glared at me as he responded, "No! A friend that's a girl, okay? N-not a girlfriend, but a friend that's a girl."

I pretended to look surprised by how flustered he was. "Sorry, kiddo, I didn't mean anything by it. It's just she comes up so much, and now you're looking all hot and bothered, but if"—

It was Pepper, unfortunately who cut me off this time. "Tony, honestly, leave Peter alone," she chided, giving my knee a strong squeeze. "If he says they're just friends, then that's all there is to it."

"Yeah, exactly. Thanks, Pepper," Peter stated with obvious relief. "She's _just a friend_ ," he restated, giving me a defiant look.

I held up my hands in defense, putting a hand over my heart before saying, "My apologies, my young protégé, I was just curious as to your social life. I was wondering if you needed any advice on how to woo the ladies."

"Oh no, I'm stopping you right there, Stark!" May stepped in, her face going red due to embarrassment rather than anger. "I've seen and read all about your exploits with ladies," she declared, giving me the evil eye. Yikes, I thought, giving her a sheepish look. I wasn't like that anymore, but I guess my playful flirting with her hadn't really helped my case.

"Don't worry, May," Pepper stepped in, laying a hand on my shoulder, "Tony and I are in a very stable relationship and have been for years. He would be wonderful at giving Peter advice," she defended, and I felt my heart warm at her honest words. I gave her a look of thanks before turning back to May who was looking at me with unsure eyes. I'd noticed she'd switched to calling me Stark again. Nice going, genius.

"Could we please stop talking about my love life and whether or not Tony is a good role model?" Peter begged, looking uncomfortable. We all too happily agreed, and the conversations went smoothly for the rest of the evening.

Peter was eventually shooed to his room while I was asked ( _forced by Pepper_ ) to wash the dishes. I gave the love of my life a look of horror, but she only responded with an uncaring smirk. This had to be payback for having teased the boy and riled up his overprotective mama-bear aunt. With much difficulty and plenty of puppy-dog looks towards Pepper, I slowly made my way to the sink. This was cruel and unusual punishment, Pepper Potts, I thought heatedly. Taking a deep breath and mustering up all the courage I had I pushed forth and somehow managed to get every dish washed. I left them to dry by themselves before sitting myself over with Pepper. She raised an eyebrow at me, and I gave her an apologetic look. A kiss to the cheek let me know all was forgiven.

We left shortly afterwards and happily made our way home.

"We should invite Peter to stay for a few days," she suggested, and I just shrugged. "I'd be cool with that, but I'm not sure his aunt wants him anywhere near me at the moment."

"And whose fault is that?" Pepper asked with a frown, and I just pouted. "Learn to behave yourself like a grown man, and maybe she'll start to trust you a little more."

I huffed before murmuring, "The kid trusts me, and that's what matters to me."

"You're impossible," she murmured, and I couldn't help but laugh as she repeated the words Peter said earlier tonight to me. I hadn't really been exaggerating when I'd told him Pepper said this to me at least three times a day.

"I'm impossibly adorable," I amended, giving her a handsome grin I knew made _her_ go weak at the knees. Her mild irritation completely vanished, her expression turning loving, and I pulled her in for a deep kiss. Life was good.

 **A/N: As always, please review! They keep me going!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: loving the reviews guys, thank you so much!! I'm so glad you're enjoying my interpretation of tony and peter.**

 **Chapter 7: Dr. Otto Octavius**

 **Peter's POV:**

My day wasn't supposed to be going like this. Like really, I didn't plan for any of this. I mean, okay, I did plan to come here and confront him, but only after I'd found out what happened. He hadn't done this to himself on purpose. He needed help, and I wanted to do that. I knew this guy before…before he had eight metallic arms attached to him.

It was Wednesday, an innocent boring old Wednesday. School had been fine. Actually, it'd been pretty fun. We'd had practice for the Academic Decathlon, and with Flash gone, things had been good. Having MJ as the captain had made me get to know her better, and she was actually really funny and very cool…and maybe even pretty; but I would never admit that to Tony! It was early, and we hadn't been hanging out long, but I was starting to think I might like her, which was really weird.

Anyways, school had been cool, and Ned and I had been hanging out at his place when I noticed the news.

Dr. Otto Octavius was on a rampage killing people. What. The. Hell?

I knew this guy. Not very well, but he'd come to my school several times over the past two years to talk to us kids about his work, and to recruit interns. He only chose seniors, and before I got my powers it'd been a dream of mine to get to work with him.

Seeing him on the television with eight mechanical arms attached to him, flipping cars and throwing people around broke my heart. What the hell had happened to him? The news had mentioned an accident, and it made sense. He never would've done this to himself. He was a good guy, or at least I thought he was. Watching him now on the TV, so angry with people screaming and cops shooting at him just didn't make sense. It wasn't fair. He was a good man. He was probably freaking out, which is why he was acting like this. Someone needed to help him. Someone who knew him. Someone like me.

I looked to Ned, and he just shook his head at me.

"No, Peter, no," he said, but I completely ignored him, pulling my suit out of my backpack.

"Peter!" he hissed, looking towards his bedroom door warily before back at me. "This is ridiculous! What do you think you're going to do?"

"We know him, Ned, and I'm going to help him," I responded, throwing my clothes off haphazardly. "You know he's not like this. Something happened and he's freaking out. He needs help, not people shooting at him."

"Are you crazy?" Ned whispered, his voice filled with fear. "Look at what he's doing. This isn't something for you to go handle. Call Tony! Isn't that what you're supposed to be doing?"

"Tony will just attack him," I explained, justifying my actions.

"Come on, Peter, can't you see you're doing exactly what you did when you ran after that lizard guy?" Ned questioned desperately as I finished putting my suit on. "Don't you remember how you got hurt, and how pissed Tony was at you? I mean, Iron Man actually grounded you!" he yelled, and I glared at him, slapping the spider on my chest to tighten the suit.

"I can handle this," I declared, unsure whether I was reassuring him or myself.

"Cover for me," I called out before slipping out his window. He didn't respond, but I trusted him to keep his mouth shut. However, instead of covering me, at the moment that I was swinging through the city, he was calling Tony Stark.

I was staring down at the doctor who was glaring back up at me. I'd gotten his attention, but instead of being able to calm him down, I'd only caused him to become angrier. I'd tried to tell him I understood. I tried to remind him of what he'd been. I'd wanted to show him who I was, but had disregarded that notion as soon as it'd appeared.

This was not going as planned. Why? Why couldn't anything go as I wanted it to?

"Leave me alone!" Octavius roared, sending all eight of his scary metal arms after me. I used my spider sense and agility to the best of my ability, but even then, I managed to get smacked around.

"Ow!" I screamed. "Hey Doc, eight arms are totally not fair! How about you drop a couple, so we can have some fun?" Unfortunately, the good doctor completely ignored me and continued to lash out at me. I growled as all I could do was avoid his arms. I tried webbing up the arms, but then another arm would come and cut the webbing. I tried webbing Octavius, but the arms intercepted. I couldn't get close to him.

I swung around, zigzagging around his arms, looking for a weak spot when one of the arms smacked me hard. I yelled loudly as I went flying, and prepared to crash into the side of a building. The crash never came, though. Instead, I found myself hitting metal and two arms wrapping around me before I was flown down to the ground.

"Hey Tony," I greeted casually as I was gently set down.

"Hey Spiderman, having fun?" he responded, and I winced at the anger hiding behind the joking voice. Looking behind Tony, my eyes widened when I saw Vision dealing with the doctor. The android was completely unaffected by the metal arms as they went right through him. One of those arms, unfortunately, ended up coming towards us, and my spider sense warned me too late to stop it from grabbing hold of my mentor's head and squeezing.

Iron Man only grunted as he was suddenly being crashed through buildings and then into the ground. I froze in horror, a scream stuck in my throat. I had to do something, but just as that thought went through my mind, the arm was blasted into pieces by both Iron Man and the Vision.

They both went on the attack, and I marveled at how in sync they were. It was if they knew exactly where the other was going to be. I also couldn't help but marvel at their skill, and how easily they managed to put a stop to Dr. Octavius. In a matter of 15 minutes, Dr. Octavius was unconscious and SHIELD agents were arriving on the scene and taking over crowd control. Tony and Vision were working on properly restraining Otto in case he happened to wake up on the trip to wherever he was being taken. Before he was completely taken away, though, my feet finally unfroze and I was able to speak.

"Hey wait!" I yelled, rushing over towards the unconscious doctor. Looking at Tony, Vision, and the SHIELD agents, I forced down my nerves and explained that they had to help him. "I knew him before whatever accident he had caused this. I don't know what happened, but this stuff, what he was doing today is not who he is. He's a good guy, and just-just please try and help him. Don't just lock him up and throw away the key. I swear this isn't the way he used to be."

The agents exchanged looks before they wheeled him into a truck. Looking towards Vision and Tony, I saw Vision giving me a sympathetic look while Tony kept his face shield on. I was kind of glad of that because even without seeing his expression, the anger and disappointment was coming off him in waves.

"I think it's time our friendly neighborhood spiderman went home, don't you," Tony remarked rhetorically, an edge to his tone. I hesitated, not wanting to leave at all.

"I want to help," I informed him, my voice sounding more impudent than I wanted it to. Tony took a step towards me, and I took an uncertain step back. Before he could take another step, Vision came to my rescue and grabbed hold of Iron Man's arm.

"I am in agreement with Mr. Stark," he mentioned kindly. "There is nothing more you can do here, so go on home to your aunt. She must be worried."

I tensed, feeling suddenly alarmed by that. She knew? How could she not? She watched the news, and she'd no doubt seen me risking my neck out here again.

"Uh, yeah, you're right," I squeaked. I lifted my arm up to shoot a web, but Tony spoke before I could disappear.

"Consider Spiderman grounded until further notice," he informed me in a commanding tone. "And rest assured that you and I will be addressing your goddamned idiotic actions today. Now, go." My shoulders were hunched as he spoke, and I immediately took off at his dismissal.

Oh no, I thought as I swung through the city. What had I done? What was wrong with me? He was gonna—No! No, no, no, no! Don't think about that now. Focus on dealing with Aunt May first. With difficulty, I pushed thoughts of Tony out of my head as I quietly opened the window to my bedroom and stealthily crawled on in. I had barely landed on the ground when a voice started yelling from behind me.

"What in gods' name were you thinking, Peter Benjamin Parker?!" Aunt May screeched, her eyes red and her hair a mess as if she'd been gripping it too tightly.

I began to stutter an explanation, but she wasn't in the mood to hear it.

"Do you have any idea what went through my head as I watched you on the news _once again_ getting tossed about like a rag doll? I thought you were dead, Peter! I thought you were dead!" she yelled, tears now welling up in her eyes. Seeing her tears, my own eyes started welling up as well.

"I thought you weren't supposed to be dealing with guys like that? Am I wrong, or did Stark lie to me?" she questioned, hands on her hips. "Tell me now, Peter Parker, was he lying to me?"

"N-no, he wasn't," I answered, my voice small.

"Then, what were you _thinking_? Or were you even thinking at all? Because to me it looks like you just like risking your neck for the fun of it!" she said, her hands flying up into the air in frustration.

"I'm sorry, Aunt May, I'm really sorry!" I had to say. "I'm okay, and I won't do it again, I promise!"

"You've promised me before, and yet you still do it, Peter," she stated. "What am I supposed to do?" she asked, giving me a look of desperation. "I can't ban you from being Spiderman because I know you wouldn't listen. I know how much doing this means to you, but my heart can't take the thought of losing you. Do you understand that? Do you truly understand that I love you, Peter, and that you're all I have left?" She was openly crying now, sitting herself down on my bed, looking far too old and weary for my liking.

I too began to cry at what I'd done to her, and I rushed over to give her a hug.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I cried pitifully. I felt so guilty and angry with myself. I was the worst nephew on the face of the planet! Why did I hurt the people close to me?

We hugged for several minutes, me apologizing over and over before my aunt sadly said, "I know you are, Peter, I know you are sorry." She broke apart from me in order to look me in the eyes. "This can't go on, sweetheart. You can't keep putting yourself in these kinds of situations. You're just a boy, a boy with extraordinary powers, but a boy nonetheless."

I didn't like hearing this, but I couldn't bring myself to argue, so I just nodded my head understandingly.

Aunt May wiped at her tears and looked me up and down. "Are you hurt?" she asked worriedly.

"No, I'm not," I told her honestly. "Just some bruises, but nothing big." Tony and Vision had arrived before I'd received anything major.

"Tony called to tell me that he's grounded you from being Spiderman for the foreseeable future," she informed me, "and I am in complete agreement. Clearly you don't listen to me, so maybe you'll listen to him. As for my punishment, I want you to come straight home every day after school, and you are to go straight to your room. No computer unless for homework. No having Ned over. Your life revolves around nothing but school now, do you understand me?" she questioned sternly, and I gave a dismal nod.

"Good, now take a shower while I make you something to eat. You must be starving," she mentioned, giving me one last tight hug before leaving me alone. My shoulders dropped, and I sat on the floor, putting my head in my hands. What a mess. _What a mess_.

 **Tony's POV:**

It was the day after the octopus fiasco, and I was sitting in May's living room having a conversation I didn't really want to have. Unfortunately, Pepper deemed it necessary; and she also informed me that I had to be the one to do it. Wonderful, I thought sarcastically.

"Thank you so much for saving Peter _again_ ," May spoke, giving me a look full of gratitude.

I resisted the urge to say it was no big deal, because clearly, it was a big deal to the both of us. "You're welcome," I said instead. Conversations were hard between us. I had to be on my best behavior to stay on her good side, and even then it was difficult. Things like saving her reckless nephew seemed to help though.

"Why are you here?" she asked hesitantly after we'd both been sitting here awkwardly.

"I need to take Peter to my place for the next three days," I stated, and she frowned while raising her eyebrows.

"After what happened yesterday, I don't think rewarding him is the best thing to do," she said unhappily.

"I'm not taking him to reward him," I responded, and she still frowned at me, clearly not believing me. Ugh. Why couldn't she just say yes?

"Back after the incident with the Vulture," I decided to explain, "your nephew promised me he would stay away from guys like that. Clearly, he hasn't kept his promise."

"No, he hasn't," she agreed, more curious now than wary.

"I chewed him out after the incident with the Lizard," I continued, "and I thought I'd gotten through to him. Obviously, I didn't. I gave him a warning at the time that if he broke his promise to me again, then he and I would have a conversation he wasn't going to enjoy. I plan on keeping my promise, and would like him with me when I do."

"I don't know," she sighed tiredly. "Lecturing him hasn't seemed to do him much good, so why do you think this time will make a difference? Also, whatever conversation you may have, Peter will see going with you as a treat."

"Trust me, May," I declared, "little Pete will not be enjoying his visit with me." I paused, preparing myself for an argument after revealing the next tidbit. " _And_ I don't plan on just talking to the daredevil. I made it abundantly clear to the boy that if he put his butt in danger again that I would be busting that butt for him myself."

May's eyebrows went up in surprise before narrowing. "You mean you want to spank him?" she questioned with some disbelief.

"I don't want to," I corrected, "but I do intend to…with your permission, of course. You are his legal guardian while I'm just the guy that gave him a fancy suit."

May gave me a very critical look at this point, eyeing me up and down. Truth be told, I was genuinely surprised she hadn't started yelling or even throwing something. She seemed the type. Surprisingly, it looked as though she were considering what I was saying.

"You're more than just the guy who gave Peter his suit," May finally spoke softly, "you and I both know that. I'm not blind, Tony Stark. I know how Peter feels about you, and I know how you feel about him."

I said nothing in response, not really surprised that she'd noticed.

"You love my son," she said, giving me an inquiring look, so I nodded my head. "You would never hurt him," she then said, and I once more nodded, desperately hoping that I could keep that promise.

"Okay, then you have my permission," she declared, and it was me who looked surprised this time.

"Really?" I asked. "I honestly expected more of a fight."

"My husband, Ben used to spank Peter when he was younger," she explained with a sad smile. "Peters always been such a good kid that it was rarely needed, but lately, I'll admit that he's more than earned it."

I just nodded my head, feeling a huge amount of relief at how easy this had gone.

"So, do you mind if I pick him up from school tomorrow and just take him?" I questioned, and she gave her agreement. "Don't let him know what's happening," I added, "let him sweat a little. He knows this conversation is happening, but not when."

May let out a short laugh while shaking her head. "Very well, I will trust you to handle this." She stood up then, and I knew that was my cue to go. As I was stepping out the door, she called out, "You're not the man the media portrays, Tony Stark." I turned, giving her a raised eyebrow.

Her forehead was creased with worry, but she was looking at me, for the first time without wariness. "Take care of him, please. He's all I have left."

Giving her a genuine smile, I answered honestly, "I will."

The day passed quickly, and before I knew it, it was time to pick the kid up from school. He had practice for the Academic Decathlon, but I was going to yank him out early. While I didn't intend for this weekend to be very fun for him, that didn't mean I was going to miss the chance to give my young protégé some limelight, _especially_ since I knew a certain Flash would be there.*

Arriving at the high school in the flashiest car I had, I gave my trademark grin to the small groups of kids that were still at the school staring at me with wide eyes. For the fun of it, I asked one of the smaller groups where the office was located, and it took nearly a minute before a girl managed to point somewhere towards my left. Walking into the office, I received nearly the same reaction, but at least the adults were able to form words.

"Um, M-Mr. Stark, what can I do for you?" the receptionist asked, looking quite flustered. All movement in the office stopped as every eye was on us. I kept my charming grin in place as I politely asked to take Peter out of school.

"Peter Parker?" she asked back as though not sure she heard me right.

"Peter Parker," I repeated firmly. "I know he's practicing for the Academic Decathlon, but I need to check him out a little early to bring him along for a Stark retreat. He is the only member of our group who cannot drive yet, and since I don't live too far away I figured I'd give the kid a lift."

Silence greeted my words, and I had to morph my charming grin into one of annoyance to get them out of their stupor.

"Of course," the lady finally responded, handing me a piece of paper to fill out stating my name, who I was taking out, and the reason.

"I'll send someone to get him," she said, but I waved her off.

"If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to pick up Peter myself," I insisted, giving her my 100-watt smile. She went red.

"Oh, yes, that's fine. H-he's just, um, he's, um, just go down that hall, take a left, and he'll be in the library," she directed, and I gave her one last smile before walking off. I walked through the school with all the confidence in the world, smiling brightly at the few students and staff still lingering. Arriving at the library I loudly opened the doors, making sure all eyes were on me as I strutted in.

"Mr. Peter Parker!" I loudly called out, zeroing in on the wide-eyed boy in no time at all.

"Ton—I mean, Mr. Stark, what're you doing here?" he asked, his voice doing that funny thing where it cracks. I did not miss those days.

"I'm here to pick up my star lab assistant for the Stark retreat this weekend, of course," I replied. "Don't tell me you forgot?" I questioned, giving him a raised eyebrow.

"No, of course not!" he responded, throwing me a confused look as he began to grab his things. As he packed up, I looked over at Ned and greeted him. "Hello, Mr. Leeds, how are you doing?"

His mouth opened in shock for several moments before he responded with a happy, "Just fine, sir." Clearly, he appreciated my efforts, unlike wonder boy.

"Maybe next time you can come along for a retreat," I casually mentioned, feeling quite grateful to the kid for having called to warn me of what Peter had gotten himself into. Ned's smile grew larger as he nearly yelled, "Yes, sir!"

Several of the kids turned to stare in disbelief at both Peter and Ned, clearly astounded that they actually knew me. Looking from one face to the next, I easily spotted Mr. Flash Thompson, whose expression was the most stunned of them all. When my eyes settled on his, he instantly paled, his eyes looking at Peter and then at me. Smirking, I realized he figured Peter had talked about him to me, so I narrowed my eyes minutely, not wanting it to look as though I were glaring. It was enough, though, to let the ass clown know I was displeased with him; and by the way he suddenly looked ready to throw up, I figured he understood the danger of being on Tony Stark's shit list.

"Here you go," I stated, turning my eyes now to the teacher. I handed him a slip letting him know I had permission to take Peter out. He looked at it closely as if he didn't quite believe it was real, but eventually he seemed satisfied for he gave me a nod.

"Peter," he stated as said boy began to walk towards me, "remember to look over that vocabulary during the weekend…I mean, if you have time that is," he added, giving me a nervous look.

"He'll have time," I assured the man, putting a hand on Peter's shoulder. I ignored the way he tensed.

"Carry on with your studies, young scholars," I declared grandly before guiding the kid out of the library and out of the school. It wasn't until we reached the car that Peter spoke up.

"What's going on?" he asked in confusion. "Is something wrong?"

"Wrong?" I questioned, motioning for him to get in. "Wrong like a _boy_ breaking a promise to his mentor about fighting monsters? No, of course not," I spoke sarcastically, slamming the door once the kid was inside. I got into the driver's seat, noting how subdued he suddenly seemed.

"I'm sorry," he said, and I pursed my lips while shaking my head.

"Yeah, you see," I responded bitingly, "I'm not quite sure you are, but don't worry, pal, we'll get there later. Now, I'm not really in the mood for talking," I informed him, "so I suggest you busy yourself with school work."

Peter nodded his head jerkily before opening up his chemistry book. The entire drive was silent and tense, neither one of us enjoying it. I felt his eyes on me more than once, but I refused to look at him the entire time. Having him in my presence, I suddenly felt like throttling the kid. I was too angry to speak without saying something I'd regret, so I chose to just not say anything at all.

When we arrived at the Avenger's HQ I led him to the private elevator, and then straight to his room. Only then did I speak.

"This weekend will not be fun for you," I declared, my voice tinged with displeasure. "Right now, I want you in your room working on school work. Fridays watching, so I will know if you disobey me. For both our sakes, let's just not. Dinner will be brought to you, and then you will continue your homework. If you happen to finish it all, I will find something for you to work on." I looked at him now to make sure he was clear on what I was saying. His face looked miserable as he nodded his head.

"You and I will have our little chat either before you go to bed tonight or before you go to bed tomorrow night," I stated, and Peter suddenly looked even more miserable. His misery tugged at my heart strings, so I felt some of my anger soften enough so I could place a hopefully comforting hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at me, and I wasn't sure what to say, so I just said, "If you need anything, just let Friday know. Pepper and I'll be around."

"That bruise," Peter suddenly spoke, causing me to look back at him. "Is it from the fight?" he asked.

"Yup," I replied, and his eyes shone with guilt. He looked ready to apologize, but I didn't want to hear it right now. I needed to talk to Pepper. I needed to calm down.

"Later, kid," I said, quickly walking away to avoid any more conversation.

"Friday," I called, "keep an eye on the kid; and if he so much as steps a toe out of his door you are to let me know right away."

"Of course, sir," she replied, and I paused before adding, "And don't warn him when I'm coming. I don't need him running from me again."

"Understood, sir," Friday responded, and I rolled my eyes as I swore I heard a pout in her voice. Damn spider kid has already got her wrapped around his little spider finger.

Feeling suddenly very weary, I went down to my lab to distract myself from my thoughts. Pepper was busy with the company and wouldn't be due in for at least another hour. I'd talk to her then.

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought.**

 _ ***This idea comes from the story, "This is my ground" by SkippingThrough. It's a very amusing little one-shot.**_


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Loving all the reviews! Thank you so much! This will be the first chapter where peter is spanked by Tony. It'll occur a few other times throughout my story, but as mentioned before, it is not the main focus of my story.**

 **WARNING: This chapter contains disciplinary spanking of a teenage superhero. If this is not your thing, then don't bother reading and/or flaming me!**

 **Chapter 8: Punishment**

 **Peter's POV:**

I sat at my desk, staring down at my homework, but not really seeing it. I'd been here for a couple hours already, and had just finished dinner. I couldn't concentrate. Since the second I saw Tony strolling into the library at _my_ school I'd known I was royally screwed. I'd hoped I was wrong and that he'd needed me for something, but the few words he gave me when I got in the car let me know that I was a dead man walking.

Why was I such an idiot? I gripped my hair tightly with my hands, and had to resist the urge to bang my head on the desk. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

I should've listened to Ned.

I should've had more sense.

I should've thought things through before just jumping into the situation with the naïve thought that I could talk Dr. Otto out of whatever craziness he was feeling.

I'd broken Tony's trust. I'd broken my promise to him. He must hate me.

He was still here, though.

He had invited me to his place, and he wanted me here for three days. If he really hated me, he wouldn't be doing this.

I wonder when our "little chat" is going to take place.

My stomach twisted, butterflies erupting in my stomach as I pondered my upcoming punishment. I hadn't been spanked since I was twelve years old. I couldn't believe Tony was planning on doing that to me. I was fifteen! I was too old, right?

I groaned loudly, feeling a sudden surge of anger and frustration. I shoved everything off my desk, feeling some satisfaction in seeing it all go flying. I thought of punching something, but felt that breaking anything in here would only make things worse for myself.

Instead, I threw myself onto my bed, and stared up at the ceiling. Glancing to my right I was surprised to notice some new additions to my room. First, on the walls there were now pictures of Aunt May and me, and then a couple of Ned, me, and Vision from when we'd been having a Jedi battle. I felt a rush of embarrassment and happiness at seeing that. The next addition was in the upper corner of my room. There was a cool looking hammock strung across in one of the corners. There was even a nearby shelf for me to set down whatever I wanted.

Seeing even more personal touches to the room, my guilt intensified. I didn't deserve any of this. Tony was so kind to me. He'd given me so much, and I'd just thrown it in his face. Like a spoiled kid, I'd broken a promise to him because I'd felt I'd known better than him.

I scoffed as I shook my head. Yeah, right. Spiderman knows more than Iron Man, I thought sarcastically. And here I thought it was Tony who was the arrogant one, not me.

God, I couldn't believe he was going to spank me. My hero. The guy who'd I'd looked up to even before we'd officially met was going to bust my butt like I was a disobedient little kid! How embarrassing. I would never live this down.

Why couldn't I learn to do as I'm told? Why did I have to be so damn reckless?

I didn't mean to be, though! It just happened! My heart was in the right place. It was!

I just…I just sucked at thinking about the consequences of my actions.

I felt I knew what I was capable of more than Tony did, and so far I'd been proven wrong 2 out of 3 times. I really sucked.

"Mr. Parker," Friday suddenly called out, and I jumped, giving the ceiling a startled look.

"Yeah?" I asked hesitantly.

"I do believe you are meant to be working on your homework. That is was Mr. Stark instructed you to do," she reminded, and I just groaned.

"I can't," I responded, to which she asked, "Shall I inform Mr. Stark of this, then?"

"Please don't!" I shouted, my insides freezing. "Come on Friday, please just keep that to yourself."

"Very well, young sir, but would you mind telling me why you cannot do your homework?" she asked pleasantly. "I could be of assistance, if needed."

"No, Friday, it's not that I don't know what to do," I explained dully. "It's just that I'm too nervous to do it. I can't concentrate."

"Why are you nervous?" she inquired curiously, and out of a desperate need to just talk to someone I told her the truth.

"I'm nervous because Tony is going to spank me," I declared, feeling my face turn red as I spoke the word. This was going to be awful.

Friday was silent for several moments before she finally remarked, "Oh, I see. You have misbehaved and Mr. Stark will be punishing you as if you were his own child."

I frowned at her words, but gave a nod regardless. "I guess he is treating me like his kid," I murmured more to myself than Friday. While I was touched, at this moment I really wished he wasn't treating me like his kid. I let out another groan.

"Are you in pain, Mr. Parker?" Friday asked in concern, and I shook my head. "No, Friday, I'm just nervous."

"Is there anything I can do for you?" she pressed with continued concern, and I flippantly responded, "Convince Mr. Stark not to spank me."

"Very well," she replied happily, and my eyes widened in shock as I stood up and shouted, "No Friday, no! It was a joke! Don't talk to Tony!"

"If you insist," she commented, managing to sound confused by my actions.

"I do insist," I declared, my heart beating rapidly at the thought of Friday contacting Tony on my behalf to convince him not to spank me.

"Can you tell me when he starts heading my way," I decided to ask, frowning sadly when she responded, "My apologies, young sir, but I cannot. Mr. Stark instructed me specifically not to inform you of this as he did not want you running away again."

Crap. Crap, crap, crap, crap!

What was I gonna do? How could I convince him to punish me in some other way? Another not so mortifying way?

"Can you tell me what Tony is doing right now?" I asked, wondering if I could figure out when he'd come by what he was doing.

"Mr. Stark is currently in his private lab working on his watch that can transform into an Iron Man hand. He seems to be removing the blasting capabilities," she explained. I frowned thoughtfully, wondering why he would be doing that. It was two seconds before realization hit me.

"No! No way!" I hissed, rolling onto my stomach and screaming into my pillow. This couldn't be happening! _Why_ did life hate me so much? He was messing with that stupid hand piece because he was planning on punishing me with it! Oh. My. God!

I hadn't even considered how, due to my powers, Tony's bare hand wouldn't even hurt me. He'd clearly already come to that realization, and had already come up with a solution! Arrrgghh!

"Sir, your heart rate is very elevated," Friday spoke. "Shall I contact someone for you?"

"Nu uh," I mumbled loudly. "No one. Don't contact anybody."

"Are you planning on running away again?" she then asked curiously. "Because I feel obliged to tell you that I have been given orders to inform Mr. Stark if you so much as set a toe outside of this room."

"Are you for real?!" I yelled, giving the ceiling an incredulous look.

"Yes, sir," she answered.

"I wasn't planning on running," I muttered mutinously. "He didn't need to do that."

I just lay there staring into space with a pouting expression. How could I convince Tony to just ground me again? How could I convince him that what I'd done was necessary? I had to help Dr. Otto. I wondered how he was doing right now. I hoped he wasn't suffering. I hoped he was doing okay.

I let out a bit huff of air, standing up to now pace around the room nervously. I couldn't handle just being here and doing nothing but wait. This was madness. This was torture.

"Mr. Parker," Friday spoke, "I would recommend you clean up the mess you made and get back to your homework. Mr. Stark seemed rather displeased when I told him what you were doing."

My mouth opened in shock as I glared up at the ceiling. "Friday, how could you!" I yelled angrily, feeling betrayed. "You're not supposed to tell him stuff like this!"

"My apologies, sir, but I am required to answer all of Mr. Stark's questions," she responded, managing to sound apologetic.

I kicked my desk roughly, causing a leg to break and it to collapse. I didn't need to have my every move watched! I shouldn't have to be stuck here! This sucked!

"You know what, Friday! You can tell _Mr. Stark_ that he's an overprotective old man that needs to take the stick out of his ass!" I shouted furiously. I didn't know why I was suddenly so angry. I didn't know why I was getting so emotional over what was happening. All I knew was that right now I was angry at myself and everybody.

My life was so unfair.

I put my back to the door to the bathroom and just stood there breathing heavily. I closed my eyes and tried to get my temper under control.

"I have done as you requested, but I do not feel that this has made your situation any better," Friday said, and I froze, a chill going up my spine.

"You told him?" I managed to ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Of course, you told me to," she replied, and my heart began to hammer once more. Oh shit.

"Is he coming here?" I asked, and she once more explained how she wasn't allowed to share that information with me.

"Is he still in his lab?" I then asked, and she answered negatively.

I panicked, realizing that I had just made things worse. "Tell him I didn't mean it, Friday, tell him that right now! I was being dumb!" I shouted, desperately looking around my room for a place to hide. Tony was going to kill me. Iron Man was going to kill Spiderman. This was it. It was over.

Heart still pounding I looked up to see an air vent. It looked large enough for me to get through so I quickly jumped up, pulled it off and pulled myself inside.

"Please, Friday, don't tell Tony where I am. Tell him I'm sorry, but don't let him know I'm here, okay?" I begged as I put the vent cover back in place.

I received no response from her because at that moment there was a firm knock on my door. "Mr. Parker," Tony called formally, "Friday tells me there's something you'd like to say to me." I whimpered, but covered my mouth with both hands when the door opened. Tony walked and stood there for several seconds before sighing deeply.

"Friday, where's my mouthy spider?" he asked, and I winced as he didn't sound happy at all.

"I've been asked to not tell you, sir," Friday said. "Mr. Parker also wished that I tell you that he was very sorry and did not mean what he said."

"Uh huh," was the unimpressed response Tony gave as he turned his head to look around the room.

"Friday," Tony then called, and I was desperately afraid he was going to demand for my location, but he didn't. "I take it the kid was looking pretty nervous not too long ago, and that he probably begged you to keep his location secret?"

"Yes, sir," she replied, "and if you don't mind, I would like to keep Mr. Parker's secret. He seemed quite upset with me earlier when I informed him that I had already told you he was not working on his homework."

"I bet," he responded softly, walking towards my desk and taking in the mess I'd made with the scattered papers and broken leg. He then then looked up at the ceiling, and I begged to Thor that he not find my location. Unfortunately, Thor wasn't listening or he didn't seem to care that Spiderman was about to be blasted into oblivion by his good friend Iron Man.

"Spiderman, please get out of the air vent," Tony called, and I said and did nothing, hoping he was only guessing and hadn't really seen me. Luck was not on my side. Tony took in a deep breath and then, in a much sterner tone called out, " _Peter Benjamin Parker_ , you now have three seconds to get your spider butt out of that air vent before I have Friday flush you out in some awfully painful way."

I sucked in a startled breath at his use of my full name, distinctly recalling Uncle Ben speaking the same way to me when I'd been in real trouble with him. Getting called by your full name was _never_ a good sign.

"One," Tony said, and I yelled, "I'm coming!" His dark eyes remained on me as I took off the vent cover, easily slid out, hanging from the ceiling as I put it back on.

"Uh, hi," I greeted nervously, still hanging from the ceiling.

"Hi," he greeted back with a fake grin. "Come on down, kiddo, and take a seat," he ordered, pointing towards my bed. "I feel like we have some things to say to each other." I really had nothing to say, so in an attempt to stall I asked, "How did you know I was up here? Friday didn't tell you."

"I'm used to people hiding in vents," he answered, before once more pointing towards my bed. "By the way, you should thank Friday for not telling on you."

"Thanks Friday," I told her with gratitude. "And sorry for yelling at you earlier."

"Your welcome, Mr. Parker, and all is forgiven," Friday replied kindly. I felt like a heel now for having gotten angry with her. A part of me was surprised that I felt so concerned about an AI, but Tony's AIs were like real people. I was certainly attached to Karen.

I finally jumped down, lithely landing down on the bed before sitting down cross legged. I refused to look at Tony now, choosing instead to just to just stare down at the bedding.

I heard as Tony moved, heard as my door was closed, and then heard as he ordered Friday to give us some privacy and make sure no one disturbed us unless it was an emergency. I then heard as he slowly and deliberately walked back over here and stopped in front of me. The silence was deafening, but instead of breaking it I just hunched my shoulders, wishing I could be anywhere else but here. Truthfully, I wished I could be anyone else but me.

"Okay, I get that your comforter can be kinda cool to look at. I mean, it does have Spiderman, or _you_ on it, but I never took you for the narcissistic type," Tony mentioned casually.

"Like you?" I couldn't help but retort with a smirk, and I was rewarded with a light chuckle. I finally forced my head up and made eye contact with the older man. His arms were crossed, and he was looking at me with an unreadable expression that did nothing to put me at ease. In the blink of an eye, though, his expression smoothed out and he dragged over my desk chair, setting it in front of me before plopping himself down on it.

"So, I was working in my lab a little bit ago when Friday said you had something you wanted to say to me," he commented casually. "She told me what you said, but I'm not sure I heard right, so how about you repeat it back to me."

I swallowed nervously, looking no doubt like a deer in headlights as I heard him speak. While his tone was very casual and his face calm, his eyes were serious. There was no way in hell I was repeating what I'd said.

"Wasn't a rhetorical question, Pete, so please speak up," Tony pushed. "In my _old age_ I sometimes think I mishear things, so _tell me what you told her._ "

"Uh, it was nothing," I managed to choke out. "I didn't mean it, Tony, I'm sorry."

"You say that a lot, y'know," he mentioned, eyeing me critically. "You're always sorry, and being sorry is good, but not enough. I'd prefer if you didn't have to be sorry. I'd prefer if you'd _think_ before you decided to yell things at me that you're now too afraid to repeat. I'd prefer if you'd _think_ before throwing a tantrum and making a mess of a room I put a lot of time and effort into making it somewhere you'd feel comfortable. I'd prefer you to _think_ before you jump into situations that can get you injured or killed!" he finished, his voice raised and angry.

"I'd really prefer it if you'd just start _listening_ to what I tell you to do so I don't have to continuously be stressing about if the next time you go out there as Spiderman, you're going to end up dead," he then said, his voice now quiet and insistent.

I couldn't think of a single thing to say besides giving him another apology, so I just gave him an apologetic look as I nodded my head in understanding.

Tony took in a deep breath and leaned back in the chair, once more looking calm. "So, _again_ I ask you, my _very young_ spiderling, what did you say to me?"

I just groaned now, looking anywhere but at him. He wasn't going to let this go. Closing my eyes briefly, I stared resolutely at my hands as I whispered, "I, uh, said to stop being an overprotective old man, and that you…um, you needed to take the stick out of your, uh, well…yeah." My face felt hot, so I knew it had to be beet red with embarrassment and shame. "Sorry, Tony," I added. "I was—I didn't mean it."

"Apology accepted," Tony said, and I looked to him in surprise. He had a small smile of amusement as he then said, "I've been called so much worse in my day, so your little insult did no more than let me know you and I needed to talk sooner rather than later." I let out a sigh of relief, glad to know that he hadn't been hurt or insulted by my carless, childish words. "I don't recommend you do that again, though," he then said, his tone a little sterner. "I know I can be hard to deal with at times, but I have faith you can come up with better methods to express yourself than the way you did earlier, am I right?"

"Yeah-yes, I-I can," I agreed with several nods. "Thanks for not being too mad. I was just angry."

"I can tell," he responded, waving his hand over the mess of papers on my floor and the broken desk. "Knowing what you're capable of," he continued to say, "I'd have to say you did well at showing restraint, because with your strength you could've demolished this room. That would've been a pain to clean up."

"Sorry," I felt the need to repeat, and he nodded his head.

"Why the anger?" he pressed curiously. I wondered what to say, but when I saw honest concern in his eyes I decided to just be honest. I'd screwed up enough, so there was no need for me to make things worse by trying to lie.

"My emotions are all crazy right now," I confessed to him, running a hand through my messy hair. "I'm sorry about what I've done, and really guilty about how worried you all were for me. I'm also angry at myself for being so stupid, and angry and you and Aunt May and everybody for being so overprotective. I know I'm fifteen, but I'm not a normal fifteen-year-old. I can do more than just stop a robbery or rescue a cat from a tree. I'm frustrated because I keep trying to show you what I can do, but all I do is screw up over and over again! You gotta come rescue me, which is embarrassing, and then you're pissed off and you yell at me, which I can't stand, and now you're even angrier, and you said you were gonna, and-and-and I don't want that! And then I'm sad, because all I do is disappoint you guys. I'm so stupid," I finished, hating how emotional I sounded, and how thick my voice had gotten at the end. I was not going to cry. I was _not going to cry_!

"It's tough," Tony finally spoke, his voice quiet as he looked at me thoughtfully. "You're a teenager, which is difficult enough as it is, and you're also a super hero. You've got these powers that make you different than anybody around you. You want to be grown up, but, Peter," Tony stated, "you're not an adult. Fifteen or not, _you are still a kid_. All this chaos you're going through sucks, but its normal. Things just get a little more hectic for you because being an adult for you equates to acting like me," he finished with a wry grin and a shrug.

I gave him a single nod, to which he gave a short laugh.

"I'm not a good role model," he stated. "I meant it when I said I want you to be better than me. You _will_ be better than me."

"You say that," I argued, "but I don't get it. You're a great man, Tony, and I do want to be like you."

He laughed again in response, and I briefly thought he was laughing at me until I saw the warm look he was giving me. "You don't know me well enough," he remarked, his grin looking sad, "so just listen when I tell you to be better than me. I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, and I'm not going to let you make the same ones."

I couldn't understand how he could see himself so negatively, but I didn't bother arguing anymore. This wasn't the time. He seemed to understand what I was thinking for he just rolled his eyes before letting out a sigh. He glanced at his watch before looking back at me. His expression and tone were now all business.

"It's 9PM, Peter," he informed me. "I'm going to give you two options. The first is that you get your PJs on and we talk about what happened Wednesday. The second option is you go to bed, and we do this tomorrow."

"Option 3?" I couldn't help but ask, and he smirked as he shook his head negatively. "I'll make the choice if you can't," he said, and I bit my lip as I thought over both options. I didn't want to have this conversation, but the look Tony was giving me told me we were doing this whether I wanted to or not. So, did I want to do it now or wait until tomorrow? My mind worked furiously, thinking of all the pros and cons of each choice. I didn't know, so I shot my mentor a helpless look.

"Okay," he said with understanding, "I'm going to recommend we do this right now. Based off your behavior since you got here, I think it's in both our best interests if we don't put this off anymore."

Feeling the butterflies in my stomach start to fly, I could only give a short nod of agreement. He moved aside at this point, and I took that to mean it was time for me to change into my pajamas. I opened the pajama drawer (yes, there was an entire drawer) and grabbed the first things in there before going to the bathroom. Once changed, I couldn't help but snort at what I was wearing. I had blue shorts with a Spiderman logo, and a white shirt with the image of Iron Man.

Alright, let's do this, I told myself, taking a deep breath before stepping out of the bathroom. Tony had apparently picked up my papers off the floor and was staring at them with a mild frown. "You do any homework today?"

"I couldn't concentrate," I admitted guiltily, and he pursed his lips before nodding and setting the papers down on the coffee table near the TV.

"I'll show you how to put a new leg on that desk tomorrow," he informed me before motioning for me to sit back down on the bed.

When I sat down, he grinned as he saw what I was wearing. I gave him a glare with no heat, pretending to not like the PJs, while secretly really liking them. Wearing the Iron Man shirt felt symbolic to me, kind of like saying Iron Man was part of me, or part of my life.

"Why'd you go after Dr. Octavius?" he asked abruptly, my mind focused fully now on why I was here.

 **Tony's POV:**

I kept my eyes pinned on the squirming kid as he thought before answering my question. He told me about how he'd met the man a few times at his school, and how he'd thought of him as a good man. He explained how he felt empathy for the man as it'd been an accident that had caused the situation he was in.

"Me becoming like this was an accident," he explained, clearly willing me to understand, "so I got how scary and crazy he must've been feeling."

"You didn't become a homicidal maniac," I felt the need to interject, not liking how he was comparing himself to the megalomaniac. From my dealings with the man, and from I'd heard afterwards, he was not as good a man as Peter thought, even prior to his "accident".

"Yeah, well, I had—I had Aunt May and Uncle Ben…," he trailed off, his sadness at the death of his uncle hitting him briefly. I knew he still blamed himself no matter how often I told him he wasn't at fault.

"They didn't know, though," I countered gently. "Peter, you dealt with this all on your own. You decided on your own to be a hero. You made your own suit, and you went out on your own without anyone knowing. Dr. Octavius did the opposite."

"Well, whatever happened to him must've messed with his mind," he continued to argue, and I decided I had to give the kid the truth.

"Kid, listen to me," I insisted, giving his knee a tap. "This man was not the good person you thought he was. He was doing illegal experiments on human enhancement. The spider that bit you, he was a part of that program. The accident that happened to him didn't warp his mind. It just gave him the power to do what he wanted."

It pained me to see his eyes widen in shock, his head shaking negatively. "No, that can't be. He-he was so _nice_ to us. I wanted to—before I got my powers it was my dream to get an internship with him."

Aww, kid. Still so innocent and naïve. A part of me hated that he was this way because it led to him being hurt, but another part of me wanted him to stay like this. I didn't want him to become jaded like me and so many other heroes. It would happen, though, but I would be there to help him.

"I wouldn't lie about something like this. I'll show you all the evidence I have tomorrow," I informed him. "I've got video, audio, and papers."

He continued to shake his head, but I saw the belief and betrayal in his eyes. I saw the realization and guilt, and then the anger. Anger at himself.

He bowed his head and gripped his hair with both hands tightly as he harshly whispered "No, no, no, how could I be so stupid? I'm so stupid! Stupid, stupid, stu"—

"Stop that," I commanded sharply, placing a hand on his head in a dismal attempt to offer some comfort. "You make some stupid choices sometimes, but you yourself are not stupid. Besides, your heart is always in the right place, and that's more than I can say for myself at times," I said honestly. He looked up at me, his eyes red-rimmed. There were no tears, but he was clearly still beating himself up. He was so trusting that I wanted to tell him to stop that. I wanted to tell him to trust no one because he'd only end up being hurt, but I stopped myself. His life didn't need to be mine. I would protect him best I could, and I would never betray him; and if anybody close to him ever had the gall to hurt my boy, I'd hunt them down and eviscerate them.

"Right, so I get why you did what you did, but in all honesty, it's not a good enough excuse," I stated, feeling the need to move this along. "You still broke your promise to me. You still endangered yourself. I still had to come rescue your reckless butt. _You still could've died_."

His shoulders hunched the longer I spoke, flinching at my last statement. "I'm sor"—he began to stay, but I cut him off sharply as I said with exasperation. "I know you are, but sorry doesn't cut it! You're always sorry, but nothing's changed. Words aren't working, so I'm going to try something new. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I am going to spank you. It's a method that proved pretty effective with me as a kid, so I'm hoping it has the same effect on you."

"Come on, Tony, please don't do this," my little spider pleaded, his eyes doing that puppy dog thing that nearly caused me to waver. How the hell did my mom manage to ever punish me, I thought wildly. I recall having one of the best puppy-dog expression that got me out of trouble 90% of the time as a kid. I was positive it'd saved me from having my butt roasted more than a time or two.

"Not gonna work, kiddo," I stated firmly. "My minds made up, so this is going to happen one way or another." I sat up straight now, toying with the watch on my right hand until it turned into the Iron Man glove. This thing had saved me from a bullet from the Winter Soldier, so I felt it would be up to dealing with Spiderboy's tough skin. The only difference between this one and the one that had saved me, was that this one had no ability to blast anything. It just added strength, which I'd need to deliver an effective punishment.

"Aw, crap," Peter muttered as he saw what I'd done, and I couldn't help the small smirk I gave. I quickly wiped the expression away, though, knowing that I couldn't let any humor or sarcasm slip through during this. I had to stay serious so the daredevil would get how disappointed I was about his actions.

"Let's get this over with," I stated, standing up and taking a seat on his bed. I was acting much more confident and sure of myself right now than I felt. It wasn't as though I'd done this before. I'd actually put a lot of thought into how this was going go, looking back on my own experiences, consulting with Pepper, and even using the internet. My heart was pounding, but I was resolved to do this.

Peter clearly understood how things were going to go after I sat down because he groaned loudly as he stood up. "I'm _fifteen_ , Tony, please don't do it like this," he begged. "It's so embarrassing."

"Good, that's part of the punishment," I stated, reciting words I'd heard Mom say to me. I'd given her the same argument at the same age, and it hadn't worked at all.

"This is not going to turn into an argument," I told him sternly. "You don't get a say in how this happens. I don't want to do this, Peter, trust me on that, but you more than earned this. Let's get this done so we can move on. Now, you're going over my knees, and your shorts and boxers are coming down." His eyes widened, and he was clearly going to argue, but I gave him a heated glare.

"I have to make sure I'm not causing permanent damage. Your skins tough, but I can cause a lot of force with this hand," I explained, grabbing hold of his hand firmly. He half-heartedly attempted to pull away, and I ignored how there were already tears in his eyes. I suddenly had a newfound respect for my mom. That woman was a warrior.

I pulled the kid down, making sure his chest was resting on the bed. Nerves hit me hard now, and I nearly changed my mind before reminding myself why this kid was here. Taking several deep breaths, I hardened my heart before tugging the kids shorts and boxers down to mid-thigh. This elicited an embarrassed groan from the boy. This sucked. This really, really sucked.

Raising my hand, I began to bring it down slowly but at varying strengths, avidly taking note of the kid's reactions to assess what strength would work best. No reaction meant it wasn't hard enough. A loud yelp and flinch meant too hard. When I figured out how much strength to apply, my hand came down more quickly, making sure to cover every inch of the kid's backside. The longer it went on the more distressed the both of us became. His yelps became louder, the silent tears becoming loud sobs. He wriggled feebly, but thankfully had enough sense to not struggle too much as I wouldn't have been able to hold him in place. When his yells turned to pleading, I became stunned to feel tears come to my eyes. Me. Tony Stark. I didn't cry, like _ever_. It'd been a habit I'd broken when my parents died. Taking note of the dark, cherry color of the boy's skin, and no longer being able to stomach the sobbing and promises to be good, I abruptly stopped, letting out a shaky breath as I restored some of the boy's dignity by replacing his shorts.

It was at this point that I felt at a loss. I knew what Mom had done for me. She'd get me standing and hug me tight. She'd reassure me that all had been forgiven. I wasn't her, though. I wasn't good at physical contact. Looking down at the still crying kid, and feeling desperate to get him to stop I began to rub his back in what I hoped was a comforting manner. It felt completely awkward, though, and didn't seem to do much, so I maneuvered myself so that the kid was no longer lying on me, but on the bed. I moved myself to where his head was, kneeled, and began to run my hand through his sweaty hair. I had found over time that this gesture worked very well with me. Pepper and Tasha had often used it to their advantage.

My little hero's cries began to lessen now, so I felt a spark of joy that I was doing something right. Deciding that he needed more comfort, I leaned down and touched my forehead with his. Again, that seemed to help, but he was still distressed. Maybe I should speak to him. That always seemed to work with Pepper when she was crying.

"Come on, Peter," I spoke in a near whisper, "it's over now, alright? It's all over and you took it like a champ. I'm not mad anymore, okay? Come on, kiddo, I really can't stand seeing you so upset. I'm feeling like a total jerk," I admitted, becoming downright elated when his crying turned into just sniffles. I broke apart, maintaining my hand on his head as he looked at me with pitiful, tear stained eyes. Way to make me feel like the most brutal person in the entire world.

Mother, you were a saint, I thought, a goddamn goddess, in fact.

"You're okay, you're okay," I murmured to him. "You're okay, right?" I had to ask, and he lifted himself up with his elbows and wiped his face with his sleeve. I removed my hand, eyeing him with deep concern. "You okay, kid?" I asked again, and he nodded his head while at the same time also mumbling tearfully, "That hurt."

I smiled while giving an internal snort of amusement. "Well, that was kinda the point," I explained. He glared at my right hand, and I bit back a laugh as I quickly retracted the metal hand until it was just a watch again.

He was still sniffling, and he looked way too young for my liking; and, I would never say it or admit it, but I found the picture of him in an Iron Man shirt freaking cute. This kid was mine now. There was no denying it and no going back.

I watched the kid wipe at his face a little more before sitting himself up. "Ow," he simply said before turning over back onto his stomach. He grabbed his pillow and buried his head into it, and I grabbed his comforter to throw it over him.

"Get some sleep," I ordered, and he responded with a childish pout. He didn't argue, though, and that was because he knew as well as I did that he was exhausted. The reason I'd chosen to do this at night was because I remembered always wanting to sleep after being spanked.

"Still hurts," he informed me, and this time I couldn't help but let out a quiet laugh.

"You'll be fully healed by the morning," I responded knowingly. That was another reason I'd chosen to do this at night, so that he wouldn't have to endure several uncomfortable hours until he was healed.

"Better be," He replied before he closed his eyes.

I just shook my head, giving the spiderling one last smile before leaving. "Keep an eye on him Friday," I called out to my AI, and she responded with a sarcastic, "Obviously." I had to roll my eyes at how my AIs tended to adopt my personality.

It was over, though. It was over and the kid was fine.

 **A/N: Unlike my other fics, I didn't feel the need to go into detail about his spanking. As it's not a main focus, I felt that just focusing on the emotions and what they're thinking is more important. Please let me know what you guys think!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Your guys' reviews are FANTASTIC! So, so happy that you've enjoyed the story! Your kind reviews make my day, and make me want to continue posting. The total number of chapters is now up to 18 chapters, and I'm hoping to make it 19 by the end of the day.**

 **Chapter 9: The Weekend**

 **Peter's POV:**

I was awoken up by the shrill noise of an alarm clock. I glared all around my room to find the thing, but when Friday began to speak, I realized she was the culprit.

"Good morning, Mr. Parker," she greeted far too cheerfully. "It is 6AM, and Mr. Stark has requested that you get up and showered before joining him and Ms. Potts for breakfast. He says you have twenty minutes."

"I wanna sleep," I murmured, burying my head into the pillow, and just as I closed my eyes, the sounds of an alarm started again, this time loud enough to hurt my sensitive hearing. "Ahh, jeez, Friday!" I shouted. "Okay, I'm up, I'm up!"

I huffed angrily as I grabbed some clothes and went into the bathroom. Why would Tony want me up so early? It was only then that last night's events hit me like a ton of bricks. I looked in the mirrors, watching my own face turn red in mortification. Feeling the need to check, I looked at my backside to see that it looked completely fine. A single poke also let me know that I was fully healed, just like he said I would. That was a relief.

However, I sure as hell didn't want to face him just yet. I couldn't believe I'd cried so much. I couldn't believe I'd begged him to stop! God, he must be so disappointed in how I handled that. I'll never be able to look him in the eyes again.

"Sir, you have fifteen minutes now until Mr. Stark comes in here to fetch you," Friday informed me, and I groaned loudly before jumping into the shower. I finished and was dressed in record time. I realized Friday was serious that Tony would come and "fetch me" if I didn't come out on my own. At least Pepper would be there to hopefully keep him from humiliating me.

I quietly and hesitantly appeared at the kitchen and was surprised to see how much food there was. My growling stomach alerted me to the fact that I was starved, especially after having eaten next to nothing yesterday.

"Well, looked what the cat dragged in," Tony announced when he caught sight of me, giving me a smirk. I blushed as Pepper turned and gave him a loud smack on the arm.

"Can you ever be nice?" she questioned in exasperation as she stood up.

"What? It was a joke! Come on Pep, I'm always nice," he defended with a wounded tone. Even I had to laugh at that.

Pepper came towards me and immediately wrapped me in a warm hug. "Good morning, honey, how are you doing?" she asked in concern. Oh god, she knew. _Of course she knew_! So much for Pepper saving me from humiliation. She had just added to it.

"I'm fine," I immediately answered, attempting to give her a reassuring smile as my face once more reddened. I heard Tony snicker, and wanted to throw something at his head.

"Are you sure?" she continued to ask, "Because if you're not, you need to let me know. Was Tony too hard on you?" Her face was full of worry, but all I wanted to do was sink into the ground. Thank god no one else was around to witness my utter humiliation.

"I was _not_ too hard on him, Pepper," Tony argued loudly, but Pepper ignored him completely, her gaze completely focused on me. Somebody out there really hates me.

"Yeah, Pepper, I swear I'm fine," I insisted, giving her a large, forced grin. "I'm good as new. Promise. Now, can I have some breakfast because I'm kind of hungry," I tacked on to the end, hoping she'd let this drop.

"If you're sure," she said with a sigh, clearly not quite believing me. "Eat up," she then stated, her tone suddenly business like. "I didn't know what you liked so Tony and I made all this. I also know you eat a lot like Steve, Bruce, and Thor, so please eat as much as you like."

"You can cook?" I asked in surprise as I looked at Tony.

"Can I—are you serious, Webster?" he asked incredulously. "Of course I can cook! Now, eat. You got somewhere to be at 7."

I wanted to ask where, but my stomach took over now, and I began to grab a little bit of everything. I wanted to feel embarrassed, but when Pepper had mentioned that I wasn't the only one who ate a lot, I let it go and just stuffed myself.

"Aww, he likes it," Tony cooed in a loud mocking whisper, to which Pepper just sighed, "You're such a jerk."

"I agree," I spoke after taking a drink of milk. Pepper smiled while Tony raised an eyebrow at me.

"Oh, really?" he questioned. "So, should I tell Pepper here what you said to me yester"—

"No!" I shouted, "I take it back. You're not a jerk." Tony responded with a smirk as Pepper looked between us in confusion.

"What did you say, Peter?" she questioned, her voice sounding stern.

"Nothing, it was nothing," I replied, giving Tony a pleading look. He had mercy on me for he turned to her and casually said, "Don't worry about it, Pep. I was just messing with the kid."

"Sure you were," Pepper sighed as she looked between the both of us. "Look, just stay out of trouble today," she stated, looking at Tony and then at me. "And be nice," she tacked on, looking specifically at Tony.

"Aren't I always?" he replied with a wounded expression, and Pepper completely ignored him as she turned to me.

"Peter, it was good to see you," she said kindly. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave you alone with Tony since I need to go to California for business. Don't let him get to you, and if he becomes too much of a problem, call me."

"Oh, okay," I responded, sad to see her go. I did enjoy spending time with her, but at least Tony wasn't leaving.

She walked back towards Tony now, and he stood up to give her a kiss. I looked down at my empty plate in embarrassment.

"Fly safe," he told her, his voice no longer joking. "Let me know when you get there."

"Of course," she replied, giving him one last peck on the cheek. "And please be good to Peter. Remember he's just a kid."

I gave a mental groan at her overprotectiveness, but couldn't help but smile at how much she cared. Pepper gave me one last hug before leaving.

Tony looked at me now, and I looked back. "You healed?" he asked, and I nodded my head. He seemed like he wanted to say something more, but instead just stood up and clapped his hands.

"Okay kid, I'm putting you to work today," he declared, "so get yourself up and follow me."

"Work? What kind of work?" I asked curiously as I followed him to the elevator.

"Totally boring, non-fun work," he replied with a winning smile. "You, my reckless spider will be assisting the janitorial staff all day today and tomorrow," he informed me. "Surprise!"

My mouth dropped open in surprise and horror. "What?! Are you serious?" I asked.

"Yup," he answered, as he led me through winding corridors into an area I'd never been to. It was clearly a staff room, but just for maintenance people.

"Mr. Palmer," Tony called out, "here's your new grunt labor I was telling you about. Kids grown a little too big for his britches, so I figure a little hard work will do him good." Several of the guys let out snorts and chuckles as the man came up towards us. He shook Tony's hand before looking me up and down.

"Names Joey, what's yours?" he asked kindly, holding out his hand.

"Peter," I mumbled distractedly, giving him a shake while throwing Tony a miserable, pleading look. He couldn't be serious. He wasn't going to just leave me here, right? This had to be a joke, a really lame joke.

"Good, glad you're acquainted," Tony remarked far too happily before giving me his full attention. "You, my troublesome intern, will be working here today and tomorrow. Joey is in charge of you, and you will do _everything_ that he tells you to without complaint. You cause _any_ problems, and he'll call me directly," he explained with a smile. "Trust me when I say, kiddo, you don't want me to receive that call, do you?"

"No," I answered dully, knowing that even though he said this all cheerfully, he was very serious. I didn't want him to receive a call about me.

"Excellent," he replied, throwing Joey an appreciative grin. "Thanks for doing this. He's a good kid, so I doubt he'll cause you any trouble, but if he does, let me know," he informed him before throwing on some sunglasses and heading out. I glared at his back.

"Do I at least get paid?" I decided to ask, and the barking laugh he gave was answer enough.

"I'd take that as a no, short stuff," an older guy said, giving me a sympathetic look. I felt embarrassed as some of the guys laughed while others looked like they felt sorry for me. Joey let out a whistle, putting his hand on my shoulder as he curiously asked, "What the hell did you do to piss of the boss?"

"How does he even know who you are? He called you an intern, so what exactly is it that you do here?" someone else asked, and I sighed.

"I'm an assistant in one of his labs," I answered, giving them the normal alibi we gave anyone who asked what I did for Tony. "And, uh, he's pissed because I did some stuff I shouldn't have." I closed my mouth after that, giving them looks that clearly said, drop it. There were some more shaking heads and laughs. "He must've broken something expensive or caused an explosion," one joked while another added, "Yeah, well doesn't Stark do that himself on a daily basis?" There were more laughs, and even I had to laugh at that.

"Come on, Peter, let's get started," Joey said, giving my shoulder a squeeze, and I groaned loudly, resigning myself to a long ass boring day.

Joey seemed sympathetic to my plight, but that didn't stop him from making sure I worked every second from 7AM to 7PM, with only the necessary 10 minute breaks and 30 minute meal breaks. Joey was here the entire day because he was head of the janitorial crew, but the rest of the people working changed halfway through the day. I wished I could've been one of them.

When I was let loose at 7PM I wearily trudged back towards the private quarters. I hadn't been able to use any of my abilities, so the work had taken forever. It was dirty, filthy, disgusting, smelly, revolting work, and I hated it! I just wanted to shower, eat again and maybe punch Tony in the face. Yeah, I would be willing to settle for just punching Tony in the face. I'd probably sleep better if I did.

I arrived on my floor and was happy to not run into anyone. Wandering through the hallway surrounded by empty rooms, I couldn't help but feel that this place was lonely. The only occupied rooms were mine, Vision's, and Tony's. Colonel Rhodes stayed over sometimes, but Agent Romanoff had yet to visit the place even though she was still considered an Avenger. Why did Tony stay here? I felt all irritation for the older man disappear as I realized Tony must've really missed the other Avengers. He rarely talked about them, but when he did it without realizing, his eyes were always extremely happy. He thought of them as family, he'd told me once, and my heart broke as I realized he was here constantly reminded of them every day. Every day he walked these halls and saw their empty rooms, being reminded of what used to be. Why did he do this to himself?

I walked in to my room, pausing when I saw Tony underneath my desk. It looked as though he was just finishing repairing the leg I'd broken yesterday.

"I thought you were going to have me repair it," I said, and Tony cursed as he hit his head trying to get up. "I meant to do that," he murmured as I laughed loudly.

"Laugh it up, plumber Pete," he responded, rubbing his forehead as he narrowed his eyes at me. "I figured I'd get it done so I could give you time to clean all the bathrooms up here."

"Aw, come on Tony, have a heart!" I complained. "I just spent _12 hours_ cleaning every bathroom in this hell hole of a building. I'm tired and hungry," I whined, and now it was Tony who burst out into laughter.

"I guess I shouldn't bother asking if you had fun," he remarked as he stood up, picking up the broken leg and tools he'd brought. "Clean up while I order us some Chinese. That sound good to you?"

"Yes," I sighed, my mouth watering at the thought. He gave a nod as he made his way out. "Wow, you smell kid."

"Thanks," I replied sarcastically, once more feeling an urge to punch him. He laughed, and I slammed the door the second he was out of my room. Jerk.

I showered quickly, my stomach growling at me to feed it. Running to the kitchen, I smiled widely at the amount of food available. "Oh, thank god," I sighed. "I've been starving all day!"

"I'll make sure they feed you more tomorrow," Tony remarked as he ate some chow mein.

"Wasn't today enough?" I asked in between bites, and he looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Nope, one more day, Shawshank, and then you're on parole," he stated, giving me a smile.

I groaned, placing my head on the table. "Tony, I swear I'm sorry. I really am," I told him. "Can't I work for you or something?"

"No, because you want to work for me," he responded, setting down a carton he was eating out of, and grabbing another. "And I know you're sorry," he added on, his smile now warm. I gave up the argument, knowing I'd never win with him.

"So, what am I going to be doing on Sunday?" I had to ask, wondering what torture he could have in mind.

"Whatever you want," he said, and I stared at him in surprise.

"I'm not totally evil," he remarked with a smirk.

"Can _we_ do something?" I asked hesitantly, and he nodded his head. I grinned happily.

"Sure. What do you want to do?" he questioned curiously, and I thought for several seconds before asking, "Can you teach me to drive?"

His chopsticks froze inches from his open mouth, his eyes widening in surprise. "You don't know how to drive?"

I felt myself blushing as I defended myself. "I'm fifteen, Tony! Aunt May has taken me around in parking lots, and I borrowed a car when I was going after the Vulture, but I kind of ruined that car. It was all over You Tube."

"Was it?" he questioned, pulling his phone out and doing a quick search. I knew he'd found the video when he burst out into laughter. "Oh man, yes, yes, yes, I am going to teach you how to drive on Sunday," he choked out between laughs. "I'm gonna make sure nothing like this ever ends up on You Tube again."

I found myself laughing as well, especially when I remembered who I'd stolen the car from. "So, which car you gonna let me use?" I pressed excitedly, and his grin immediately faltered, his face going back to the video he just watched before going back to me.

"Uh, I think I'll start you on a golf cart," he remarked, and I threw an empty carton at his face.

"Very mature," he commented as he moved his head to the side to avoid getting hit.

"I've learned from the best," I stated, and Tony stuck his tongue out at me.

Once dinner was finished I convinced Tony to watch a movie with me, and when that was over he sent me to bed. I argued, he ignored me, and I huffed as I walked into my room. I'd asked him if he was going to sleep too, but all he'd done was point towards my room as he stood up. Knowing that he was probably having Friday watch me, I decided to just try and sleep. I was tired, but it was the principle of the matter. No teenager wanted to be sent to bed.

I slept peacefully for a couple hours, but then the nightmares started again. This time it was about the time Toomes caused the building to fall on me, and the terror I'd felt. I dreamed that I was stuck, and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't get out. The weight was terrible, and I was having troubles breathing. The ground was wet, and I was sinking into it. I pushed as hard as I could, but only managed to get myself stuck further in the mud. I called out for help, or at least I tried to. My voice no longer was working. I tried and tried to scream, yell, and even cry, but nothing came out.

This was when I awoke, gasping for air and clutching my chest. My body was covered in sweat, my pajamas now soaked. I could feel tears falling down my face as I continued to try and catch my breath.

"Mr. Parker," Friday addressed, but I waved a hand at her to keep her quiet.

"'M fine!" I snapped, not wanting her to contact anybody. It was just a stupid nightmare. I was fine. I'd gotten out of that stupid mess and I'd beaten Toomes. It was over. There was no reason for me to be this freaked. I got up and changed into dry clothes before getting back into bed. I tried to fall back asleep, but the darkness, heaviness, and sense of panic didn't leave me, so I didn't sleep again that night.

When it came time to get up, Friday let me know, and I tiredly got showered and dressed before heading to the kitchen. Next to a plate of breakfast was a note from Tony.

 _Underoos,_

 _I've got business to take care of today. I'm trusting you can find your way back to Mr. Palmer, and I trust you can behave as well as you did yesterday. I've let the chefs know to give you some extra food. I'll hopefully be around for a second dinner for you. If not, I'll see you tomorrow._

 _T.S._

I let out a sigh, disappointed that he wasn't here. I had thought I could talk to him about my nightmare, but this was probably for the best. I'd tell him tomorrow, maybe.

I ate my breakfast before dutifully making my way out of the living quarters. I did not want to spend another day doing this, but I also didn't want to piss Tony off, especially since he seemed busy today. I wished I could just hang out with him. I'd even be happy just watching him work.

I frowned at how pathetic I just sounded. Was I that desperate for his company? Was I that needy?

Joey was all ready to go when I arrived, and far too happy and energetic for my liking. I really didn't get how anybody could come to this job day in and day out actually still have a smile on their face. I felt shameful for thinking that, but this just wasn't something I could ever see myself doing.

The work seemed so much harder today. It wasn't the physicality of the job, but just how mundane and disgusting it was. I felt myself getting more frustrated and irritated the longer the day went on. I knew it was because I was tired, but I couldn't help but snap at Joey a couple times when he had me re-clean certain areas. When he sent me to reclean half a dozen windows again because there were still streaks I let out a yell, screaming, "They're just windows! They're clean, Joey! I washed them, and they're fine! I don't need to re-do everything just because you tell me to!" I glared at the man heatedly, and he stood up to glare down at me.

"Listen young man, I don't know where all this teenage angst suddenly came from, but I'm not going to put up with it. Maybe you talk to Mr. Stark or your parents like that, don't you dare stand here and act all high and mighty with me," he lectured. "You were sent here to do a job, and if someone gives you a job, then you do it right or there's no point in doing it at all."

There were murmurs of agreement from some of the people surrounding us. I was embarrassed to notice we'd attracted a crowd of not just custodial staff, but some agents and business personnel as well.

"I suggest you take a deep breath, Peter, before heading back there and doing your job right," Joey continued to speak. "I don't want to have to involve Mr. Stark in this. He's an important and busy man, and I think he's got better things to do on his time than take care of a kid throwing a tantrum."

My face went red with anger and embarrassment. I wasn't throwing a tantrum. I was tired and frustrated. I just felt he was being too nitpicky with me. This wasn't fair. Realizing, though, that I didn't want to involve Tony I just huffed before returning to the supposedly un-clean windows.

With my sensitive hearing, I could hear Joey complaining to a coworker about me. He seemed to think I was doing a half-ass job all today, and he was sick of it. I gritted my teeth furiously. He was making me sound like a lazy little kid. I tried to calm myself, but because I couldn't turn off my hearing it was difficult. I was used to being called stupid names by kids at school, but I didn't have to put up with it here. I was an Avenger. I was Spiderman. I wasn't the scrawny, nerdy kid here who'd take everything lying down. I didn't have to.

I abruptly stood up, threw my rag down and glared at the men. They looked at me in curious amusement, and I had to tell myself that kicking their assess would probably be the dumbest thing I could do. It wouldn't prove anything, and I knew I'd regret it. Shaking my head, I instead just said, "I quit," and walked away. I went straight to my room and lay down on my bed.

My phone buzzed mere seconds after I arrived, and I picked it up without looking, already knowing who it'd be.

"Yeah?" I spoke both quietly and nervously, hoping he wasn't too angry with me.

"Where you at?" Tony asked, and I answered him.

"You really mouth off to Palmer and then walk away after saying you quit?" he then questioned, and I gave a quiet, "Yes."

"Huh," he murmured, his tone sounding more curious than anything. "Okay, well, I can't say I'm happy about that, but I'm a little busy at the moment, so I'm just gonna say stay in your room, get some homework done and we'll figure this all out later, alright?"

"Yeah, okay," I responded in relief, glad he hadn't seemed too angry, and that he hadn't lectured me. Rolling over in my bed, I desperately wanted to sleep, but figured I really did need to do some homework. I hadn't done any yesterday or the day before, and I wouldn't want to waste any time tomorrow. Hopefully, despite what happened today, Tony would still try and teach me how to drive.

My homework seemed downright easy and entertaining after the monotony of the work I'd been doing. I finished it in a couple hours, right on time for dinner. Talking to Friday, I was told that dinner would be brought to me, and that Tony was still busy. I was disappointed. I ate the dinner, showered, and decided to just go to sleep. I wanted to be rested tomorrow.

Sleep came easily, but it didn't last. My mind flashed once more to the crumbled warehouse. It flashed to me holding on to the Stark plane with all my strength. It flashed to my fight with the Lizard. It flashed to my fight with Dr. Octavius. The feelings of helplessness and terror in those situations swallowed me whole. Then came the disappointment and anger from Tony, Aunt May, Pepper, Ned, and so many other people I knew and didn't know. They all ridiculed me. They ridiculed me for thinking I could ever be a hero. My heart broke when I stood in front of Tony only, and he expressed his regret in ever coming to me. He ripped my suit off of me, set it on fire and declared that Spiderman was dead.

I let out a strangled yell as I woke up. "Don't Fri" I whispered, before she could ask if I wanted her to get anyone.

My hand was on my chest, and I could feel my heart pounding. I remembered everything, and I couldn't keep back the tears of despair. I looked around my room, and wondered if I should ask Friday to wake Tony up. He'd given me hot chocolate once when I'd had a nightmare. Maybe we could do that. I asked Friday if Tony was awake, but when she said no, I pushed away my desire. I wasn't going to wake him up because of a nightmare. This was childish.

Realizing I wasn't going to fall asleep again, I got up on shaky legs and went into the kitchen. I stood there, still shivering, but more out of lingering fear than cold. I wanted company. I wanted to talk to Tony, but I didn't want to wake him up. I was tired and I was scared.

"Friday," I whispered, "where…where's Tony's room?" She instructed me on where to go by turning on lights. I followed the lights for a bit before being directed to go down a set of stairs on my left. I had no idea there were stairs here. I followed the stairs, and arrived on a huge floor. On the right-hand side behind a glass wall was, what I figured, Tony's personal lab. I couldn't make out much since it was dark, but I could see some faint glows over a couple Iron Man suits. To my left was a small living room, kitchenette, and bedroom door. I walked towards the bedroom door before freezing.

What was I doing? What the heck was I planning? Was I just going to waltz on in there, wake him up and tell him I had a nightmare? I was fifteen years old, not five! This was so pathetic!

But even as those thoughts raced through my mind, I couldn't change the way I was feeling. I was scared to go back to sleep. I was scared about what I saw. I was scared the dream Tony was saying what the real Tony wanted to say. I wanted…I wanted to be comforted.

I fought back a wave of tears as I grabbed hold of the doorknob and very slowly turned it. The door opened silently, and I nervously stuck my head inside. It was pitch black, but my enhanced eyes were good enough for me to make out the biggest bed I'd ever seen, and the unmoving mass that must be Tony.

I hesitated now, wondering if I really wanted to wake him up. He seemed to struggle with sleeping as much as I did, but I figured his was intentional. He was always working, and I knew sleeping sometimes just slipped his mind.

A light from above flashed once in the room, and I froze, but when Tony didn't wake up I inched on in. I figured the light must have been Friday's silent way of telling me to come on in. She was an awesome AI. She knew I didn't want to wake Tony up, but she also knew I wanted to come inside.

Maybe I could just sleep in here. Knowing that I wasn't alone would help me sleep, I think. I wondered if he would mind if I just crashed on his floor. His bed did have enough room for me, though. It was big enough he'd never notice me.

 **Tony's POV:**

I lay in my bed quietly, pretending to be asleep as I heard my little spider slowly make his way in. Friday had been keeping me up to date on the boy's actions, without his knowledge. She'd woken me when he'd had his nightmare last night, letting me know that the kid hadn't wanted help. I'd let him be, but in the morning Friday had let me know he hadn't slept again. I'd wished I could've talked to him this morning, but I'd had meetings to attend.

When I was notified of his little tantrum with the head custodian, I'd figured his lack of sleep had been the cause. I'd still talk to him, but I wasn't angry. I'd hoped to be able to make it in time to have dinner with him, but my stupid meetings had all gone longer than expected. People didn't know when to stop asking questions.

I'd barely gotten into bed when Friday alerted me that Peter was once more having a nightmare. Almost immediately she let me know that he wanted no one to know. I had gripped my sheets tightly in anger, wishing the kid wasn't so stubborn, like me. I was informed of his wanderings into the kitchen, and was deciding to just go up there when Friday told me Peter was asking for directions to my room. I gave her permission to tell him, all the while feeling surprised that the kid was going to seek me out.

As Friday guided the boy she informed me of his condition. His heart rate was elevated, he was perspiring, shivering, and in tears. He seemed frightened and very unsure. He did not want to wake me, though, so I decided I'd pretend to be asleep to see what he'd do.

After several moments of hearing nothing, my patience ran out. I turned my light on and sat up to see the kid staring at me with wide eyes. He looked a sorry sight there with his disheveled hair, pale face, and red-rimmed eyes. He looked scared, and that tore at my heart strings. Poor kid.

"Hey, spiderling," I greeted softly, "what's up?"

He swallowed nervously, looking down as he played with his t-shirt. Another few moments of silence before he stammered out, "I-I'm sor-sorry, I'll just-I'll just go now." His voice sounded so sad and defeated that I knew I couldn't just let him go. Throwing all my insecurities away, I said an internal, 'screw it', and stood up. I walked straight over to the kid, and before he complained I picked him up, brought him to my bed and dropped him down.

Had the situation been different I may have laughed at the gob smacked expression on his face, but instead I said, "Scooch on over and get some sleep." He stiffly moved over, giving me room to get back in bed, but he didn't relax.

I sighed heavily. "Peter," I said gently, placing a hand on his head. "I know you've had a nightmare. I definitely would like to talk about it, but to be honest, I'm exhausted and I know you're exhausted; so how about you just try and get some sleep," I suggested. "Having someone nearby can, y'know, help sometimes," I added, pleased when he finally began to relax. The confusion and fear was gone, but the tears seemed to become more prevalent.

It was killing me, seeing him like this, so I put out my left arm, wrapped it around his neck and brought his head down to my chest. He protested weakly and attempted to apologize, but I just shushed him. I felt his tears land on my shirt, but I didn't attempt to stop his crying. He needed to cry, so I'd just let him. I kept my arm around him tight, only shushing him when he'd try to say something. When it seemed the tears had dried up, and the kid began wiping at his face, I put my hand on his hair, tousling it gently as I said, "You're okay, buddy. Let's get some sleep, huh?"

"Kay," he replied thickly, and I finally released my hold on him, allowing him to get himself comfortable. I settled myself down as well, pulling the comforter up over both of us before killing the light. Peter fell asleep nearly instantly, but I stayed awake, deciding to just keep an eye on him in case he had any more nightmares. I wasn't sure how long I stayed awake, but exhaustion eventually took over and I too fell asleep.

When I woke up, I found the kid curled up to my side with a fistful of my t-shirt. An odd feeling went through me as I looked at him. When I'd recruited Peter to come help me knock some sense into Rogers, I hadn't anticipated the way things would develop between us. I'd accepted taking him under my wing as a growing super hero, but somewhere along the line I started to care more and more. This little parasite wormed his way into my heart that I thought I'd walled off. It was odd, really odd to feel so needed. To have someone look to you for guidance and comfort. I was scared, petrified, that I was going to screw things up. Scared that I was going to let him down, or hurt him.

"What time is it, Friday?" I asked quietly, and she informed me that it was 11:45 AM. I yawned, wondering if I should get the kid up or not. He looked like he could use the sleep. Deciding to leave him, I gently released his hold on me, being more bothered than I thought I would by the quiet whimper he gave. Watching him for a few seconds, I made sure he was okay before heading into my bathroom to shower. When I finished and was deciding what shirt to put on, boy wonder finally woke.

"Hey, kid," I greeted, coming over and looking him over.

"Uh, hey Tony," he greeted, his face turning red with embarrassment as he no doubt remembered last night. "Oh man," he suddenly moaned, "I'm sorry, Tony, I"—

"Can it, Pete," I interjected, "you needed me, so you sought me out, and I was happy to help. Don't sweat it. Now," I said, holding up two shirts to him. "Which one should I wear today?"

Peter just looked at me in bewilderment, before thankfully shrugging aside my blasé attitude and looking at the shirts in my hand. "That one," he said, pointing towards the one that had a picture of a cat with Einstein's hair-do.

"Cool, then you take this one," I said, throwing the black shirt with the picture of a baby in sunglasses at him.

"You planned this," he accused, and I just grinned at him.

"I think it suits you," I remarked casually, throwing on my shirt.

"Now, come on, spiderling, get moving," I urged, yanking the comforter off of him. "Shower, so we can eat and then get to teaching you how to drive."

His expression immediately brightened, and he hopped out of bed, and ran out of my room. I smiled at how excited he seemed, especially recalling how distraught he'd looked last night. By the time I got upstairs I was surprised to see Peter already sitting there, clearly impatient to get going.

"Finally!" he exclaimed, "what were you doing down there?"

"Fixing my hair, but you probably wouldn't know what that's like," I quipped, pointing out his still damp and messy hair. He just rolled his eyes before asking if we could just get driving. I asked him about food, but he ignored the question to just shoot me a pleading look.

"Ugh, fine," I gave in, pretending to be annoyed, but really just being amused. "I'll feed you on the road…if we don't crash that is," I remarked, beginning to lead him down to my private garage.

"I won't, I swear!" he said, bouncing up and down on his feet excitedly. "So what car are we taking?"

"Audi," I responded, pointing at a silver car at the end of the garage. It wasn't my fanciest, most expensive, or sportiest car, but it'd do for the kid…and I wouldn't be heartbroken if it was harmed in any way; which, looking at the hyperactive kid beside me, it certainly seemed likely to happen.

"Oh, wow, wow, wow!" he gushed. "This is so cool! So, what do I do, what do I do?"

"Get in to the driver's seat," I instructed, and he gave me a sheepish look. "Right, of course." He got in, and thankfully had enough sense to buckle himself in as well. I told him how to set the mirrors and the seat to his liking before I told him to turn on the car.

"Where's the key?" he asked, and I pointed at a button. "As long as the keys are in the car, which it is, you only need to press that button."

"Oh my god, this is so awesome!" he yelled, looking, if possible, even more excited. "I've never seen that before!"

"Okay, kid, jeez, calm it down now, or we're going back inside," I warned, not serious about the threat, but wanting him to chill out a little.

"Right, I'm good, I'm good," he said, giving me an expectant look after turning the car on. Before putting the car in drive, I explained different parts of the car, such as the turn signals, speedometer, and gear shift. "Friday, open the garage door, please," I requested, and the kid once more got excited over how I had Friday integrated into even my car. We hadn't even left the garage, and he was over the moon.

"Relax, Webster," I said. "Now, put her in drive and slowly make your way out."

He did as directed, and I ended up taking him through the roads with lightest traffic. His driving started out jerky as he overestimated how far to turn the wheel and how hard to press the break. For once I was thankful for seat belts as the kid had almost sent us both flying through the windshield after he'd sped up too much and considered my order to "slow down" to mean "hit the breaks".

I rubbed my chest and glared at the wide-eyed daredevil next to me. "Woah. That was just…wow," he muttered, clearly having thought this all a huge thrill. Forget the near heart attack I'd just had.

"How fast can this car go?' he asked, and before I even answered, he began to push down on the gas. Being one of my cars, it didn't take long for the car to reach 90 mph and then continue climbing.

"What the hell, Peter!" I yelled as he actually let out a whoop of delight. Nu uh, I was not going to let this little daredevil kill me.

"Friday, take over and pull us over," I commanded, and the car immediately slowed before we drove onto the side. I was surprised by how rapidly my heart was beating as I once more glared at the reckless teen.

"You should've seen your face," he teased, still looking far too pleased with himself than he had any right to be.

"Sorry for wanting to live," I retorted bitingly, running a hand through my hair. "Take us home, and if you pull a stunt like that again, Friday will take over, and I'll make sure you don't set foot in a driver's seat for another year."

"Oh, come on Tony, I was in complete control," he complained as he turned the car around. "There was nobody around, and I was only going straight. Besides, I've been in a car with you, and I know you drive just as fast."

"Yeah, well I have a license, and have been driving longer than you've been alive, so your argument is void," I countered, my heart rate finally going down to an acceptable level.

Thankfully, Peter slowed way down on the way back to base, and I figured the next time we went out I might let him around some other cars.

"Who taught you to drive?" Peter asked curiously.

"Different people, but mostly me. Lot of trial and error," I answered. "Lot of crashed cars," I added, and he looked at me in surprise.

"Not your parents?" he pressed, and I shook my head. "Dad wasn't around a lot, and when he was we didn't really get along; and my mom didn't know how to drive. Never felt the need to."

Kid frowned before then asking, "And they didn't get mad about the crashed cars?"

I snorted. "Yeah, they did, well kind of, I guess. Dad was just pissed about me taking his cars and wrecking them. He bought me my first car after the third one of his that I crashed. Felt I might take better care with my own car. He was right. It did last me a whole year rather than a couple days before I totaled it. My mom cared more about me being reckless. Neither one knew why I was taking the car, though," I recounted. "I don't think either one of them thought about the fact that I was teaching myself to drive, and not just looking for a thrill ride."

"That sounds sad, Tony," Peter remarked, taking a quick glace towards me.

"Does it?" I asked, with a raised eyebrow, and he just gave me a curious look.

"Pull over here," I suddenly said, interrupting his train of thought. "I'm starved, and you're skin and bones, so let's eat." He rolled his eyes as he did as told. The place was small, more of a bar than restaurant, so Peter gave me a weird look when we walked in.

"They have good food," I explained, sitting down at one of the few dimly lit booths. We ordered and ate, and then Peter ate some more. His metabolism was fast, and he really did remind me of Steve, Bruce, and Thor. All three of those guys ate food like there was never enough, especially after a battle. This kid wasn't there yet, but he was still growing.

"What were your parents like?" Peter eventually asked, and I sighed inwardly, not really understanding his curiosity. I had no reason not to answer the question, though, so I began to speak.

"My dad was busy, like all the time. He had Stark Industries, he was a founding member of SHIELD, apparently, and he was also constantly searching for Captain America," I explained, making sure to keep emotions out of my explanation. "He was so busy that I didn't see the guy much, and when I did he didn't seem like he wanted me around. I was a bit of a handful, I guess, so as soon as I was old enough I was sent off to boarding school."

"Were you lonely?" he then asked. "You were younger than everyone around you, weren't you?"

"I was younger, and, yeah," I admitted, "I guess I was a bit lonely. I kept busy, though, and got into a lot of trouble, so I got all the attention I needed," I added with a smile. Peter's returning smile was sad before he asked about my mom

"Mom was busy too, but not like Dad. She always made time for me, and visited me when she could when I was in boarding school. Mom was determined to give me culture, as she said, and so she'd take me to museums, plays, and concerts. She taught me how to play the piano, how to dress right, be a gentleman, and did the best she could to teach me how to be a man," I recounted with a reminiscent smile. Peter's face turned teasing as he remarked, "Guess those lessons didn't stick." I laughed lightly, giving him a kick under the table.

"They weren't perfect, but they were good people," I continued. "They loved me, and I loved them, even if I didn't acknowledge it at the time. They did the best they could," I finished with a shrug, taking a long drink of my water. I resisted the urge to order something stronger as I didn't feel comfortable drinking with Peter here.

"How old were you when they died?" Peter then asked, and I sighed loudly as I told him.

"I was sixteen, home from college for Christmas break," I answered emotionlessly, and the kid's eyes widened in surprise. "You were still a kid," he stated sadly. "Who took you in?"

I ruffled my hair before telling him, "Nobody took me in. I was emancipated. Obi—my godfather kept an eye on me, but I was in college at the time, so I was on my own." I frowned internally at the stab of pain I felt when thinking of Obadiah. I had loved that man like a father even as a small kid, and he'd betrayed me. I shook my head to rid myself of these negative thoughts. My thoughts then shifted to how my parents died, and I had to pinch the bridge of my nose to calm myself down.

"Tony?" Peter called hesitantly. "Are you okay? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked about this."

"Don't worry about it," I responded immediately, giving him a tight smile. "Let's hit the road," I then stated before he could say another word. He grinned weakly as he followed me out to the parking lot.

"Still wanna drive, speed racer, or should"—

"Hell yeah!" he crowed, rushing to the driver's seat before I'd even finished the question. I laughed, shaking my head as I got in at a more sedate pace.

"Right, you're taking us back to the base, kid," I instructed. "There, you'll grab your school stuff, and then I'll let you drive us to your aunt's place. Cool?"

"Cool!" he replied instantly, before adding, "But can you take me home tomorrow? I'll even get up really early if you'll let me drive this to school!"

"Get your aunt's permission, and I'll agree," I responded with a smirk, not seeing the harm in showing off for him in front of his peers.

"Yes, yes, yes!" he yelled excitedly, and I just rolled my eyes as I instructed Friday to dial May.

"Tony Stark, where's my baby?" was the pleasant greeting given, and I laughed out loud at the mortified expression on her nephew's face.

"Ask him yourself, May, he's right here," I managed to get out before Peter manage to sputter out a complaint. "Aunt May, I'm _not_ a baby! I'm _fifteen_ , and why would you say something like that?"

"Eyes on the road," I hissed when he looked down in dismay.

"Eyes on the road?" May asked. "Wait, Peter, are you driving?" she asked incredulously.

Peter's irritation disappeared instantly as he perked up and answered, "Yes! Tony's showing me how to drive today, and he's letting me use one of _his_ cars! It's so cool with a push start button, and a touch screen! Fridays installed in it, and she can actually take over the car if I wanted, and it goes so fast! You should've seen Tony's face when I started flying down the"—

"Yeah, okay Speedy Gonzalez," I interrupted, giving him a look that said, shut up. "I'm just giving the kid the basics, May, nothing to be worried about. There's barely any cars around here." I didn't need this woman getting angry at me for something like this.

"I'm glad you're having fun, Peter, but please be careful," she insisted, and the loving nephew rolled his eyes as he told her he was. May then asked about the rest of his weekend, and the kid grumbled about the work I'd had him do. He definitely made it out to be worse than it was, probably in the hopes of getting some sympathy. It didn't work.

"No complaints, Peter Parker, you more than deserved it," she scolded, and the aforementioned boy sighed. "You had better have been very respectful with everyone and not caused any trouble," she warned, and Peter gave me a nervous look that I ignored.

"He was great," I informed her. "No problems at all. Now, I think Peter has something to ask you?" I stated, waving away the kid's grateful eyes.

"Yeah, Aunt May, is it okay if I stay here tonight as well?" he asked quickly. "I promise to get to school on time, but Tony said he'd let me drive this car to the school, and please, please, please say yes," he downright begged.

"As long as you make it to school on time, it's fine with me, but you come home right after school, though," she said. "You live here too, you know."

"I know that!" the boy cried out, seemingly realizing that his aunt had really missed him. "I'll head straight home, I promise." They exchanged goodbyes shortly afterwards, and I directed the kid back to the Avenger's base.

We thankfully arrived safe and sound, and I only had a minor heart attack when he nearly ran into one of my other cars when trying to park. As we headed up to our rooms he was bouncing up and down, talking about our little drive in the same tones he described his fights.

He thanked me profusely over and over for letting him practice driving. I waved away the thanks, and decided to keep to myself that I was planning on giving him the car as a gift for when he got his license. Kid would've probably fainted if I'd told him that.

The rest of the day passed by quickly. I took the hyperactive teenager down to the training rooms, and had him go through evasive exercises with his suit on, but without the web shooters. The hits started out as being nothing more than paintballs, which didn't hurt the kid and made him look like a rainbow. He certainly found it hilarious, but I didn't, so I changed the paint into rubber bullets. Good luck with that, Champ. The change became obvious to him quickly, and he yelped, giving me dirty looks and some curses. I ignored it all as he started to take the exercise a little more seriously. I kept him at it, making the bullets go faster and from more angles the longer time went on. I only shut it down when he took a hard hit to his knee and didn't get up right away.

I ran over to him, took off his mask, and asked him how he was. He was breathing heavily and groaning while also glaring at me. "Jeez, Tony, was this punishment or something? My entire body is throbbing," he complained as I helped him stand. I had Friday run a scan on him, and she informed me of no broken or sprained bones.

"Not punishment," I answered, giving him a smirk, "training. I did make it easy for you in the beginning, but when you got a little too happy with the finger painting, I decided to up the ante. Training," I lectured, "should be taken seriously. You have amazing powers, Spiderman, the best of which, I feel, is your speed and agility. The more you hone these skills the easier it will be for you to avoid taking hits."

"Is this how you train?" he asked, giving me a disbelieving look, and I just grinned cheekily.

"I'm surrounded by armor," I responded with a shrug, and he just narrowed his eyes.

"I train, kid, just differently than you," I added. Truthfully, I did next to no training in my suit anymore; however, when the Avengers had been together we had trained all the time. Rogers had insisted on team training, and while I'd certainly complained, I couldn't deny the training had helped. It had helped us better hone our skills and our teamwork. We learned what each other could do, and we learned what we could do together. It led to better camaraderie, and lots and lots of ribbing. Rogers, no doubt encouraged by Romanoff, had then insisted that I learn how to defend myself without the suit. I did have fighting skills prior to becoming Iron Man, but after daily "kick Tony's ass" trainings, I had improved. I wasn't on par with the super spy twins, but I could hold my own.

Looking at the teenager rubbing his side, I wished I could provide him with the kind of training I'd gone through. If he had agreed to become an Avenger I would've had him down here for a solid month before I'd allowed him out again. I would've had him working with me, Vision, and Romanoff, whenever she was done running around. Since he hadn't agreed, I'd just throw him in here when I could.

"Did you have it on hard mode?" Spider boy griped as I sat him down on a chair. I motioned for him to remove the suit while I grabbed a first-aid kit.

"No, it was actually on easy mode," I informed him as I looked him over for any serious cuts or bruising that would need to be treated. I put some antiseptic on a cut he had on his thigh, chuckling at the disbelieving glare he gave me.

"I'm telling you the truth, kid," I said. "You've got awesome abilities, but your skills need a lot of work." I applied some more antiseptic to a few other cuts before deeming him fine. He had plenty of bruises, but with his rapid healing, he'd be fine by tomorrow.

"So, how do you like those Hulk boxers?" I asked, eliciting a bright red blush from the easily riled teen.

"Tony!" he yelled, grabbing his suit and putting it in front of himself as though to protect himself. "And did all the clothes you buy me have to be Avenger themed?"

"They're cool!" I replied. "Brucie would've loved some of those, I guarantee it, but they don't come in adult sizes."

"Because they're for kids," he grumbled, the blush slowly receding.

"If you don't like the clothes, you don't have to wear them," I then said. "Just let Pepper know what kind of clothes you'll like, and she'll get it, or she might even drag you along on a shopping spree."

"No, it's fine," the spiderling replied quickly. "The clothes are great."

I sent Peter to shower while I ordered pizzas for us. The kid devoured three on his own, shocking even me. He must've really exerted himself during the training. This thought was further enforced as he nearly fell asleep at the table. I grabbed him before he did, and helped walk him to his bed. He murmured his thanks as he buried his head into the pillow. I hoped with how exhausted he was that he'd be able to get a full night's sleep tonight. I decided to stay awake anyways, tinkering down in my lab just in case he did need me. Thankfully, the kid slept through the night, and when morning came, he appeared well rested.

He was finishing up a pop-tart as I greeted him in the morning. "Let's go, let's go!" he shouted, grabbing hold of his backpack and heading towards the elevator.

"Well, good morning to you too, Peter," I commented, as I followed him. He gave me a huge grin, physically vibrating with energy. When we got to the car, he seemed so excited I had to put a hand on his shoulder and say, "Jesus, kid, take a breath and calm down, because if you crash this car, I will make you arrive at school in a pink bicycle for this entire week, you get me?"

"You wouldn't," he stated, his expression horrified, and all I did was give him a raised eyebrow. Clearly, he believed me, for he took several deep breaths before nodding his head and getting the car started. I directed him on where to go, becoming more anxious than I wanted to admit when we encountered the heavy traffic of New York City. Drivers were crap here, and were very unforgiving of learning drivers like Peter, who now looked extremely tense.

"Relax, kid," I felt the need to say, "You've been doing fine. Just let Friday take over, if you need her. Driving here is hard for even experienced drivers." Peter just nodded, grimacing before letting out a sigh of defeat. "Take over Friday," he ordered as he began to rub the sides of his temple.

"Too much input," he explained when I gave him a curious look. "I'm tense and trying to focus, so my senses are going into overdrive. Too much noise and stimulation."

"I get it," I said, giving his shoulder a reassuring pat. "I'll make something to help you with that, but you did well, though, for not having had much practice driving; and you nearly got us there. We'll practice another day," I assured him. "Now, we're coming up on your school so hands on the wheel, hero. You're going to pull up right to the front and stop."

"We're not allowed to stop there," he argued, but I just rolled my eyes. "Tony. Stark." I slowly stated, as we pulled up to the school. Peter just snorted before following my direction. He looked suddenly uncomfortable, but I just cleared my throat before putting on my sunglasses and getting out of the car. The surrounding chatter dulled for a second before increasing rapidly in volume. Cries of excitement echoed as many kids and even parents began to stream towards us. People called out to me, but I ignored them, putting my entire focus on the sheepish Peter Parker coming around the front of the car towards me.

"You did excellent work this weekend, Mr. Parker," I complimented loudly. "I definitely look forward to seeing you later this week," I then said, holding out a hand to shake his. He grinned at me while giving a, "Thanks, Mr. Stark."

"Good driving, by the way," I shouted as an apparent after thought. "If you need more help with that, let me know and I'll hook you up." With that, I gave his shoulder a squeeze before getting back into the car and driving away. Looking into the rearview mirror, I smiled as I saw my boy wonder getting swarmed. Life was good.

 **A/N:** **This was kind of a fluff chapter. There were a lot of different things I wanted to happen, so it seems a bit rushed and choppy at parts. I really wanted to show the developing relationship, though, with Tony and Peter being more open. Also liked the thought of Tony showing a more emotional side to Peter, instead of just being stand offish.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hey everybody! Still loving the reviews! Can't believe how much you guys seem to be loving it! Somebody new makes an appearance, so I hope you enjoy.**

 **Chapter 10: Fitting In**

 **Peter's POV:**

School had been chaotic since Tony had personally picked me up on Thursday, and then had dropped me off on Monday. Kids had been swarming me wanting to know how I knew Tony Stark, and what I did for him, and what I thought of him. They wanted to know if I'd met the Avengers, or if I'd seen Tony in his Iron Man suit, and on and on and on. It got pretty annoying, but the highlight had been when Flash Thompson had pulled me aside at the end of school and interrogated me. He'd wanted to know what I'd told Tony about him, and when I'd asked him why he wanted to know, he'd just gotten all pale and nervous.

"Nothing, Parker, I just…you know I'm always just joking with you right," he murmured, not even able to look at me. "It's all fun and games. I don't mean anything by it." I just gave him a disbelieving look, at which he'd just sighed heavily to and walked away.

"What the hell was that?" I asked Ned in awe

He laughed while saying, "Didn't you see how Mr. Stark was glaring at him on Thursday?"

I looked at him in surprise, not having noticed. I'd honestly been more worried about my own butt to spend time watching what the man had been doing.

"So, how mad was he with you?" Ned questioned next, giving me a knowing look. I glared, but he just held up his hands as he said, "You did screw up again, and when Mr. Stark showed up, you should've seen how pale you got. You'd have thought he was there to kill you by the way you'd looked. Just be glad everybody else was too focused on him rather than you, or there would've been more questions."

I groaned in embarrassment. "He was pretty pissed," I admitted to Ned before launching into an explanation of how my weekend had gone. He and I had been best buddies since 1st grade, so I was honest about everything except the nightmares. I was going to keep that shockingly embarrassing tidbit between Tony and me. In all honesty, I hadn't allowed myself to digest what had happened.

Ned turned to me with wide eyes as he asked, "You're telling me that Iron Man _spanked_ you?"

"Yes," I responded, "but I'd rather not talk about it." I gave him a mild glare as he continued to look at me with wide eyes.

"What was that like?" he then questioned with far too much awe.

"Dude!" I complained, giving him an exasperated look. "What do you think it was like? Same as when your parents do it to you! Can you drop it now?"

He laughed, still looking in shock, but thankfully he dropped it. "I did tell you not to go after that guy," he commented, and I sighed.

"Lesson learned," I remarked grimly. "I'm keeping my nose clean because I'm not about to get on Tony's bad side again. He's scary as hell when he's angry."

"He's scary when he's happy," Ned amended, and I snickered at him.

"He's a big softy," I countered. "He acts like a bad-ass, but he's really a nice guy when you get past all his arrogance."

"If you say so," Ned said doubtfully. "Just keep me out of any crazy ideas, cuz I don't need him getting pissed with me too. He might not kill you, but I don't think I'm safe."

I laughed loudly. "Don't be ridiculous," I stated with amusement. "Tony would never hurt you. You're my best friend. He just loves riling you up because he thinks it's funny."

"Well, hahaha," my best friend replied sarcastically. "I'm glad he gets a kick out of scaring me to death."

I snickered before saying, "I'll tell him to lay off, okay? He can go a bit overboard at times."

Ned just shook his head before we parted ways, he heading to his home and me to mine. When I got home I was surprised to see May was already there. She immediately enveloped me in a huge hug when I opened the door, pulling me in and fussing over me. She made me tell her about my weekend again, specifically wanting to know if Tony had been too hard on me. It'd been an uncomfortable conversation. After reassuring her, she hugged me again before asking if I wanted to go to the movies with her. I was surprised, as we rarely went to the movies; but I realized she must've missed me, so I quickly agreed. It was an awesomely normal outing. It'd been ages since my aunt and I had just hung out like this, and I resolved to make some time for her as well. I was all she had, and I couldn't forget that.

 **Tony's POV:**

I wandered out of my lab and up towards the common room, looking to get something to eat. It was late, and Pepper had already gone to sleep. I was too restless to join her, despite having not slept well the previous two nights. I didn't know why, but something just told me it wasn't time to go to sleep yet. After arriving in the common room, I realized why I felt called up here. Casually sitting on a couch watching a movie, was one Natasha Romanoff.

I had no idea when she arrived, but as I slowly made my way towards her I noticed she'd already made herself quite at home. She was wearing Minnie Mouse pajama pants, and…yup, that was a sweater of mine I'd long since lost. I shook my head bemusedly. Natasha was known for stealing all of us guys' clothes, and we'd long learned not to question her on it.

I cautiously approached the assassin, noting how tired she seemed. I sat myself in an armchair, and without looking at me she began to speak. "I've been helping Laura and the kids. I had to make sure they were alright," she stated, and I just nodded my head, although I'd already known this. I'd been planning on checking in with Clint's family, but when I'd realized she was there, I'd let her handle things.

"Did you know about Hydra and my parents?" I had to ask suddenly, and Nat finally turned to look at me before giving a single nod. I let out a harsh sigh, rubbing a hand over my face before turning back towards her.

"Steve didn't tell you," she stated more than asked, and I shook my head.

"It was Barnes," I felt the need to say, needing to know if she knew this. The slight widening of her eyes let me know she hadn't known. "Zemo, the fucker behind the whole Barnes fiasco, told me. Showed me a nice little video of the Winter Soldier causing the car accident before beating in Dad's face and strangling my mom." I had to close my eyes at this point, the memories once more flashing through my mind. I didn't know why I was telling her this, but I just felt she needed to know. Opening my eyes, I saw Natasha's wall slide away as she looked at me with sympathy. Seeing her be so open caused me to relax, and I let my anger with Barnes and Rogers flow out of me.

"Do you know where they are?" Nat questioned, and I nodded my head, as I said, "Wakanda." She just nodded, looking unsurprised. She didn't ask whether I'd let Ross and his people know because she knew I hadn't.

"This is a mess," she remarked drily, and I let out a snort as I gave her another nod.

Just like that, whatever tension and anger there had between us just seemed to vanish. I wouldn't say it out loud, but I'd missed her. The Avengers were family, and she had become my sister, a very deadly sister who I didn't want to piss off, but a sister nonetheless.

"You forgot a few of my things in the tower," she informed me, and I laughed lightly.

"Damn," I said. "I looked as best I could, but can't say I'm surprised." She smiled slightly, and I decided to ask, "You staying?"

"It's home," she simply said, and I couldn't begin to describe the relief I felt at hearing that. It was good to know not all my family was gone.

"I see you have a new Disney movie," she then said, holding up a copy of _Moana_. "Wanna watch?"

I grinned widely, standing up and saying, "I'll get the popcorn." Disney movies didn't seem like the kind of movies the Avengers would like, but the fluffy, happily-ever-after stories were often all we wanted to see after the missions we went on. Movie nights were a favorite for all of us, and Disney movies a must.

I made the popcorn quickly, grabbed a couple drinks and sat myself down next to my spider sister. We stretched our feet over the coffee table, and she made sure to place one of hers over mine. As surprising as it seemed, Natasha could be very affectionate; but only to those who she completely trusted. I was glad to know I was still among that small few.

"I noticed a room labeled, Spiderman," she remarked, as she grabbed a handful of popcorn. "The kid living here?"

"No," I replied, "he visits once in a while. He's not an Avenger, but I've been keeping an eye on him. He just spent this last weekend here."

Nat gave me a frown as she asked, "How old is he, exactly?"

"Fifteen," I responded, and her eyebrows rose in surprise. "Which is why I'm watching him closely," I explained. "He's my responsibility, and I'm not going to let him get hurt. He's a great kid, Tasha, you have to meet him. He's got growing up to do, but he's gonna be the best of us all."

The look she gave me was of both surprise and dubiousness. "We'll see," she replied, turning her attention fully to the movie now. I too turned back to the movie, not quite surprised that before it was over, Nat had fallen asleep, her head leaning on my shoulder. Feeling a sense of contentedness, I gave in to my own exhaustion and fell asleep as well.

A couple weeks had gone by since that night, and Natasha had assimilated herself into life as though she'd always been here. She liked to keep busy with missions, though, so there were still times she was gone. Rhodey and Vision came and went, always together now. It'd started as Vision's guilt making the android want to help Rhodes in any way, but over time the two had formed a close bond, and were now good friends. Rhodes still did military work, even with his disability (that I was avidly working on fixing), and he was doing a better job of acclimating Vision into the real world than anybody else had.

Peter and Natasha had met a week and a half ago, and it'd been a tense affair, for the boy at least. I'd known what the spy had been up to, but the baby spider had not. Natasha had come down hard on Peter, dragging the startled kid down to the training room and wiping the floor with him. She'd kept him down there for only an hour, but when they'd both returned, Natasha had looked calm and satisfied while Peter had looked ragged and shell shocked.

"He'll do," Nat had stated as she'd sat herself down in one of the barstools. "He's wholly un-skilled, but he's talented; and you're right about what you said earlier," she informed me casually. I smirked at her while the kid just looked between us in bewilderment.

"I'll tell you when you're older," I said, and he'd just rolled his eyes before stalking off towards his bedroom, muttering about crazy old assassins.

After that incident, Nat had been nothing but kind to the younger hero, acting very much like an older spider sister. She took to him faster than I'd ever seen take to anybody, and I was glad. This was just one more person to look after the bull-headed youth.

Tonight, was one of those rare nights where everyone was here. Rhodey, Vision, Natasha, and Pepper and I were all enjoying each other's company, talking about everything besides work. For one night, we left our daily worries and stresses behind and just had fun. Working together, we managed to come up with a random assortment of food. Music was played, drinks passed around, and stories told. Rhodes, the two-timing jerk, had a blast telling old tales from my college days when I was still young and a tad bit too naïve.

The festive night's mood ended for me when I received a text from Ned with just an address. I frowned, knowing the kid wouldn't have sent this unless it was important. Worry coursed through me as I excused myself and headed down to my lab. Pulling on the Iron man suit, I quickly called Ned's number as I flew towards the direction I'd been given. Ned didn't pick up, which annoyed me; however, the annoyance turned to concern when I began tracking the phone and the tracker suddenly disappeared. I dialed Peter's number at this point, but only received his answering machine. Searching for his location, I was confused to find it at his home. Something was up, and I pushed my suit even faster.

As I neared the destination, I realized it was the address to a house in the neighborhood, a house that was currently lit up and filled with kids. What the hell? This was clearly a party, but why would Ned have given me this address? And why would his phone location have disappeared here? What kind of help did he need? And where was Peter in all of this?

"Friday, reconnaissance mode," I ordered, "Searching specifically for Ned and Peter."

I moved a little closer, landing on top of a neighboring roof. I activated my retroreflectors. I didn't need the media getting hold of the fact that Iron Man was crashing high school parties in Queens. When I got closer, even without the help of Friday, I located my two missing teenagers.

"Sir, it appears that Peter is currently fighting three young males," Friday informed me, "and Ned is calling out at him to stop." I watched Wonder boy fight, and watching how he was easily fighting off the group of boys, I immediately stepped out of my suit and began to make my way over. I had Friday place a call to the police that a party had gotten out of hand, and waited nearby for the chaos to start. Being as well known as I was I couldn't just go charging in to grab the reckless kid, but that didn't stop me from yelling out, "Hey! You punk kids! You better start running because I've called the cops and they'll be here any second!"

You'd think I'd yelled bomb at how fast the kids began to move. I watched as Ned grabbed Peter, who was clearly unconcerned by my yelled warning. He was just laughing loudly, and I cursed, knowing I'd have to step in. I wasn't going to let the idiot get himself arrested. Ripping off my jacket, I wrapped it around my head, allowing myself to see. I looked absolutely ridiculous, but I didn't care. I could hear the sirens, so I rushed towards my protégé, and picked his scrawny butt off his feet.

"Who the hell are you?!" Pete screamed, while Ned looked at me in alarm.

"It's Tony, you goddamned idiots!" I hissed angrily, and while Ned looked relieved, Peter seemed to grow angry.

"What the hell, Ned?!" he roared, breaking out of my grasp easily. "I told you not to call him!"

"You broke my phone, Peter," Ned yelled back, clearly more hurt and scared by Peter's actions than angered. "How could I have called him?" he lied. Well, that was one mystery solved.

"Yeah, the cops will be here in less than a minute," I spoke up. "Come with me, or you'll be arrested. It's up to you." Ned immediately came to my side while Peter scowled. I marveled at this uncharacteristic behavior, but at the same time I also smelled the alcohol, and if I wasn't mistaken, weed. Really, Peter? I almost considered letting the kid get himself arrested, but realizing the problems that would cause, I quickly activated the Iron Man hand from my wrist watch, and grabbed hold of the Spiderling's arm.

"Hey!" he protested as I dragged him across the street. The police arrived at that moment, and I quickly got into my suit, grabbed hold of the two teens and took off. The noise attracted attention, but with my retroflectors, and it being dark, nobody noticed us.

Both boys were yelling as we flew, and I cursed the both of them over and over. Searching up Ned's address, I quickly dropped him at his front door before taking off once again. I'd have to thank the kid later, but right now my focus was entirely on the struggling _hero_ in my arms.

"Let me go!" he roared, but thankfully he couldn't beat the strength of the suit. He kept yelling at me and complaining, but I completely ignored him, intent on just getting him back to base.

"What's his BAC, Friday?" I asked, and I couldn't believe it when she replied, "0.11%" How the hell is he still awake, I thought in surprise. I doubted he was a regular drinker, so he should've been knocked out. It had to be part of his enhanced metabolism. The kid struggled the entire flight to the base, and I knew he'd had to have bruised by how tightly I'd been holding him.

Landing at the balcony outside the common room, I dropped the kid down, noting how he stumbled, looking as if he was going to be sick. It would definitely serve him right. I stepped out of the suit and glared. Peter completely ignored me though as he marched into the common area furiously.

"Where do you think you're going?" I yelled after him, and he just whirled around to glare at me. I noticed that we had an audience. Pepper, Vision, Rhodey, and Natasha were staring between the two of us in surprise, confusion, and concern. Peter didn't seem to notice, or he just didn't care.

"Why'd you do that?" he asked angrily. "You called the cops, didn't you? I can't believe it," he scoffed, shaking his head. "I was having a good time, and you had to come and screw it up!"

"A good time?" I asked sarcastically. "Really, kid? Because what I saw was you in a freaking brawl with a bunch of guys who should've been able to kick your scrawny butt. What I saw was kids with their phones filming as the supposed nerd of the school, Peter Parker, just took on a couple of jocks single-handedly. What I saw was a stupid, drunk _kid_ letting his abilities show so he could look cool! What the hell were you thinking?!" I shouted, furious that he was arguing as though he was in the right.

"I was just having a bit of fun, is that too much to ask?" he snapped. "I was just being a normal teenager like everybody else! Is that not allowed now? Does the great Tony Stark not approve?"

"You bet your ass I don't approve!" I argued back just as heatedly. "You're drunk and maybe even high right now! Your judgment is skewed. You could've exposed your identity. You could've seriously hurt, if not killed those kids!"

"Jesus, Tony!" the kid yelled back in exasperation. "Who are _you_ to lecture me on this? Everybody here knows all the shit you got up to when you were my age, so don't try and act all high and mighty with me!"

I clenched my fists tightly before walking up to the kid and coldly saying, "You're right Peter, everybody here does know what I was up to as a kid. You know what, though? When I was fifteen I didn't have super powers. I wasn't running around the city in tights saving people. I wasn't trying to protect my identity in order to protect those close to me," I hissed, taking another, menacing step closer. "And I didn't have anybody that _cared_!" I spat bitterly. "I was sixteen when my parents were killed, and nobody gave a damn what I did to myself! I didn't have people looking out for my well-being! What I had was an absentee godmother in a foreign country and a godfather who manipulated me for his own gains! But _please_ , Mr. Parker," I declared, spreading my arms wide, "continue to explain to me how I have no _fucking_ right to lecture you on the dangers of drugs and alcohol."

Silence greeted my words. I didn't know what everybody was thinking because my only focus was on the hot-headed teen in front of me. He still seemed angry, but there were also tears in his eyes.

"Well?" I pressed, getting into the kid's personal space now. "Tell me more about how I should have just _left you alone_. Tell me more about how what you were doing was just _harmless, innocent fun_ ," I demanded in a harsh, quiet whisper.

"Okay, that's enough," Pepper suddenly declared, getting in between Peter and me. She had a firm hand on my chest, which she used to push me away from the suddenly mute kid. I looked at her disappointed eyes and then around at the concerned eyes of the others, and decided I needed a break.

"I'll be in the training rooms," I whispered before quickly making my way out of the room.

 **Peter's POV:**

I stood in place, my heart pounding as Tony walked away. My head felt fuzzy. I felt sick to my stomach. My body was sore. I was tired. I was angry. I was sad. I was confused.

"I'll talk to Tony," I dimly heard Natasha say as Pepper placed a gentle hand on me.

"Let's go, Peter," she said, steering me towards my room. I stumbled, so Pepper bent down to wrap her arm around my waist. "Just hold on to me, sweetheart," she ordered, and I couldn't even muster the energy to feel embarrassed as she practically dragged me to my bedroom. She sat me on my bed before going to my drawers and pulling out some pajamas.

"Can you put these on by yourself?" she asked, and I blinked before giving a nod and stumbling into the bathroom. I was halfway changed when the nausea hit me hard, and I rushed to the toilet, spewing whatever I had in my stomach. I heard a knock on the bathroom before I felt Pepper's hand on my back.

Tears began to stream down my face while I slurred apologies. Pepper shushed me, got a wet rag to wipe my mouth and face, and then helped me get my shirt on. I hated feeling this sick and helpless. Pepper guided me to my bed now and helped me get in. I felt sweaty and hot, so she placed the cold rag back on my face.

"Just try and sleep, Peter, I'll be right here," she told me gently. Overcome with exhaustion, I just gave in.

When I woke up, I opened my eyes to the sight of Tony passed out in a chair by my bed. His head was leaned back while his legs were extended onto the foot of my bed. He was wearing sweats and a tank top, so I knew he'd at least changed before coming here. He must've sensed himself being watched because his eyes suddenly opened, and he let out a huge yawn as he stretched. When his eyes settled on mine, I just blushed and looked down at my lap. I very clearly remembered all of last night, and I couldn't believe what I'd done. I couldn't believe how I'd been stupid enough to get myself drunk.

"How you feeling?" Tony asked softly, pulling me away from my panicked thoughts.

"Fine," I replied as I gave him a look of dismay.

"No headache, nausea, or soreness?" he pressed, and I just shook my head. "You remember last night?" he then asked, and I gave a shameful nod. His eyes narrowed, and I was about to apologize when he quietly asked, "What were you thinking, kid?"

There were a lot of excuses going through my head, but I settled on the simplest. "I just wanted to be normal."

Tony took his feet off my bed and leaned forward in his chair to look at me more closely.

"I wanted to fit in," I explained, knowing this wasn't a good excuse, but it was all I could give him. "After you showed up at my school, people started talking to me like I mattered. I wasn't a loser anymore. I got invited to the party last night and I was just handed a beer," I recounted. "I didn't want to seem like a little kid, so I drank it. Things were crazy there. People were dancing, yelling, playing all sorts of stupid games, and it was just wild. I'd never been to a party like this. Then, Flash showed up and he got all up in my face. Started calling me all these names and saying I was just using you to get friends, which I guess is kind of true, but he was just an ass! And I was tired of putting up with him. He challenged me to this stupid game where we tried to see who could drink the most amount of shots, and I won. It was awesome!" I exclaimed, remembering the way people had cheered for me. Tony's frown killed my temporary elation, so I continued talking. "Flash got pissed, and things just happened. We started fighting, and when he was losing his buddies got involved. I wasn't going to lose to them, not anymore."

"And the pot? You smelled like weed," he remarked calmly, and I grimaced. "It was just a single puff. I only tried it, and it tasted awful, so I didn't do it again."

"What happened between you and Ned?" Tony then asked right afterwards in an even tone, and I really couldn't tell what he was thinking.

My stomach twisted, guilt eating at me as I thought about Ned. I'd really been a jerk to him. God, he must hate me. "Ned was on me the whole night about how much I was drinking. He kept telling me it wasn't a good idea, and when I doing the drinking thing with Flash, he threatened to call you. I"—I had to pause, my cheeks heating up before I managed to speak again. "I took his phone and broke it," I admitted guiltily. "Then the fight happened, and, uh, you saw the rest."

"Your buddy texted me the address to the party last night," Tony informed me. "You owe that kid a serious apology. Don't take your friends for granted."

I nodded my head mutely, eyeing his blank face before feeling the need to speak. "Tony, listen, I'm sorry," I began to apologize, but he just shook his head, holding up a hand in exasperation.

"I know you are, kid"—Tony responded, but I cut him off.

"No, I'm not talking about the drinking," I corrected. "I mean, I am sorry about that, but what I'm apologizing for right now is about last night, and the things I said to you. I was really disrespectful, and I was wrong."

I was surprised when Tony's blank expression turned understanding. "Peter, out of everything you did last night, I can honestly tell you, the things you said to me are irrelevant. You weren't in your right state of mind. I honestly get it. The amount of stupid things I've said when drunk is far too many to count, so don't worry about it."

I let out a small breath of relief that he didn't seem upset, but I still couldn't help the guilt I felt. When he'd screamed at me about how nobody had cared about what he'd gotten up to I'd felt like a total dirt bag. I had no right to judge him when I didn't know what he'd been through. I expressed my thoughts to Tony, and he looked at me for a few moments before gracing me with a soft smile.

"It's okay," he reassured. "We both got a little emotional yesterday, so please don't let this bother you."

I nodded my head, allowing myself to believe him because I needed to feel that he wasn't angry with me. "You mad about what I did?" I had to ask.

He sighed, ruffling his hair before he just shook his head. "Not really," he admitted, giving me a small smile. "I get why you did it. I know what it's like to want to fit in and belong. I wasn't a teenaged super hero, but I certainly didn't fit in with my peers. I did exactly what you did to try and fit in." I listened, marveling at the fact that this was Tony Stark who was saying these things. The more I found out about him, the more surprised I became. I couldn't believe that he'd ever been anything other than a confident, popular, well-loved kid.

"I understand, Pete," Tony continued, "but it can't happen again. I'm not saying you can't have a drink or something, but you _can't get drunk_ ," he lectured. "You have secrets that you can't afford to get out. You want a secret identity, but you almost blew it last night. Hopefully, people will chalk up your ability to kick ass as to those jocks being too drunk to put up a good fight."

I nodded my head in agreement, anxiety flooding through me as I pondered what school would be like on Monday. "It sucks not being normal," I remarked, and Tony just chuckled lightly. "Sometimes," he agreed, "but not always. Normal is overrated."

I saw his grin, and found myself slowly agreeing with him. What would my life be like without Spiderman? I loved being Spiderman. I was a super hero. I saved people. _Tony Stark_ was my mentor. I was friends with him, Vision, and the Black Widow. My life was crazy, and I loved it. Screw normal.

"Thanks," I finally said, giving Tony a grateful look. Out of all the consequences of me being Spiderman, Tony had to be what I was most grateful for, even more so than my abilities. He was the reason I was still sane. He had given me everything I had wanted and more. He took care of me even when he didn't know how. I still couldn't believe that Tony Stark, Iron man, a man who I'd idolized since I was a little kid was my mentor. I couldn't believe how much he cared about me. Everything seemed worth it, if just for this relationship.

"Alright, kiddo," he said, standing up, "get showered. We'll have some breakfast and then I'll take you home. Your aunt knows what happened, so good luck with that." I groaned as he graced me with a smirk. Pushing that dismal thought away, I showered, dressed, and headed to the kitchen. When I saw Pepper, Natasha, Vision, and Rhodes there, I froze, blushing. They'd all been here last night. They'd all witnessed me acting like a total ass.

"Good morning, Peter," Vision greeted happily, and I mumbled back a greeting, squirming at the disapproving glare Natasha was throwing my way. Rhodes, who I barely knew just inclined his head in greeting while Pepper came right towards me and enveloped me in a hug.

"Come and get something to eat," she stated, pulling me to the table. "Thanks, Pepper," I said as I sat down and began to eat. I felt uncomfortable as I felt everyone's eyes on me. Thankfully, Tony showed up after a couple minutes, and all eyes went towards him. He was dressed nicely with a suit and tie, so I guess he had business things going on today.

"Hey, sour patches, quit glaring at my little spider," Tony stated exasperatedly, "you're making him nervous. Kid made a mistake, and he won't do it again, right kid?"

"Yeah, never again," I replied promptly, embarrassed that he was standing up for me _and_ that he'd just called me _his_ _little spider_. Natasha and Col. Rhodes both rolled their eyes before looking away, and I decided to take that moment to tell Tony, "I'm not a little spider."

Tony just laughed, ruffling my hair as he walked by me into the kitchen. He poured himself a cup of coffee and started up a conversation with Pepper and the colonel. Natasha took that opportunity to sit herself right down _next to me_. Like, really, really close to me. Uncomfortably close. I threw Tony a panicked look, but he either didn't see it, or he was ignoring me.

"Hi, Natasha," I said, wincing at the way my voice cracked. She smirked, clearly enjoying how nervous she was making me. I suddenly wasn't so hungry any more.

"Let's go for a short walk, Peter," she calmly, immediately standing up. I knew it wasn't a suggestion, so I stood up as well, throwing one last pleading look towards my mentor. He stopped his conversation mid-sentence and looked to Natasha with a frown. She gazed back at him with a raised eyebrow, which caused Tony to narrow his eyes. After several tense seconds Natasha gave him a nod and Tony completely relaxed. He gave me a wink before turning back to his conversation. My fate was sealed.

Nerves building, I followed Nat until we were out on the balcony. The doors had barely closed behind us when she began to speak.

"I'm not here to talk about your reckless actions," she stated, "I'm here to talk about the things you said to Tony." My shoulders dropped at her words.

"Tony said it was no big deal, and that"—I began to defend, but the heated glare suddenly being thrown at me shut me up.

"Peter, you're a smart kid, so are you honestly telling me you believe that?" she asked, and I squirmed guiltily before shaking my head. My honesty seemed to please her because her glare lessened as she gave a single nod.

"You're a child, so I'm going to cut you some slack and just speak plainly," she started. "Tony's had a lot of pain in his life, and he's been hurt by people he's trusted. He lets very few people into his life, and you are now a part of that small group. He projects the persona of an arrogant, cocky bastard who doesn't need anybody, but in all honesty, he's got to be one of the most loving and sensitive people I've ever met."

With each word she spoke I just found myself feeling guiltier. I'd noticed some of this already, but hearing Nat say it so plainly, made me feel even worse.

"Tony buries negative emotions," she continued. "What you so thoughtlessly shouted at him yesterday cut him deeply, and while Pepper was mothering you, I was keeping Tony from beating his hands bloody." I winced at that, feeling tears welling up in my eyes. I could no longer make eye contact with Natasha, so I kept my head down out of shame and embarrassment. I heard as she moved right in front of me, and couldn't help but flinch as she took hold of my chin and forced me to look up at her.

"He's forgiven you," she now said, her voice suddenly soft, "so don't take that for granted. I know you're young and didn't mean what you said, but you need to be better than this. You _are_ better than this." A traitorous tear fell down my cheek, and she quickly wiped it away before placing a light kiss on my forehead.

"Tony is very forgiving with those he loves, and I've screwed things up with him more times than I'd like to admit," she informed me, letting go of my chin, and I looked at her in surprise. It was heartening to know that I hadn't been the only one to screw things up.

"You're a great kid, Peter," she stated, ruffling my hair, and gracing me with a warm smile. I smiled back, relieved to know that she wasn't angry with me anymore. She started to head back towards the door before she suddenly stopped and looked back at me. I stiffened at the serious look in her eyes.

"I'm going to let this slide this time," she declared, "but if you hurt Tony again, and I don't care if he forgives you with or without punishment, I will make you regret having done so. Child or not, you don't mess with the people _I_ care about. Understood?"

With a pounding heart and wide eyes, I rapidly nodded my head up and down. "Yes, ma'am," I replied, and she suddenly smiled brightly before making her way inside. I followed slowly, warily watching as she casually walked by Tony, smacked him upside the head, and then left for who knows where.

Tony rubbed the back of his head, staring after her with a pout that I couldn't help but snicker at. He looked over to me then, put on his sunglasses and asked, "You ready to head home?"

"Yeah," I said. "Can I drive?"

"Figured that," he replied, and I smiled before saying goodbye to Pepper. Vision and Rhodes weren't around, so I told Pepper to say goodbye for me and to also apologize for having disrupted their get together. She hugged me tightly, letting me know that all was forgiven before giving me a kiss on the cheek.

"I love you, honey, so take care of yourself and try and visit without being in trouble next time," she said, and my heart immediately warmed, my throat feeling choked up with emotion.

"Love you too," I murmured, giving her a smile. She smiled brightly before giving me another hug.

When I walked towards Tony, my face heated up at the teasing grin he shot me with. Instead of making fun of me, though, he wrapped an arm around my shoulder as we walked towards the garage. I was pleasantly surprised, my heart warming as I knew Tony wasn't big on physical affection. It was a comforting hold that I relished in. He kept the arm there until we entered the garage, at which point he asked, "How'd your chat with Nat go? She didn't scare you, did she?"

"It was fine," I answered, not wanting to get into it at all. "She's a bit scary, yeah, but it was cool. No biggie."

He gave me an unreadable look before just shrugging. "Alrighty, just don't let her rile you up. She's a good person, and can sometimes come off a little cold. She likes you, though, which is huge. She'd never hurt you."

I looked at him in surprise, and smiled. It seemed Tony and Natasha were pretty protective of each other.

"I mean, I guess she might beat you up a little, but she'd never really _hurt_ hurt you," she amended with a smirk, and I just shook my head. I'd figured that out already.

"Alrighty, kid, time to drive," he declared, getting into the passenger seat. "Let's see if you make it all the way without Friday's intervention." I smiled, accepting the challenge.

 **A/N: So ends another chapter! Thoughts on Natasha? I always thought of her relationship with Tony as brother/sister, and I loved the thought of her just showing up at the compound. Tony needs more people! Please, please review and let me know your thoughts!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thank you, thank you for those of you faithfully reviewing! Sorry for the late update. I'm a teacher and the school year started today, so my updates will be early evening from now on. I'm working on the 20th chapter right now.**

 **On another note, I had a few people say that they thought Tony went too easy on Peter the last chapter. Looking back, I agree, but for the sake of things, just assume May gave the big lecture. I didn't feel Peter deserved a spanking for that, and Tony probably felt that he had enough reason to scold Peter for getting drunk, but not really for drinking.**

 **WARNING: This chapter contains disciplinary spanking of a teenage super hero. If you don't like, then don't read and/or flame!**

 **Chapter 11: Lab Mishap**

 **Peter's POV:**

"Come on, come on, come on!" I called to Ned, who was anxiously looking around.

"Are you sure we're allowed to be here?" he whispered nervously, even though nobody was around.

"Yes!" I said with exasperation. "Look, I'm keyed in," I said, placing my hand on the glass, and instantly being given access. "Tony gave me full access to his lab, and told me I can come in whenever I want, so _come on_."

Ned finally finished coming down the stairs and slowly made his way towards me. Looking behind us, he asked, still in a whisper, "Is that Iron Man's room?"

I rolled my eyes as I answered, "Yes, and this is Iron Man's lab."

Ned's eyes went wide as he walked in and saw the state of the art lab. His eyes were immediately drawn to the far wall where older Iron Man suits were displayed.

"Cool, huh?" I asked, and he just nodded his head, too overwhelmed to actually speak. I grinned widely.

"Hey Dummy," I greeted casually as the robot came up and made chirping noises at me. I patted his head. "This is my best friend, Ned. Ned, say hi to Dummy."

"Hi," he greeted, his voice sounding unnaturally high. He reached out a tentative hand and patted Dummy's head. He made whirring sounds.

"This has got to be the most amazing day of my entire life," Ned finally said, looking at me with a growing grin. "I can't believe I'm in Iron Man's lab." I smiled, following him around as he took in all the sights. There were tools, unfinished projects, blue prints, a science lab with tons of chemicals, a couch, computers, and even a car.

"Are these actual Iron Man parts?" Ned asked, as he pointed at the skeleton of a metal leg with parts lying around. When I nodded my head, he put a hand to his heart and looked about ready to pass out from sheer excitement and awe.

I walked over to a small section that was more organized, and proudly stood in front of it. "And this is my section of the lab."

Ned's eyes got, if possible even wider as he rushed over towards me. "He lets you work in here?"

"Yeah, of course!" I replied, picking up one of my web shooters, that'd I'd been working on last night. I attached it to my wrist and called out, "Hey, Dummy and Butterfingers, go fetch!" I shot out my webbing, and my eyes widened when instead of strings that I could turn into a harmless ball, three tight ricochet balls shot out. I guess I hadn't repaired the device as well as I thought I had.

The three balls took off, bouncing off walls and crashing into everything. I could hear glass breaking, and had to tackle Ned down before one hit him in the head. "Stay down," I ordered before getting up and moving to catch the web balls. It didn't take me long to catch all three, but when I had all three in hand, I couldn't help but groan at the damage.

"Dummy, Butterfingers, U, time to clean up!" I called out, hoping the robots would be able to help out. There was a lot of broken glass. Some of the computer screens were cracked, and two of the glass cases where the Iron Man suits were, were broken. At least the suits weren't damaged, I thought.

Ned stood up and walked over to me in shock. "You just wrecked Iron Man's lab," he declared in awe, and I couldn't help but grin in embarrassment.

"Yeah, we should probably clean this up," I remarked sheepishly. "At least Tony won't be back until late tonight, so that gives us some time. Oh, and Friday, keep this between us, okay?"

"Of course, Mr. Parker," she replied, and I swore I heard amusement in her tone.

We began to clean up, and it'd only been like fifteen minutes when Ned called me over. I ran over to him to see him pointing at the exposed Iron Man suits. "Do you think we could try one on?" he asked, and I was about to scoff before pausing. I'd always wanted to wear one of the suits, but Tony said no. They were already out, so what could it hurt? He didn't have to find out.

"Friday, do these suits still work?" I asked, and she responded that they did. As I looked them over, I realized quickly that they wouldn't fit us. We were both shorter than Tony, and Ned was just a tad bit bigger. While the body piece might not fit us, the hands, legs, and helmets should. We could at least fly around. I informed Ned what we could do, and when his eyes lit up, I asked Friday to help us out with directions.

"Mr. Parker, I feel the need to advise you against this. You have no experience with flying the Iron Man suit, and I do not believe Mr. Stark would approve," she advised, so I decided to ask, "Did Tony say I'm not allowed to use these suits?"

"No, he did not," she responded, but I could hear that she wasn't pleased with my plan.

"Quit being a stick in the mud, Fri, and just help us out. We're just going to have a bit of fun, and then clean everything up. Tony doesn't need to know anything," I spoke to her, and while she did not respond verbally, she did activate both suits and have them walk towards the middle of the room.

Ned and I were both vibrating with so much energy and excitement. This had the be the coolest thing ever.

The suits stood there for a second before both falling apart rather haphazardly. I winced, but I guess since we were only taking parts there hadn't been a smooth way of breaking them apart. The first things we grabbed were the helmets, and when we put them on we were immersed in a digital world. Words couldn't even describe how awesomely amazing this was. Looking around the lab, information and statistics popped up as different items came into focus.

"I just want to say thank you, Peter, once again, for bringing me along on this amazing journey of yours," Ned spoke, and I laughed.

"Hey, you're my best friend, Ned, and my guy in the chair," I said, giving him a light punch in the shoulder.

We both put on the Iron Man boots first before putting on the Iron Man hands. They were both a little big on us, but not big enough to make it uncomfortable.

"Friday, how do we fly?" I questioned, and was unsurprised when her voice spoke to us through the helmet. "Allow me to activate flight for you," she said, and before we knew it, both Ned and I were floating about two feet off the air. "Use the jets in your hands to help stabilize your flight, and to change directions," Friday instructed. ********

"This is awesome!" Ned screamed as he flew around the room. I let out a whoop of excitement as I did flips in midair. I wanted to take this outside, but I knew that would only guarantee we'd get caught and in trouble. We flew around the lab for a bit before flying towards each other and pretending to fight. We fooled around for half an hour before I decided we should probably get back to cleaning. Ned groaned loudly.

"We still gotta clean up this mess first, Ned, and then if we've still got time, we'll do this again," I said landing on the ground. Ned's landing wasn't so graceful, and he ended up landing on his butt. I laughed loudly, and he took off his helmet before giving me a mild glare. I helped him up, and he just stared in wonder at his gloved hands. I looked down as well, marveling at how amazing this really was. I still couldn't believe Tony had built this all on his own. I mean, I guess I could, but it was still, _wow_.

"Alright, let's get these off," I said with a sigh, and Friday helped us open up both the boots and the hands. I dropped all but one of the gloved hands to the floor. I wanted to get a better look at this, wondering if I could build something on a smaller scale for my suit. It'd be really cool to have the ability to blast things like Tony did with his suit.

"Hey, let's see how my webs hold up against Iron man's blasts," I stated excitedly, running over to where I'd stashed the three web balls from earlier. "Toss these into the air, and I'll see if I can blast them."

"Uh, are you sure this is a good idea?" Ned said as he took the webbed balls. "What if we make more of a mess?"

"We'll clean it up," I answered rapidly, before asking Friday how to use the blasting capabilities. She once more advised against what I was about to do, but I ignored her. Tony never listened to her advice either, and he was fine.

"Let's do this, Ned!" I shouted, and he rolled his eyes before throwing one up into the air. I let out a yell along with a blast and immediately vaporized the ball.

"Woah!" Ned and I both yelled in awe. Ned grinned widely before throwing the second one farther away.

"Too easy!" I exclaimed, shooting it down with no problem. "Throw the other one hard against the wall, and have it ricochet around before I shoot it."

"Okay," he agreed, although he looked uncertain. "If you're sure…"

"I'm sure," I responded confidently.

He shrugged before throwing it hard against the wall, and then dropping to the ground so it wouldn't hit him. I watched the ball bounce around a few times before letting out a larger blast. Too late, I realized where the blast was headed, towards a large metal container marked with the words, highly flammable. All I could think was 'oh no' before a loud explosion took place, the entire glass wall dividing the lab from Tony's small living area shattering.

"Shit!" I screamed loudly, grabbing hold of Ned and jumping back. Alarms were going off now, and the sprinklers had activated. Ned was screaming, and I was looking around widely for a way to exit as the fire seemed to be growing. Not all fires were meant to be put out with just water.

"Peter, how are we going to get out of here?" Ned questioned, his eyes wide with fear. I swallowed down my own fear as I tried to figure that out. The way out was now blocked by a rapidly growing fire. There weren't windows, but there had to be a hatch somewhere for Tony to fly in and out as Iron Man.

I kept Ned and I in the farthest corner from the fire, standing in front of him protectively as we hoped the sprinklers would help douse at least some of the fire. I looked back towards the ceiling for an exit when a large hatch began to open up in the floor. I thought at first, the floor was breaking up, but then I watched as Iron Man burst into the room through it. He didn't even land before spraying some foam thing on the fire. It helped the spread of the flames slow down. He must've communicated with Friday or his lab or something because the foam stuff then started to come out of the sprinklers as well. The fire stood no chance now, and it was doused in minutes.

Ned and I didn't move, even though the coast was clear now, because Iron Man's expressionless face had turned towards us. I dimly realized that I still had attached one of his Iron Man gloves. He noted it as well, because without me doing anything, it immediately came off and dropped to the floor. Tony finally emerged from his suit, seemingly in conversation with someone.

"Yeah, I wasn't broken into. Just an accident. Ned and Peter. They're fine, _completely fine_ ," he said, his eyes roving up and down of us. "Sorry for bailing on you, Pep, but I'm not going to be able to go back. I've got to take care of this. The labs completely decimated," he informed her with a tired sigh. "Yes. Yes. Of course, Pepper, I'm _always_ nice. I promise he'll be in one piece when you get here," he assured her, and I hunched down as his gaze zeroed in on me. The conversation seemingly ended there, and Tony looked around his ruined lab. I did as well, and my stomach sank at the state I'd put it in. It was completely ruined. There was no way I'd be able to just clean this up, no matter how many hours I put into it.

I looked at Tony as he slowly walked around his lab, and I wanted to just sink into the floor. I felt sick to my stomach. I'd ruined, no, I'd _destroyed_ something he loved. I destroyed his safe haven. I destroyed his hard work. I felt awful, and when his eyes once more landed on Ned and me, I had to look away. I couldn't stand to see his disappointment, anger, sadness, or whatever it was he was feeling.

"You two okay?" he asked, and I gave a single nod as Ned choked out a "Yes, sir."

"Good, how about you two go upstairs and clean yourselves up while I...," he trailed off, closing is eyes as he ran through a hand through his hair. "Just go, and stay in your room," he ordered, and Ned and I nearly bolted from the room. As soon as we were out of his sight we sprinted until we arrived at my room, at which point Ned said exactly what I was thinking.

"I can't believe we did that. What the hell were we thinking, man?" he asked rhetorically, and all I could do was shake my head in bewilderment. "He didn't even seem mad," Ned then stated, "and that's a bad thing, isn't it? I know when my parents get like that, then I'm in _deep trouble_. Is he going to kill us? No, he said you'd be in one piece, which means he's going to kill me!" he exclaimed, suddenly looking very alarmed.

I couldn't help but give a slightly hysterical laugh at his over exaggeration. "Ned, I swear to god, Tony is not going to kill you. Me, on the other hand, I'm not so sure," I admitted. "I can't believe we did that," I sighed, reiterating what Ned had already said. We both sat there in silence, realizing we'd really messed up, and not knowing what to expect or what to do about it.

"You shower first," I finally said, recalling that Tony had told us to get cleaned up. Ned just nodded before grabbing some clothes and going into the bathroom. I sat down on my bed and buried my head in my hands. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid! How could I be so stupid?! I had the sudden urge to cry, but I stubbornly pushed it away. I couldn't believe I'd destroyed Tony's lab because I'd wanted to have a bit of fun. I'd endangered Ned's life for a bit of fun. What kind of friend was I? I'd probably completely broken Tony's trust. He probably hated me right now.

"Friday," I asked hesitantly, "does Tony looked pissed?"

"Unfortunately, Mr. Parker, I am currently not at liberty to speak with you," she replied, and I stared at the ceiling, stunned. Tony had forbidden her from speaking with me? "I am only allowed to respond if you are in need of something."

"Okay," I said in a small voice, feeling even more terrible. I sat in overwhelming silence until Ned exited the bathroom. He gave me a pathetic smile that I couldn't even attempt to return. Letting out a sigh, I just grabbed a change of clothes and walked into the bathroom. I showered quickly, not wanting to leave Ned by himself for too long. When I got out, I found him sitting on the floor playing with a few Lego pieces. I sat myself down by him and pulled out a few more Legos. We'd been messing around for only thirty minutes when there was a knock at the door. We both froze, throwing one another nervous looks before I hesitantly said, "Come in."

The door opened, and neither one of us could keep the relief off our faces when Happy walked in.

"I take it you were expecting somebody else," he remarked as he took in our reactions.

"We ruined Mr. Stark's lab, so we're waiting for him to come and kill us," Ned simply said, and I had to let out a snort at the casual way in which he said it.

Happy grimaced, nodding his head as he responded, "Yeah, I saw the damage. Tony is down there making sure the structure hasn't been compromised, and making repairs to Dummy and U."

My eyes widened in horror at the thought of having harmed them. Dummy, Butterfingers, and U, were like Tony's kids!

"They'll be fine," Happy reassured, having caught hold of my expression.

"How pissed does he look, Happy?" I had to ask, and he sighed heavily. "He's not happy, and let's face it, you guys really screwed up. His lab is destroyed. I don't know what you kids did, but it's going to take a lot of work to fix."

"He must hate us," I muttered before Ned sadly stated, "I'm never going to be invited back."

"Listen, you two," Happy stated as he walked more into the room, "Tony doesn't hate either one of you. He's upset, but it's going to be okay. Tony has destroyed his lab countless times, so this isn't the end of the world."

I latched onto Happy's calm, encouraging demeanor, hoping he wasn't lying. I didn't think he was, but I still felt awful about what I'd done.

"Now, Ned, Tony has decided it'd be best if I took you home now," Happy informed us, and both our expressions fell. "You'll be allowed back," he rushed to reassure, "but he thinks a little time apart will do you two some good. So, grab your stuff please."

Ned nodded somberly before getting his stuff together. We'd still been scheduled to have three more days together, but because of my stupid idea it was being cut short. At least Tony hadn't said he'd never be allowed back. That was a positive.

"See ya, man," I said, doing our secret handshake. "Sorry about all this."

"Later, dude, and don't sweat it. I'm just as much to blame as you," he responded with a smile.

"You mind waiting at the elevator, Ned?" Happy asked, and Ned nodded, giving me one last look before walking out. I eyed Happy nervously, and he gave me a small smile.

"Tony says to just sit tight, and when he's ready to talk to you, he'll call you down to the lab," he said, and I felt butterflies flutter in my stomach. I looked at the older man with puppy-dog eyes as I asked, "Can I go with you?"

Happy laughed as he shook his head at me. "Sorry, kid, but I can't help you with this one. You and Tony are going to have to work this out on your own."

I looked down sadly, not looking forward to the upcoming conversation. "He's gonna be furious with me, Happy. He might even…," I trailed off uneasily, feeling both guilty and anxious. Happy's expression was understanding and sympathetic as he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Tony cares too much about you to be furious," he remarked. "As for what he might do; well, I'd lean a little more towards, 'he will do'."

My face turned red as I nodded my head. He squeezed my shoulder once in sympathy before leaving my room. I sat on the floor, staring up at the ceiling morosely. I sat there, wallowing in my misery for an hour before Friday let me know that Tony was requesting my presence in his lab. I immediately made my way over, but when I reached the stairs, I had to take in a shaky breath.

"Come on, Spiderman," I whispered to myself before making my way downstairs. When I got down, I was once again shocked by the amount of damage done. Jeez, I really messed up. I spotted Tony immediately. He was at the far left of the lab where the least damage was caused. This area had been cleared of everything broken and cleaned mostly. Tony was kneeling next to Dummy, whispering something to him. When I entered the area, Dummy gave loud chirps and rushed over to me excitedly.

"Hey, D, sorry about earlier," I said as I patted his head. He just chirped once more, and made some whirring noises before turning towards the messy lab. "Yeah, sorry about that too," I said guiltily.

"Go hang out with your brothers, Dummy," Tony ordered, and the bot quickly went off to do as ordered.

"Mad Scientist, couch," he then ordered, and I too quickly did as ordered. Tony placed himself right in front of me, and with crossed arms said one word, "Explain."

I took in a huge breath before honestly explaining everything that had happened. I felt ashamed when I talked about how we were playing around with his suits, especially when Tony's expression turned from neutral to outright disappointment and disapproval.

My voice turned shaky and quiet as I finished describing what caused the explosion.

There was a tense silence that followed my explanation, and I settled with staring down at my knees.

"At least you're honest," Tony finally said. "Friday corroborated everything you said." He began to pace back and forth a couple feet before putting all his attention on me. "Y'know, kid, I really don't know what to say. I can ask, what the hell you were thinking, but you just told me, and I still don't know what to think." He paced once more, looking increasingly frustrated. "God, I'm going to sound just like my dad," he murmured in distress before fixing me with a serious look and exclaiming, " _I thought you were smarter than this!_ " I flinched at the harsh tone, but also at the fear and disappointment I saw in his eyes.

I couldn't stand that look, and as my eyes were welling up I attempted to speak, but he just cut me off.

"See, I know that you're going to apologize, and I know you're sorry," he said. "I saw it in your face the second I looked at you after I put that goddamned fire out. Talk about really screwing the pooch, though, Pete! First, you trash my lab with your webs, and yeah, that was accident so I get it, it's cool; but what do you do afterwards? You decide that instead of cleaning up you're going to _use my suits_ ; which you know you're not supposed to use!"

"I asked Friday," I began to say, but his eyes grew dark as he shook his head at me.

"Don't speak," he snapped. "I'm not an idiot, and neither are you. You knew, but you did it anyway. You have no idea what could've happened as you two were messing around and playing. The Iron Man suit is not a toy! Disregarding the whole fire, you could've hurt yourselves with the suits. Do I need to go over all the what if's, or can you do that on your own?"

I gave a mute shake of my head, feeling even more awful.

"And if flying around in my suits wasn't enough, you had to go and use my freakin' blasters! Those are _weapons_ , Peter!" he yelled incredulously, his hands in the air. "Where was your head during all of this?"

"I'm sorry, Tony!" I finally managed to shout, giving him a desperate look. I was standing, but when he marched towards me with a foreboding look, I immediately sat myself back down.

"I get that you were having fun, but there's a line, kid, and you completely bounded over it. I know you can be reckless, but I've never seen that side of you outside of battle, and this scares me," he admitted, before letting out a loud sigh and rubbing both hands over his face roughly.

"I need to be able to trust you, Peter, and when you pull shit like this," he stated, waving his arm to indicate the disaster I'd caused, "I start to doubt you. I start do doubt that you can be responsible enough to be out on your own."

I sucked in a startled breath, not having anticipated the conversation going this way. I hadn't thought that my childish actions today could lead to his doubt of me as a super hero.

"I swear, Tony, nothing like this will ever happen again. I swear!" I declared. "I-I know I hate being treated like a kid, but what I did was childish. I know that, but please don't let this cause you to think you can't trust me as a hero out on the streets. I would _never_ let myself put other people in danger like I did today. I was a really stupid kid, and I'm sorry, Tony, but please don't say you can't trust me. I'll do anything to gain it back. I'll do anything to prove to you that I can be trusted, and that I can be mature," I begged, my voice now thick as I forcefully held back my tears.

Tony let out another loud sigh of frustration before seating himself down next to me. "I still trust you," he said, his tone quiet and tired. "I just can't stand when you endanger yourself, especially in such a goddamned _stupid_ way. How do you think I would've felt if it'd been my suits that hurt or even killed you?" he asked, looking at his lab rather than at me.

I hadn't thought about that at all, so all I could do was give him another apology. I was beginning to sound like a broken record. I will admit, though, that I was immensely relieved to hear he still trusted me.

"You're going to help me clean this place up, and then you're banned until…until I say so," he declared, turning his head towards mine. I nodded, having already anticipated this. "You're also going to explain to Pepper what happened, and be prepared to endure a long lecture," he added, and I groaned lightly as I nodded again. Terrible yet doable.

There was silence between us, and it was thick as I knew this conversation wasn't over. I couldn't stand it, so I felt compelled to ask, "Are you going to spank me?" I knew how he felt about me endangering myself. The last time I'd felt was somewhat justified, but this time there was no excuse.

Tony's brow furrowed, and his lips pursed as he looked at me. He looked away for a moment, took a deep breath, and then turned back to me. "Yeah, so let's just get this over with," he said sadly, messing with his watch until his right hand was covered in armor.

"Right here, right now?" I questioned nervously, and he nodded his head.

"Yup, so stand up. Same drill as last time, and unbutton the jeans," he ordered, as I stood up. I blushed as I did as told.

"What if Pepper or somebody else walks down here?" I questioned in a near whine, and he just rolled his eyes as he hauled me over his lap.

"Friday will keep them away," he answered, yanking down my jeans and boxers. I groaned before wincing as his hand came down hard. He found a rhythm quicker than last time, and I was kicking my legs in discomfort before I knew it. Unlike my uncle, Tony didn't talk during a punishment, which I found was harder to handle. When my uncle had talked to me, it'd given me something to focus on. Now, all I could focus on what the increasing heat in my backside. Too soon for liking, tears were freely flowing down my cheeks as I apologized to Tony for what I'd done. His hand kept coming down, even harder now, and my crying turned into sobbing, and my apologies turned into pleads. I was past the point of caring what he thought, my only wish being that he'd stop and that he'd forgive me.

Right when I thought I couldn't take anymore, he stopped, yanking my clothes back in place. I just sobbed, letting out all my guilt and shame at what'd happened. Before I wanted to, Tony stood me up and placed his hands on my shoulders. He murmured softly to me, but I was too distraught to make out what he was saying. I just wanted comfort, so disregarding Tony's discomfort with physical contact I moved forward until I was now crying into his neck. I felt as he stiffened, so I restrained myself from wrapping my arms around him. When I felt his arms tentatively wrapping around me, my crying momentarily increased out of sheer relief as I returned the hug full force.

"Alright, spiderling, it's all good, everything's fine," he murmured, and my heart warmed as he used one of my many nicknames. He didn't say anything else, just keeping his arms around me. The hug was stiff, but slowly, ever so slowly, his muscles relaxed, and he let out a sad sigh.

"You okay, kid?" he asked, when my sobs turned into quiet crying. His voice sounded highly distressed, so I quickly nodded my head. I was okay. I relished the feeling of protection and care coming from him. I loved that he hadn't pushed me away. My butt was aching fiercely, but that'd heal. He gave a sigh of relief at my answer, giving me a pat on the back. I took that as a sign to break away, so reluctantly, I released my hold on him. When we broke away, I was still hiccoughing, but my tears had mostly stilled. I wiped at my face, keeping my head down until I was sure I didn't look like a crying mess.

"Sorry," I told him when I finally looked up.

"We're good, little spider," he responded, giving me a smile. "Now, you ready to help me out, or do you need a short rest?"

"I can help," I answered immediately, wanting to help fix the mess I'd caused.

"Okay, what I need you to do is sweep up as much glass as you can. I'm going to go around and separate what needs to be disposed of with what I can keep," he explained, and I nodded my head in understanding. "Make sure not to touch the glass with your hands," he advised, but I just gave him a smile as I retorted, "It won't cut me. My skins pretty tough."

He let out a small laugh as he retracted the Iron Man hand back into his watch. "Alright, but still be careful. Pepper and May will have my head if I allow you to cut open your hands."

I grinned as I realized he was right. I pictured the showdown that would occur, both women ganging up on him, and I had to laugh out loud. He gave a dramatic roll of his eyes as he no doubt realized what I was thinking about.

"Get to work," he ordered as he walked away. I happily grabbed a broom, content with the knowledge that our relationship hadn't been damaged by this.

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed!**

 ******As I was editing this part, I realized that the boys probably wouldn't have been able to fly without the arc reactor providing power, but I'm not positive.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Sorry for not updating yesterday! Today's chapter is angst surrounding Tony, mostly. Well, I'm sure many of you figured that out when you read the title below.**

 **Chapter 12: December 16th**

 **Tony's POV:**

It was 2AM, December 16th, and I sat in my newly, renovated lab staring blankly at the screen in front of me. My parent's deaths played over and over on repeat, and I felt completely numb. I drank from the bottle of whiskey in my hand, emptying its contents.

I'd always thought their deaths were an accident. Hell, I'd been led to believe that Dad had probably been drinking, which is what led to the accident.

I grabbed another bottle of alcohol from my mini bar, not even looking at what it was. I just began to drink, relishing in the sting in my throat and the warming of my body. Contrary to popular belief I didn't really drink anymore; and I was proud of that fact. Today, I just didn't really care.

Thinking about my parents' deaths led my thoughts to the fight with Rogers and Barnes. Bitterness and anger flowed through me as I took another drink. I was still so angry with Rogers. I felt betrayed that he hadn't told me about my parents being murdered; and I was upset about how strongly he'd defended Barnes, _his best friend_. I still felt anger, or _hatred_ towards Barnes, or more so, towards the Winter Soldier. I got that Barnes was brainwashed, I did; but it was still so hard to separate Barnes from the Winter Soldier. I was trying, but when I watched the video play over and over on the screen, and then saw it nearly every night when I tried to sleep, it was hard to change my mind.

Natasha was the only one that knew about Barnes having killed my parents. She didn't know how bad the fight had been, and how we'd been fighting to kill. I'd told Pepper about learning about my parents being killed, but didn't go into detail. I told her about fighting with Rogers, but didn't go into detail. Since we hadn't been together at the time, she didn't know how badly I'd been hurt. I was afraid to talk about it. I was afraid to admit how broken I'd been by the whole affair.

I hadn't been prepared in the slightest to witness Barnes killing my parents. I hadn't been prepared to get into such a brutal fight with Rogers because he'd been trying to stop me from killing Barnes. I hadn't been prepared for our friendship to end in such a disaster. I hadn't been prepared for the Avengers being so broken.

My heart ached as memories of the Avengers hanging out like a family rushed through my mind. Accidental explosions with Bruce. Pranks with Clint. Late night talks with Natasha. Video games with Thor. Cooking with Steve. Team dinners. Friday night movies. Bar hopping until even Steve and Thor were feeling a little drunk. God, I missed them. I missed them all _so much_.

What made it worse is that things were shattered between me and Rogers and Barton. I had no idea where Bruce was, and that scared me as I'd always been able to find him. I had no idea where Thor was, but I didn't worry as much because the guy was a demi-god and off world most of the time.

At least Natasha was here, and that was a huge relief. It was like a part of my heart was healing. Getting back together with Pepper had helped even more. I loved that woman with all my heart, and she kept me sane. Then, there was Peter. I didn't know what it was about the kid, but he'd wormed his way into my heart. I never thought I'd want a kid, or even less that I'd be father-material, but I'll admit that Peter was a godsend. I'd fought it at first, but I felt more and more as though the little spider was _mine_ , like my kid. He'd looked at me as a mentor, and I'd noticed how quickly that'd changed into viewing me as a father-figure. I'd balked at that thought at first, but over time without intending to, I'd sort of found myself fitting into the role. That kid was breaking down my walls without even trying.

My eyes were drawn to the screen, even without the audio on being able to hear Mom calling out for Dad before eventually having the life choked out of her. My eyes started to burn, and to my utter shock, tears began to fall down my face. I immediately leaned over, putting my head into my hands, trying and failing to stop the tears. My breath hitched, and I couldn't believe that I was crying. No, not just crying, but sobbing; and I couldn't stop. I couldn't stop no matter how hard I tried. The tears just kept flowing, and I hurt. I hurt so badly. I felt so alone. Why? _Why was I like this?_

"Tony?" Peter spoke in a small, concerned voice, and I barely contained a jerk at the surprise of him being here without me having noticed.

"Go," I managed to choke out, not wanting the kid seeing me like this. Instead of listening, though, he instead stepped closer to me.

"What's wrong?" he asked, and I just shook my head back and forth, still keeping my hands over my face.

" _Get out!_ " I hissed sharply, and the kid gave a whimper at how harsh my tone was. I immediately felt guilty, but I was too distressed to do anything about it. There were several minutes of silence that followed my exclamation, so I thought Peter had left. When I heard quiet footsteps, though, I was about to rip the boy a new one when I felt his hand lie tentatively on top of my head. I flinched more than I cared to admit, but still refused to lift my head. I wanted to snap at the well-meaning kid, but couldn't bring myself to.

His gentle hand ran once through my messy hair, and I subconsciously leaned into his comforting touch.

"I'm sorry about your parents, Tony," Peter said to me, his voice sounding thick with emotion. I could only manage a single nod in response. His hand continued to slowly run through my hair, and I just shook my head again, wishing he'd leave me alone. He didn't need to see me like this.

"I'm not leaving you, Tony," Peter stated, for once his voice sounding strong. "I can't, not when you're like this. You've never left me alone to deal with things, so I'm not going to let you deal with this alone. W-we're family, right?" he asked, his tone now timid. I had to look up at this point, and my heart ached as I looked at the kid. He had dark rings under his eyes, meaning he hadn't been sleeping well. He probably had a nightmare, which is why he was here. There were dried tear tracks on his face, and I couldn't tell if it was his nightmare or my state that had him looking so distraught.

"Do you need a…do you need a hug?" he asked now, incredibly nervous. Something told me he was the one that needed the hug more than me.

I couldn't help the watery chuckle that escaped my lips. "Sure, kid," I answered, my voice thick with tears. I barely stood up before I felt the boy's arms wrap themselves around me tightly. For once, I didn't get that uncomfortable feeling I usually did at physical contact. Instead, I just wrapped my own arms around him, my tears coming to a halt as I focused on comforting him. His body was trembling, so I tightened my hold, allowing him to bury his head in my shoulder. I could feel tears dampening my shirt, but I didn't care.

Footsteps hurried down the steps, and I looked up in surprise to see Pepper making her way towards us with concern written all over her. She wasn't due home until tomorrow.

"Friday called me," she simply stated as she walked straight for us. Her gaze went from me to Peter and then to the video playing behind me. It was too late to remove it, and I realized I wanted her to know, or I _needed_ her to know. I needed to be able to talk to her about this. Her body froze, her eyes widening as she watched the short clip. I watched her flinch before her eyes were once more on me.

"Oh, Tony," she sighed sadly, as she walked over towards me. Peter looked towards her, and while she placed a hand on my cheek, she put her other hand on the kid's head.

"You both look exhausted," she said, and I knew she was avoiding talking about what went on tonight. "You both need to sleep, _now_ ," she then said. "We can talk about…we can talk tomorrow." I gave a nod, knowing that with Pepper here I'd be able to sleep. After a glance down at my pale kid, I wrapped a gentle hand across the back of his neck as I told him, "Let's have a sleepover, spiderling." He gave a short laugh, as he allowed me to guide him into our room. I pushed him towards the overly large bed before leaning towards Pepper and nuzzling my face against hers.

"I need to shower," I informed her, feeling the need to get rid of the dirt, oil, and sweat covering me. She nodded, pecking me on the cheek before going into her closet to change. I looked at Peter to see him awkwardly standing at my side of the bed.

"Get in, go to sleep," I ordered firmly, letting him know that _I_ was the one forcing him here. Hopefully, he wouldn't feel so embarrassed that way. He hopped in as soon as the words left my mouth, and I walked over to make sure he got under the covers. He looked unsure as where to place himself, so I just settled him in my spot, throwing the covers over his face as I once more said, "Go to sleep." I heard him give a snicker, so I figured I could leave him alone now. Pepper would be out before I was showered, so he'd be okay.

I showered quickly, and when I came out, Peter was already asleep and Pepper was sitting in the middle of the bed just smoothing his hair back. Noting my presence, she looked up, and in a firm voice said, "We need to talk tomorrow with him about his nightmares." I nodded my head in agreement. "And we need to talk about that video," she added, her voice just as firm while her eyes displayed sympathy and understanding. I sighed deeply, but nodded again.

I got into bed besides Pepper, and wrapped her in my arms. I buried my head into her shoulder and absorbed her comfort. Falling asleep became easy, and within minutes of closing my eyes I'd drifted off…

…When I woke up, I looked to my side to see both Pepper and Peter were gone. I wearily asked Friday what time it was, and she let me know it was 12:32PM. I let out a groan, ruffling my hair as I got myself up. It'd been a few days since I'd left, so I guess I wasn't surprised I'd slept in so late.

"Where're Pepper and Peter?" I asked, as I wandered over to my closet.

"Ms. Potts is right outside on a conference call while Mr. Parker is in the common room playing video games with Agent Romanoff," she answered, and I grinned. I wondered if Peter had the skills to take on Nat. Throwing on some jeans and a t-shirt, I ran a hand through my hair before exiting my room. Pepper was still on the phone, so I just gave her a smile before heading up stairs.

"Yes! I am the master gamer!" I heard Peter yell before letting out a whoop. Natasha's laughs followed, and I smiled widely as it'd been some time since I'd heard her laugh like that.

"You got lucky," Natasha remarked, and I arrived to see Peter standing on the backrest of the couch with his hands in the air. Natasha was sitting in the arm chair casually staring up at him with an amused smirk.

"Animals off the furniture!" I hollered, and Peter instantly did a flip before landing gracefully on the ground. Little punk.

"Morning, Tony!" he greeted cheerfully, but I could clearly see his concern. He glanced over at Nat before looking at me and asking how I was doing.

"Just fine," I replied with an easy grin. "I slept really well, and you?" I asked back, and he gave a rapid nod.

Tasha clearly realized something had happened because she looked from the kid to me with an inquiring look. "Rough night," was all I said, and she nodded, instant understanding shown in her expression.

"There's some leftover French Toast if you'd like some," she informed me, and I gave her my thanks before going in search for it. She must've been in a very good mood to cook for us. As I ate, I watched Peter and Nat play. I was curious if she was letting him win. She wasn't the type to take it easy, but she had a real soft spot for the baby of our rag tag family. However, one look at her expression, and I knew she wasn't going easy.

"I won again!" Peter hollered, doing a flip to let off some energy.

"Y'know, if you like jumping around so much, we can go down to the training rooms and you can jump and flip all you want there," Nat casually mentioned as she tossed the controller on the floor. I snorted when Webster immediately stopped his victory dance, sporting a panicked look as he rapidly shook his head back and forth.

"No, thank you, Natasha, I'm good," He responded, taking on a charming grin at the end.

Tasha just shrugged before standing up. "Well, as fun as this has been, Hill is expecting me, so I'll see you both later," she said, giving the kid a small wave. As she approached me, she commented in Russian, " _He's starting to act like you_." I grinned proudly as she just rolled her eyes and ruffled my hair.

"Later Itsy Bitsy," I called out as she headed down the hallway. She didn't respond, but I could she her shaking her head.

Pepper came up not even a minute afterwards and sat herself down on my lap, promptly taking my fork and beginning to eat the rest of my breakfast. "The board has been on my ass nearly all week about coming to California for a while to help out with management," she complained, and I frowned. "Don't worry, I don't plan on going, at least not until after the holidays. I'm just tired of listening to their constant whining. Just because they have no life…," she trailed off exasperatedly before resuming to eat my food.

I was glad to know she wasn't planning to just go. She couldn't let the board get the better of her, or they would continue to push and push. I wrapped my arms around her waist, and kissed her along the neck softly. She giggled, turning away from the food to give me a kiss on the lips.

"Uhhhh, I'll just go, um, somewhere," my spiderling suddenly spoke, his face beet red as he averted his eyes from Pepper and I's show of affection. I gave the flustered teen a rakish grin, which only caused him to blush even more. He looked down at his shoes and was making a rapid beeline for the hallway when Pepper jumped to her feet and grabbed hold of the blushing kid.

"Oh no, I'm sorry Peter, but you need to stay," she stated, and he graced the love of my life with a confused look. I echoed his confusion, but didn't openly show it. "I know you probably don't want to, but we need to talk about last night." Peter and I both tensed, and Pepper looked between each one of us with sympathetic, but determined eyes.

"We know you haven't been sleeping well for months now, Peter," she spoke softly, placing a reassuring hand on his arms. "Nightmares are normal, and nothing to be ashamed of, but now's the time to talk about it. You're a growing boy, and you need your sleep, so please take a seat." Spider Boy clearly didn't want to do this, but when presented with a determined Pepper, he knew by now that arguing was futile; so, he stiffly made his way to the chair next to me. I gave the kid a light kick, letting him know I was here for him. He understood my message, for he gave me a small smile.

"And you, Mr. Tony-I Can Take Care of Myself-Stark," Pepper added, looking more stern than reassuring, "we need to talk about that video. I know you hate to do this kind of thing, but you've clearly been hiding things from me and dealing with this on your own." I frowned unhappily, but I couldn't deny she was right.

"We are a family now," she informed us, gracing us both with loving looks, "so we're there for each other. I will never be able to fully understand what you two do out there, but I do know that bottling in your negative emotions will only make things worse." She glared at me before looking at Peter softly. "I've seen Tony self-destruct enough times over the many years to stand aside and let you go through the same things; so I apologize for putting you on the spot, honey, but this talk is going to happen whether you want it to or not." She looked at both of us as she said that last part. Peter just nodded, while I just huffed. She was definitely treating the boy with more care than me, but I guess we'd been down this road one too many times for her liking. I knew better by now than to bottle things in, so I guess she had a right to be pissed. Didn't mean I couldn't use a little loving, I couldn't help but think with a pout.

Pepper now sat herself on my other side, and reached across to Peter. He understood what she wanted because he placed one of his hands in hers. "Never feel embarrassed for needing help. If you have nightmares, continue to seek us out as you have been, okay?"

"Yeah," he muttered shyly.

"Let's hear what these nightmares have been about," she now said, indicating for Peter to start talking. The little spider took in a huge, shaky breath before beginning to talk. His voice started out quiet and hesitant, but then slowly grew stronger and more distressed. Pepper never let go of his hand. He talked about his battle with Toomes, informing me of how he'd nearly been crushed to death. My stomach knotted in fear as he recalled the terror he'd felt that he'd never get out. My fault. If I hadn't taken away his suit, Karen would've been able to contact me so I could've helped. Peter then went on to describe his fight with Toomes on the plane. He talked about how scared he'd been of dying, and how scared he'd been that he'd fail.

"I didn't want to let you down again," he admitted as he looked at me, and I sighed heavily.

"I'm the one that let you down that time," I countered gently. "I never should've taken the suit from you. I should've listened to you rather than jumping the gun and assuming I knew best."

Peter clearly didn't know how to respond to that so he continued to talk about his guilt about Liz, and how he'd put away her dad. My heart sank, as that was another piece of the story I hadn't known. What rotten luck, I thought sadly. Finally, he talked about his aunt, and how scared she always seemed.

"I feel so guilty," he informed us. "She's been through so much, and I'm the only family she has. She's scared and worried about me all the time, and I hate that. I can't stop what I'm doing. Spiderman is a part of me, and I know she understands, but I still can't help but feel I've let her down." Pepper turned to me at this moment, her eyes filling with tears as his words nearly matched my own. His fears concerning his aunt were my fears concerning her and vice versa.

My spiderling fell silent now, seemingly exhausted by what he'd talked about. Being the one who understood what it was to be a superhero, and who understood the fear and guilt that could come with it, I decided it was my turn to do the talking.

"Kiddo," I called, getting him to look over at me, "Toomes is the only one responsible for his decision. He and he alone are responsible for the pain your friend, Liz is going through. You saved a lot of people with your actions, never doubt that. As to the fear and doubt that you feel, that's perfectly normal. I feel it too at times when I'm out there. I wonder constantly if I'm making the right decisions, and I worry about the consequences of my actions. I'm constantly afraid of making mistakes, and of people getting hurt or killed because of them. Admittedly, my worst fears have come true, and it's something I still struggle to deal with. Thing is, kid, that this job is hard, and sometimes it feels like we might be causing more harm than good."

Peter nodded, his face attentive to every word I spoke. "As long as what you're doing feels right in your heart, then that's all you can do," I remarked, giving his heart a light tap. "You're going to screw up, and people might get hurt, but you'll get back up, and you'll save more people. Don't get lost in the mistakes. Keep going, like you did even after I took your suit. You felt you were right, and you went ahead. It was the right decision."

His eyes seemed troubled, and I regretted getting so heavy with him, but these were words he needed to know. He was too young for this line of work, but there was no denying he was meant to do it. There was no stopping him, so I needed to make sure he was prepared.

"In terms of nightmares," I added, rubbing the back of my neck, "we all get them. I've never been one for sleeping, but lately it's the nightmares that keep me up late. I go to my lab and just tinker, because it keeps me busy, and I feel like I'm doing something worth-while. Sometimes I deal with the nightmares in destructive ways that I'd never want you to do, like drinking. As difficult as talking is, it helps, and I hope this has helped you. Your nightmares won't disappear, but maybe it'll help you cope better."

Peter's face looked relieved the second I admitted to having nightmares of my own, and I berated myself for not having informed him earlier. He took in a breath before letting out another shaky breath. He ran a hand through his hair, and then he said, "Thanks, Tony and Pepper. You guys have been so nice and helpful to me, and I don't know how I would've managed all this without you. I'm sorry for being such a bother. I know I cause trouble, and I can be a bit needy," he told us, his face taking on a familiar shade of red.

"No, Peter, _no_ ," Pepper cut in forcefully. "You are not and have never been a burden or bother to us. We are always happy to help you. As I said before, you're family and we love you."

Peter's eyes filled up with tears, and he sniffed loudly. "Thanks," he repeated, his voice thick.

"Awww," Pepper outright cooed, and she immediately walked around me to go envelop the suddenly embarrassed kid in a tight hug. He returned it wholeheartedly, despite how embarrassed he seemed to be. I pretended not to notice as both Pepper and the kid were wiping at their faces when they broke apart. "And remember, you're always welcome to talk with me and Tony whenever you need it. You also have your aunt, so don't forget that. She loves you very much, and it'd be her pleasure to help you. Don't shut her out, even if she might not understand everything you're going through. Also, if you ever need one of us to talk with her, or explain something, don't hesitate to ask. We're here for you."

Peter looked much more relaxed now, and there was a smile on his face as he nodded his head and gave his thanks for the umpteenth time. Pepper was so good at this emotional stuff. She was so good at cheering the kid up, and mothering him. For the first time, I entertained the thought of Pepper and I having a kid together. She would make an excellent mother, and I was learning with Peter that I had the capabilities of being a father. I should probably marry her first, I thought next, smothering a grin as I remembered the press conference. I still couldn't believe Happy had the ring in his pocket for eight straight years.

I pushed those thoughts to the side when both Pepper and Peter looked to me. I smiled brightly and resisted squirming as I knew what they wanted.

"I can go, if you want," Peter suddenly stated, getting up, and I waved him down. He'd witnessed my little melt down, so he deserved to know; although, honestly, sitting here in this brightly lit room I really didn't feel like discussing anything. I gazed over at Pepper, and she stared back. Our staring contest lasted several moments before she gave a sad yet firm shake of her head.

"This is happening, Tony," she declared. "Now, let's start with the video," she then said gently. "Where did you get it?"

I barely contained an outright flinch as she mentioned the video, and instantly my head was filled with images of my father's face being bashed in and my mother being choked. I swallowed, fighting back the emotions that were trying to arise. I pondered how to explain, but in reality I knew that to explain the video I'd have to explain what happened in Siberia.

"After the little showdown in Germany, I received information from Friday, letting me know that Barnes had been set up," I began, keeping my tone even. "With Wilson's help I found out where Rogers was going, which was Siberia, so I went with the intent to help. We were all under the impression that this prick named Zemo was going to wake up a bunch of super soldiers, but we were wrong. We found them all dead. Zemo was there. He was a Sokovian, and his family was killed during our fight with Ultron," I explained, my fist clenching under the table.

"There was this old TV, and before I realized it, that film you saw began to play. When it ended I asked Rogers if he'd known my parents had been killed by Hydra. He said yes, but that he hadn't known it was Barnes." I paused, closing my eyes briefly as the absolute fury I'd felt in that moment resurfaced. "I went after Barnes," I informed them, my voice hoarse. "Rogers got in the way. The fight turned out bad. It ended when Cap slammed his shield down onto my arc reactor. He and Barnes left me there with a broken suit."

Both Pepper's and Peter's eyes were wide, both horrified and saddened at the same time. "That bastard killed my parents," I whispered through clenched teeth. "I became an orphan because of him." I took in a deep, calming breath before adding, "And I know he was brainwashed. I know he was being controlled. I get that, but I see them dying _every night_. I see _him_ killing them. My mom was innocent!" I suddenly exclaimed, ruffling my hair in agitation. "She didn't deserve to die like that. I mean, neither did my dad, but he was the one driving around with serums to create super soldiers like Barnes."

"It's been over twenty years, and you'd think this wouldn't bother me so much. Nothing's changed," I stated, standing up abruptly to pace. "They're still dead." I closed my eyes now as I gripped the kitchen counter. When I felt I had control of my emotions again, I opened them and let out a hollow laugh. "That's my story," I said, spreading my arms and gracing them with a fake grin. "You're not the only screwed up guy in this room, Spider-Man," I remarked grimly.

Pepper stood up now, walked over to me and put one of her hands on top of mine. This was one of the many reasons I loved this woman. Sometimes, all it took was a gesture or a look to convey what we were feeling. She didn't need to speak for me to know she felt devastated for my parent's death and how I'd found out, anger towards Rogers and Barnes, and understanding for why I struggled with sleep.

"When my Uncle Ben died, I went after the guy who did it," Peter spoke up, and we both turned our attention to him. "I found him with no problems, and I just beat him, screaming at him for what he'd done. I wanted to kill him so badly, I really did," he confessed, his face taking on a look of anger and anguish. "But, then I caught a look of the terror on his face, and I suddenly felt sick that I was the one that caused that. I felt sick that I was one move away from killing this man. I left him for the police, and just ran. I-I never told Aunt May about that. I'm afraid of what she'll think or say. Would she have wanted me to kill the man and be disappointed that I didn't? Or, will she be disappointed at the fact that I almost did?"

I was stunned by what he'd just said, and how he understood the rage of wanting to kill the person who killed a loved one.

"I don't want to be a monster," he said. "I've never killed anyone, and I don't plan to." I looked into his serious gaze, and my heart ached. I'd killed lots of people in my time as an Avenger. They'd been the 'bad guys', and I didn't feel guilt. This kid, though, refused to kill even those who had harmed him and his loved ones. I was suddenly very glad he hadn't joined the Avengers. I didn't want to kill that spark in him. I didn't want to crush his heart, his innate goodness.

"You did the right thing, kid," I told him. "I know I'm one to talk as I just told you I tried to kill Barnes, but killing that guy wouldn't have made you feel any better. You are better than that, and you proved it without anybody there to tell you different. If it hadn't been for Rogers, I would've killed Barnes," I confessed point blank; and I knew that was the god honest truth. Even now, I wasn't sure I had the strength this fifteen-year-old kid had to stop myself from killing Barnes.

"I told you you're better than me," I remarked, giving him a proud grin. His face lit up in wonder and happiness, and I had to marvel once more at how my opinion meant so much to him.

"No, I'm not," he countered feebly, avoiding eye contact with me. I didn't bother arguing. He'd realize this on his own in time. Pepper kissed my cheek, gracing me with her own proud look.

"Today's the anniversary of my parents' death," I suddenly stated, and two pairs of eyes locked on me. "I've always managed to do something stupid on this day, but I figured maybe we should just go out and do something instead."

Peppers arms wrapped around me as she asked what I wanted to do.

"I'd prefer avoiding crowded places where we'll be accosted," I commented. "Not in the mood for dealing with the public, and we don't need the press looking into Peter's life, wondering why he's with us."

Peter look surprised by my words before he nodded his head in agreement.

Pepper looked thoughtful before asking, "Are you two up for a hike? We could carry a picnic. I'm sure Happy would love to join us as well." I exchanged an inquiring look with the kid, and when his eyes lit up in excitement, I gave my own nod. I truthfully couldn't remember ever having been on a picnic, so it would be an interesting experience, I felt.

"Alright boys, comfortable clothes and shoes," she ordered. "I'll make something for us to eat while you," she pointed at me, "will contact Happy."

"I'll help you, Pepper," Peter spoke up as I walked away to call Hap. He happily agreed to join us, and within half an hour all four of us were in one of my convertibles with the top down.

"I'll drive!" Peter exclaimed with a huge grin, but when all three of us said, "No,", he pouted as Happy took the keys from him. "You can ride shot gun, and if you behave, maybe I'll let you drive a little on the way back." His face immediately lit up again as Pepper and I hopped into the back.

"If he crashes this car, Hap, you're fired," I remarked casually, wincing when Pepper slapped my arm. "I was kidding, just _kidding_!" I defended at her glare. Both Peter and Happy laughed loudly, and I glared at the back of both their heads.

Pepper kissed me on the cheek, so my ire quickly melted away as I stared into her beautiful eyes. Pulling her in for a deeper kiss, I ignored the kid's not-so-subtle coughing. Happy just winked at me through the rear-view mirror.

"No sex on the back-seat with the kid here," he stated in a mock-stern voice, and I couldn't help but burst out laughing at Peter's look of horror.

"No promises," I responded, while Pepper yelled out a scandalized, "Happy!"

"Peter, don't listen to them, we're not doing anything," she rushed to reassure the beet-red kid, who was now covering his ears while his eyes were tightly shut. He slowly opened his eyes, and treated Happy and I to a not-really-vicious glare. I gave him an innocent smile, and he rolled his eyes, making a point to not look at any of us.

We drove for just under an hour before we reached our destination. Putting on a ball cap and sunglasses, I allowed Pepper to lead the way. She'd apparently been here before. It was a very nice looking place with tall trees, and best of all, it wasn't very crowded.

"We need to take the food with us, because we'll be hungry when we get to our destination," Pepper informed us, and I made to grab the bag, but Peter beat me to it.

"No offense, but I'm the strongest one here," he said with a cocky grin. "Not to mention I'm probably in the best shape." Happy and I shared a frown before we looked back to the boy.

"Is it worth the argument?" I asked my friend, and he just shook his head. "Nah, then we'd just end up having to carry the bag. Let the kid have his moment." I agreed, and ended up just trailing after the boy and Pepper.

The hike wasn't very strenuous, but it took us about two hours before we arrived at our destination. It was definitely worth it. We were at the top of a short waterfall, looking down into a gorgeous lake. Trees surrounded us, and it was extremely peaceful. The kid certainly loved it for he was running around oohing and aahing at everything. When he looked ready to jump off the waterfall, Pepper immediately went into mom mode, and snapped, "Peter Parker, don't even think about it, young man!" He gave her a sheepish look before making his way over to us. I smothered a snicker.

"Let's eat," I declared, suddenly starving. The kid immediately perked up, and we took out all the food. We inhaled the simple meal, Peter eating the most and the fastest. While we were enjoying the relaxing environment, he looked around us before jumping up into a tree. I watched as he climbed high before jumping from one tree to the next before pulling off a cool flip and landing next to us with a huge smile.

"Maybe your super-hero name should be, Monkey Man," I remarked casually, relaxing with my head in Pepper's lap. She was running her fingers through my hair, a gesture I loved.

"I'm _Spider -_ Man, thank you very much!" the teen retorted, placing his hands on his hips as he pulled off the Superman hero-pose. We laughed before Happy interjected, saying, "Yeah, yeah, _Spider-Man_ , so how about you deal with that spider you've got crawling on your shoulder."

The reaction was instantaneous and priceless. The kid's eyes widened, a startled yell escaping his lips as he stared down at his shoulder (which had nothing on it). He literally screamed, "Get it off, get it off!" as he ran back and forth. "Where is it?!" he screeched, as he threw off his sweater and stomped on it. He probably would've ripped his shirt off next if Happy hadn't had mercy on the kid and admitted that there had never been a spider. It still took several minutes to calm the young hero down, but I was no longer paying attention, my sides hurting from how hard and long I had been laughing.

I couldn't believe that _Spider-man_ had a fear of _spiders_. It seemed Pepper was now comforting the boy, but I couldn't help but clutch my stomach as I rolled on the ground. "Tony Stark, _grow up_!" Pepper snapped as she gave me hard kick in the butt.

"Yeowch!" I yelped, before rapidly standing myself up. "Not cool, Pep," I grumbled as she glared and pointed at the now thoroughly embarrassed spiderling.

"I, uh, hate spiders," he mumbled with a blush.

"Sorry Peter," Happy said with an amused grin, "I couldn't help it."

"Wait, you knew?" I had to ask, "and you didn't tell me? I thought we were friends!"

"Please stop laughing, guys, it's not funny!" the little spider protested. "I didn't used to have problems with spiders, but then after I ended up in a room surrounded by thousands of them, and then I got bit by one and put in a hospital before being turned into a mutant, and-and-and yeah," he finished, a pout on his face. After his little rant, I did feel kind of bad for laughing so hard. It'd clearly been a traumatic event for the teen, but still…

"Sorry, kid, I understand, but you have to admit, it is kind of funny," I told him with a grin. He narrowed his eyes before sighing, and giving me a smile. "I know."

"Come on," Pepper stated, "let's hike down to the lake before heading back."

"Can I jump in?" Peter asked, his excited energy bouncing back quickly.

"You are not getting in my car all soaking wet," I answered, "so unless you prefer to walk home…"

"Awww," he whined unhappily, giving me a frown. I rolled my eyes as I began to make my way down. Peter got down in one graceful jump while the rest of us went down at a more sedate pace. He threw off his shoes and socks and dipped his feet in the water, giving a yell at how cold it was.

"It's December, kid, what did you expect?" Happy drawled, but I noticed he too was taking off his shoes and socks. Pepper pulled on my hand and gave me an inquiring look. If I decided to go in, she would, and if I didn't, she wouldn't either. I had a thing with water since Afghanistan. It'd gotten better, but I still couldn't submerge myself fully into water. Getting my feet wet wouldn't be a problem, though, as long as I didn't go too deep. Giving Pepper a nod, we both took off our shoes and socks before getting in.

"Ah, its cold!" Pepper shrieked, gripping onto my hand tightly. I laughed, although I fully agreed. Except for Peter, the rest of us wandered for no more than ten minutes before getting out when we started to lose feeling in our feet. Peter just walked around, picking up and dropping rocks. When he found one he liked, he pocketed it before finally getting out.

"Ready to head back?" I asked, and he nodded his head, the grin never leaving his face. It was nice to see him so happy, and acting like a kid.

"We should come back here with Ned in the spring or summer so we can go swimming," he remarked as we began our trek to the car. "It'd be so much fun!"

"You like swimming?" Pepper asked, and he managed to walk backwards while bouncing up and down as he happily answered, "Oh yeah I do! I rarely get to go, though. Uncle Ben used to take Aunt May and I to a little lakehouse he'd rent every summer, but since he, uh…well, we didn't go last summer; which is fine. I just don't know where else to go for a swim."

"Ever been to California?" I asked, and he shook his head at me. "Beaches there, totally rock," I stated, remembering the old times where I used to swim in the beach, jet ski, and boogie board. "I still have a home in Malibu—It's been finished, right?" I asked, turning to Pepper. I hadn't actually thought much about the house since I'd last been there to pick up my robots.

"It's been ready for a year and a half, Tony," she sighed, giving me an exasperated yet fond look, which let me know she wasn't that surprised by my lack of knowledge.

"Anyways, it's got a pool, and it's also on the beach," I informed the kid. "We could visit during your spring break or summer, if you'd like."

Peter literally stopped moving, seeming quite overwhelmed as he stared at me with an open mouth. "R-R-Really?" he stammered in awe.

"Yeah, I just said it, didn't I?" I answered, giving him a weird look, still not used to how he never really believed what I said.

"Can Aunt May come?" he then asked, and I gave a nod. "What about Ned?" and I nodded again.

"This is so AWESOME!" he shouted to the sky as he bounded way ahead of us and then back.

"You're turning soft, Boss," Happy commented, and I just rolled my eyes. "Shut up, Happy," I said, and he laughed.

We spent a lot of the time walking talking to Peter about California and how it different from the east coast. The rest of the time was Peter begging to be allowed to drive back to HQ, even pulling out his puppy-dog eyes.

"Not gonna work on me, kid," Happy responded, "I've worked enough years with Tony to be immune to those." I just scoffed while Pepper giggled. Peter looked immensely amused as he smirked at me before going back to nagging Happy. It wasn't until we got to the car that Hap finally gave in. Peter let out a whoop before hopping into the car and putting on a pair of my sunglasses. He smirked as he motioned for us to hurry up.

"Don't get cocky," Happy grumbled as he got into the passenger seat. Pepper and I hopped into the backseat once more, and she settled herself in my arms. I'd barely placed a kiss on her cheek when Peter barked, "No making out in the back! My car, my rules!"

I couldn't help but laugh before giving the back of his seat a light kick. "My car, Speed Racer, _my_ car." He maintained his smirk as he peeled out of the parking lot, laughing loudly as Happy gave a frightened yell.

The ride home was enjoyable with me holding Pepper in my arms while listening to Happy and Peter argue back and forth. It had been an awesome day, and the best December 16th I'd had since my parents had been alive.

 **A/N: I do hope you're continuing to enjoy my story. Please, please review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: The chapter title should clue you in as to what is going to happen. This has definitely been done a multitude of times, but it feels necessary to me to further develop Peter's relationship with Tony. Many apologies in advanced to those of you who did not want this to happen.**

 **Also, I am not a medical expert or expert in what happens to kids whose only guardian dies.**

 **In regards to last chapter somebody mentioned it should be snowing in New York. Uh, sorry about that. I'm from Southern California so I didn't think. Secondly, sorry but I will not be tying this into infinity wars. Im a fluffy family fic writer.**

 **Chapter 13: Death in the Family**

 **Peter's POV:**

The worst moment of my life was March 23rd at 11:12 AM. It was the day my aunt died. It was the day I lost my last living relative.

The day started like any other. I got up, showered and dressed, and then joined my aunt for breakfast. It was the weekend, and one of the few Saturdays she had off. She asked about my patrol yesterday, and I told her about stopping these guys from beating up on a kid, and how I'd stopped a car crash from occurring. She'd been happy. She'd been proud. We had plans to go bowling. It'd been a long time since we'd done that. She'd had me wash the dishes while she went to grab something from her room.

Once I finished, I thought it was weird that May hadn't appeared yet. I called out to her, and she didn't respond. I then walked into her room, freezing when I saw her sitting on her bed with her body leaning forward awkwardly.

"Aunt May?" I called out cautiously, my heart beginning to pound the closer I got and the longer she went without speaking. No, God, please no.

I reached out with a trembling hand and touched her shoulder. Nothing.

"Aunt May, please," I spoke again, my voice coming out strangled as I touched her shoulder more forcefully. She fell back against the bed. Her eyes were closed, her face white, and there was a little blood coming out of her nose. No. _No, no, no, no._ This couldn't be happening. Not again. Not to her.

"Aunt May, please wake up," I begged quietly, checking her wrist for a pulse. Nothing.

"Don't do this to me. _Please_ don't do this to me," I pleaded desperately as my hands then went to her neck. No pulse.

God, no. This couldn't be happening. She couldn't be dead.

"Please wake up. _Please, Aunt May, I'm begging you!_ " I hollered now before backing away. I ran to the phone, dialed 911 and just screamed at the operator to get an ambulance here. They just needed to get here. Once they got here, they'd be able to revive her. She was just unconscious. She was going to be okay. She was going to be okay. She was going to be okay. She _had_ to be okay. She wouldn't leave me. She _wouldn't!_

I backed away from her, and when I ran into her dresser, my legs gave out and I sank to the floor. Tears blurred my vision, and my chest constricted tightly. It was becoming hard to breath. My lungs couldn't open. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't breathe!

I didn't hear the knocking and shouting. I didn't see the EMT running in. I didn't even notice the EMT placing a mask over my face to help me breathe. As oxygen began to flow through me, I blinked at the woman in front of me. She asked if I was okay, and I could only not mutely. She helped me stand up, and led me outside. There were cops, and she spoke to one of them. The officer looked to me in sympathy and said something, but my ears seemed clogged. Voices didn't make sense. I was guided into a police car, and I watched as my aunt was wheeled out on a gurney. They weren't working on her. In fact, I couldn't even see her as she was now covered with a sheet.

No.

No.

 _No._

I couldn't see. I couldn't hear. I couldn't think. I couldn't feel.

I was led into the hospital and sat down somewhere. Somebody tried to talk to me, but I didn't respond. Somebody else showed up and shined a light in my eye. I flinched, sight and hearing returning to me as I gave the lady in front of me a confused look.

Her eyes were kind, yet full of sympathy as she told me my aunt had passed away. Brain aneurysm. Sudden. She felt nothing. No way of knowing. Nobody's fault.

My face was wet because of the tears falling down, but I made no sound.

The same lady continued to speak, asking me if there was someone I could call. Did I have any more relatives? Was there anybody I could stay with?

My mind swam, and I found it hard to focus as the image of my aunt, my _dead_ aunt.

The lady kept talking. Now she was telling me that if there was nobody for me to call, that I would have to go with the cops. They would take me somewhere. They would take me to child protective services.

I stared at her blankly, my heart seizing as I realized I didn't want that. I had to call someone. I took in a deep breath and forced my mind to think. I didn't want them to take me.

Tony, I suddenly thought. I wanted Tony. He'd come for me. He wouldn't leave me. Where was he? Why wasn't he here already?

My silence caused a cop to come up and place a gentle hand on my shoulder. He told me to come with him, but I shook my head. I needed to speak, but it felt like my mouth was shut with cement.

Tony, where are you? I wanted him right now. I _needed him right now!_

But, he didn't know. He didn't know I was here.

"Tony Stark," I blurted out as the cop forcefully pulled me up. His face was full of sympathy and regret as he looked at me. "Call Tony Stark," I demanded, and all the eyes looked confused, concerned, and sympathetic.

"Like _the_ Tony Stark," the lady nurse asked, and I nodded my head. "Please call him."

"Son," the officer holding me sighed. "Tony Stark is a billionaire and a super hero and I don't think he'd appreciate a call like this. It's not something he can help you with." He tried to say that kindly, but the words still came out as harsh.

"I work for him," I snapped, feeling a spark of anger. "Call him." I turned to look at the nurse once more. " _Please._ "

Thankfully, she nodded her head. "Do you have his number?" she asked, and my stomach sank as I realized I didn't have my phone and that I hadn't memorized his, Pepper's, or Happy's numbers. The nurse frowned, giving me a helpless look.

"Kid, come on," the officer said with a sigh, but I yanked my arm out of his hold and yelled, "Don't call me kid!" It was a stupid thing to yell, but I was feeling rather stupid right now.

"Call my friend, Ned Leeds," I then stated, knowing _he_ had Tony's number. The nurse gave a sigh of relief, probably glad I was dropping the notion of calling a famous man I could have no hope of knowing. I had memorized Ned's home number years ago, so I gave it to her, and asked if I could speak to him. I guess I must've looked too hysterical or something because she just shook her head. Anger and desperation coursed through me, but I held it down, not wanting to give the police any other reason to take me away.

Please, Ned, I thought in distress, hoping he'd understand the need to call Tony. When the nurse came back, she gave me a sad shake before saying nobody answered. She'd left a message, though. I wanted to break down in tears, my last bit of hope dwindling.

"Please, just wait a bit before calling again," I pleaded, not wanting to be taken away. The nurse and officer shared a look, before the officer sighed and took a seat.

"20 minutes," he said to me, "and then you're coming with me, Peter. If you don't have any other family, then I have no choice but to leave you with child services. I'm sorry, but that's the way it has to be." I only stared ahead blankly not acknowledging what he'd said. If twenty minutes came up, I wouldn't allow myself to be taken. I'd run. I'd run and find Tony myself.

I buried my head in my hands, heart hammering in my chest. The momentary panic of where I would be going had woken me up; and with that, the full pain of my aunt's death began to hit me. The realization that May was gone, and that I'd never see her again. The realization that the last image I had of her was of her dead on her bed.

Tears filled my eyes, once more blinding me, and I pressed my hands into my eyes to help stem them. I couldn't break down yet. Not here.

Tony. I wanted Tony. Where was he?! I needed him here. Please, Tony, come get me.

The twenty minutes came and went. The nurse went to call Ned's house again, but there was no answer. My voice caught in my throat, my heart picking up in speed. No, no, no, no! I didn't want to go with them! I didn't want to! I wanted Tony!

The officer nodded to the nurse and laid a hand on my shoulder. "Come on, Peter," he said kindly.

"No," I choked out, fighting him as he pulled me up. "I don't want to go."

"Please don't make this difficult," the officer pleaded as another officer came up. The nurse looked on in concern, and she too asked that I just go.

"It's going to be alright, sweetheart," she said, and my heart seized as it'd only ever been my aunt who'd called me, sweetheart.

"Call Tony Stark!" I yelled now. "You have to call him! He knows me, I swear! Please! Please, just call him! Google his number if you have to, but I swear if you call and give them my name he'll answer!"

"Son, that's enough. Come on now, I don't want to have to force you," the man said, now sounding stern.

"NO!" I shouted, giving him a stronger shove than I'd intended. He stumbled back several feet, and gave me a look of shock. The second officer made to grab at me, but I shoved him away as well.

"Peter, please calm down," the nurse begged, two other nurses coming up to join her. I noticed one had a shot in her hand, and I realized they were going to try and sedate me. "You're upset, we understand that. Just relax, sweetheart."

"You relax!" I screamed childishly. "I'm not leaving here until Tony shows up!" I hollered.

"Peter! Peter!" I heard Ned scream as he suddenly burst into the waiting room. I looked at him in relief before looking behind him to see if Tony was there. He wasn't. "I came as soon as I heard the message," he stated, huffing as he stood in front of me. He looked at me, tears in his own eyes before pulling me into a hug.

I appreciated the gesture, but all I really wanted at this moment was Tony, so I when I pulled apart, I asked, "Did you call him? Please tell me you called him!"

He thankfully knew who I was talking about, but at his crest fallen expression, I knew the answer wasn't going to be something I liked. "I did, over and over, but he didn't answer. I left voicemails, and I texted him, but I haven't heard back."

"He'll come, he'll come, I know it!" I cried out, glaring at everyone around me. "Give me your phone," I demanded, and he quickly took it out of his pocket and made to hand it to me, but the officer grabbed hold of it and pulled Ned away from me.

"Who're are you?" he asked, and Ned looked at him in surprise before nervously answering, "N-Ned Leeds, sir, I'm Peter's best friend."

"Who is it you called?" was the next question asked, and Ned told him that he'd called Tony.

"Tony Stark?" the officer asked in bewilderment, and when Ned and I both nodded, he let out a sigh of exasperation.

"Look, I'm tired of this. Peter, I know you just lost your aunt and that you're really upset, but whatever _this_ is that you're doing, it's not helping anything. It's not what you want, I get it, but you've got to come with me." He informed me. I got that he was trying to be kind, and trying to be understanding, but I didn't care. "Now, you've got three options: The first is that you come with us calmly while the second is that we forcefully take you. Third, if you get hysterical, I'm sorry, but these kind nurses will sedate you. So, what's it going to be?"

I felt awful. I was terrified and hurting, and I just wanted Tony to be here. Why wasn't he answering his phone? Why wasn't he here for me when I needed him most?! I was overwhelmed, and I didn't know what to do. What would fighting these guys achieve anyways? But I didn't want to go with them!

"Let's go," the officer repeated for the umpteenth time, grabbing my arm tightly and pulling me along with him.

"Hey, uh, Officer, sir," Ned spoke up, standing in front of him, "Just please wait. Mr. Stark really does know him, and when we get hold of him he'll come right away, I swear."

"Look kid," the officer snapped, "I'm tired of this Tony Stark nonsense! You're coming with me, and that's final!" He dragged me down the hallway, Ned pleading with him to just wait and to let me go. I struggled a little, but I was afraid of hurting the guy if I struggled too much. The other officer walked right next to me, keeping Ned out of the way while a couple nurses followed closely behind.

"You don't get it, just let me use that phone," I pleaded with the officers. "Give me that damn phone and let me call Tony!" They blatantly ignored me as we walked outside, and I was about to just screw being nice and shove these guys away before making a run for it when I heard what sounded like a jet pack followed by the sound of something heavy and metal landing on the ground. My heart lifted as I knew what that sound meant.

"You better get your hands off my kid this second, or I will slap you with a lawsuit so quickly you won't even have the chance to say, 'my bad'!" Iron Man ordered, standing directly in front of us in all his glory. Everybody froze as they looked at him in shock.

"Holy shit," I heard somebody mutter in shock.

"Tony," I cried out in desperation, and the man promptly stepped out of his suit, his face a mask of concern as he walked towards me. The hand holding me let go, and I launched myself towards the man, wrapping my arms around him tightly.

"She's dead. She's dead, she's dead, she's dead, Tony, _she's dead_!" I told him, openly sobbing into his shoulder. His arms tightened around me, and for the first time I felt no hesitation or tenseness from him. He hugged me just as tightly as I did him before telling the people behind me, "The kids coming with me, so I suggest you cops go on home. Oh, and if he _repeatedly_ told you he knew me, then you should have believed him! His aunt just died, so have some fucking sympathy!" he snapped, angry on my behalf.

"Tony, stop," I whined. "I just wanna leave. Please, let's go." His hand immediately went to the back of my neck, giving me a comforting squeeze.

"Alright, alright," he murmured quietly into my ear. "I don't have a car, but," and he pulled away slightly to look at his suit. "Yeah, I should be able to take you in"—

"Absolutely not!" the nurse from earlier shouted sternly. "You can't just fly away with him, Mr. Stark, that's absolutely dangerous!"

I turned to look back at her as she berated Tony.

"Besides that, you have to sign papers to get him out of here," she continued, hands on her hips now. "I don't care who you are, but you can't just walk out of here with a minor!"

Tony stiffened, and I could feel his anger growing. I didn't want this to turn into a bigger show than it already was; and besides, with Tony being who he was, the longer we were here the more likely the media were to get involved.

"Listen here," Tony began, his tone so menacing, even I felt a spark of fear. I pushed it away though as I told him, "Don't, please."

He shut his mouth immediately and looked down at me, all anger completely evaporating from him. He swallowed before looking back at the nurse and then the officers. His common sense seemed to catch up with him for he gave a nod, and wrapped an arm around me. He then sent his suit home before walking us inside. "I'll take care of this, Peter, I promise," he informed me, his voice firm. I didn't argue as I completely believed him. Just having him here, things suddenly didn't seem so bleak. I knew I was repressing my feelings concerning my aunt, but I didn't want to have a breakdown here in front of all these strangers.

The nurse walked inside briskly, and led us into a small room. "I take it you don't want an audience," she remarked before letting us know she'd be right back with the paperwork. Ned was with us, and he placed a hesitant hand on my arm.

"Thank you, Ned," Tony told him, his voice full of gratitude. "I'm sorry I didn't respond, but I rushed here as soon as I got your voice mail."

Ned just nodded, blushing at the praise. "I'm so sorry, Peter," he said to me, his voice sounding broken, and I gave him a watery smile.

"I-I guess I should go," he then said. "You're good now that Mr. Stark is here."

"Stay, Ned," Tony called out before he walked out. "Happy is on his way, and we'll drive you home."

"Er, no, sir, that's not necessary," he protested in embarrassment.

"Not taking no for an answer," Tony replied firmly. "And call me, Tony. I think we've moved pass formalities by this point."

Ned's eyes widened dramatically before he just nodded his head more times than was strictly necessary.

The nurse, whose name turned out to be Julie, arrived, and handed Tony a bunch of paperwork. He sighed before sitting himself down at the table. I whimpered at the loss of physical contact, and he immediately stood back up, pulled a second chair next to me, and sat me down in it. He wrapped his left arm around me before beginning to fill out all the papers.

I tuned out the conversation, just leaning into Tony's comforting touch. It took longer than I thought it would, but eventually the last paper was filled out and signed. Julie looked at me sympathetically before saying something to Tony. They shook hands, and then we all stood up. When we left the room, Happy was standing right outside, worry written all over his face, especially when he looked at me. He looked like he wanted to say something, but didn't know what, so he settled with just saying, "Let's get you home."

We walked out to his car, and I was placed in between Ned and Tony. Ned was dropped off after a few minutes, but I barely noticed as my senses were once more fogging up. I was detaching myself from the environment.

I did feel as Tony laid me down in the car. He bundled up Happy's jacket, putting it in his lap before setting my head down there. A blanket appeared from nowhere, and he placed it over me. He was speaking, but I understood nothing. I just felt as he rubbed my back in a soothing manner. I felt as he ran a hand through my hair. My eyes closed slowly, and I fell asleep before I knew it.

 **Tony's POV:**

I stared down at the sleeping teenager, feeling at a complete loss. His aunt had died, suddenly and tragically. Peter had been there. Peter had found her. Peter had been in shock when they'd arrived.

Poor kid. This wasn't fair. He was too young to have this much tragedy in his life! His parents died in a plane accident. His uncle was shot by a mugger, and now his aunt died suddenly and unexpectedly of a brain aneurysm.

I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to comfort the kid. All I knew was that he wanted me. _Me_ , of all people!

I'd been on a solo mission in Sudan the past day or so. I'd lost track of time. Stark weapons had been found, so I'd gone right away. Old memories had haunted me as I saw the destruction left behind by my own creations. All the lifeless bodies. All the blood.

When all the weapons had been destroyed I'd headed home. Once over the Atlantic, I'd allowed myself to fall asleep, knowing Friday would be able to get me home, and that she'd be able to notify me if there were any emergencies. I didn't anticipate how deeply I'd fallen asleep though. I awoke to alarm bells and Friday's frantic voice repeatedly asking me to wake up because Peter needed help.

As soon as my eyes opened she played the message from Ned. Putting in the location of the hospital he'd given me I flew as quickly as I could, arriving just in time to keep the kid from being dragged off to who knows where.

He'd been calling for me. He'd been begging them to let him call me. I felt angry at the people for not listening to him, but I felt angrier with myself for not being there earlier. I should've been there for him from the get-go. Logic let me know that I'd gotten there as soon as I could, but my heart said I should've been there sooner. After losing his last remaining relative, Peter shouldn't have had to deal with the stress of wondering who would pick him up, or where he would be living.

I didn't know how I was going to take care of this kid. What I did know, though, was that I was taking him in. If that meant I needed to adopt him, then so be it; but this boy was now my responsibility. He needed me, and I wasn't going to let him down. He wouldn't be alone. I knew I needed to discuss this with Pepper, but I honestly didn't anticipate her putting up a fight.

"How's he looking?" Happy spoke up, for the first time, and I just sighed deeply.

"He's sleeping," I informed him. "She was his last living relative, Hap. He's fifteen. This isn't fair, and shouldn't have happened to him. I have no idea how he is, but I sure as hell know that he isn't well."

Happy frowned sadly, before asking, "Do you want me to call Pepper and let her know what's going on?"

I knew I should be the one to do it, but I didn't think I could get the words out. I nodded my head, and he put up the screen between our seats, to no doubt keep the conversation from Peter.

I felt older now that I ever had before. It wasn't just weariness from fighting, stress, or lack of sleep and food. It was bone weary exhaustion. This world was cold, cruel, and unfair. Bad things happened to good people, and it grated on me. Peter deserved the best. He was everything a hero should be, and he was only fifteen! He was good and pure, and I was terrified about what May's death would do to him.

My parent's death changed me, and not for the better. I'd thrown myself completely into the party life. I'd used alcohol, drugs, and women to stop feeling, and to forget. I pushed people away, Rhodey being the only one who stuck around from my old life.

I didn't want Peter to turn out like I did. I couldn't-I _wouldn't_ let that happen. I'd be there for him even if he didn't want me to be. I hoped he wouldn't try to push me away as I would have, but if he did, I was prepared to fight. I wouldn't let him go through this all on his own.

The partition between dividing Happy from us lowered, and he informed me that Pepper had been told. Understandably, she'd been very upset, but she was also glad that we were already on our way with Peter. Natasha and Vision were both at home, and had been informed as well. Everyone was ready to do whatever was needed to help the kid out. I felt immensely grateful to these people. As well intentioned as I was, I was no expert in dealing with a grieving kid. I would need their help, and so would Peter, of course.

We arrived at HQ, and the teen was dead asleep. I gave him a small shake to see if he'd wake up, but he just groaned before trying to burrow his head into my stomach. I couldn't help but feel some awe at seeing him seek comfort from me. I'd thought about it before, but I still marveled at the fact that this kid wanted me and _needed_ me.

Deciding to carry him, I lifted him into my arms, one arm underneath his back while the other was underneath his legs. We used the private elevator to avoid being seen, and when we arrived on our floor, Pepper, Natasha, and Vision were all there. I gave them all a look of appreciation before walking to the boy's room. I set him down on his bed and took off his shoes. I was moving to pull the comforter over him when he let out a whimper, curling into a ball.

"Tony," he moaned pitifully, a blind arm reaching out. He was still sleeping, and I froze, not knowing what to do. Somebody not so gently nudged me, so I reached out, grasping onto the kid's outstretched hand. Mechanically, I found myself sitting onto the bed, Peter wrapping an arm around my waist and laying his head against my stomach again. I held one of his hands in my own while I laid the other one on his back.

"Guess you have first watch," Natasha said, a small smile gracing her features before she turned and left, Vision and Happy trailing behind. Pepper approached us and leaned down to place a kiss on the boy's forehead before placing a kiss on my forehead as well.

"I'll start making funeral arrangements," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. She and May had formed a great friendship, I recalled. "Something small and simple, I presume," she said, and I nodded. She put her hand to her mouth now, looking distraught for just a moment before she pulled herself together. My heart ached to comfort her as well, but the kid was latched onto me tight.

"He's living with us," she now declared, "so I'll look into the adoption process." I smiled for the first time since I'd heard that voicemail. Pepper wasn't even asking, but telling me what we were going to do. It wasn't her taking charge, but her already knowing what I wanted without me saying anything. She graced us both with a loving look before walking out.

I leaned my head against the headboard, feeling exhaustion take over. Now that Peter was here at home, I felt like I could take a breath. I settled myself into a more comfortable position as I kicked off my own shoes. I was still in my tight flight suit, sweaty from battle, but I didn't think the kid minded.

"Friday, you know what to do," I murmured tiredly, content with the knowledge that she would keep an eye on us both.

"Of course, sir," she responded quietly, and I finally allowed my eyes to close. Things were bad, but they would get better. For Peter's sake, I would make sure of it.

 **ONE WEEK LATER**

 **Peter's POV:**

The week since my aunt's death had been a whirlwind. Thankfully, I hadn't been alone. Tony, Pepper, Happy, Natasha, Vision, and Rhodey had all been there for me every single step of the way. They hadn't left me to deal with anything by myself.

The funeral took place yesterday. She'd been buried right next to Uncle Ben, in the same cemetery as my parents. They were all together now.

I was at HQ now, sitting in my room and staring blankly at the television. Something was on, but I couldn't remember anymore. I was still in my PJs even though it was nearing 4PM. Today had been the first day the others had left me to my own devices. I'd been checked in on, but they realized how suffocating it could be to be constantly hovered over. I also knew that they had Friday watching over me like the omniscient present she was, but I didn't mind.

I looked down at the picture in my hand of me, my uncle, and my aunt. It'd been taken right before I'd gotten my powers. My heart ached as I looked at how happy we all were. How oblivious we were that less than two years later they'd both be dead, and I would be the vigilante superhero, Spider Man.

My eyes burned, but no tears came. All the tears had been spent already.

I was alone now. I was the last Parker.

What now? What was I going to do now? What was going to happen to our apartment? To all our stuff? To _her_ stuff? What would I do with it? Could I even go back there? No, no, no. _NO_.

What about school? Where was I going to live? What about Ned?

There was a soft knock on my door, and I gave a quiet, "Come in."

Tony's head poked in, a hesitant smile on his face. It was so uncharacteristic of his normal, bright smile that I couldn't help but feel guilty. I'd put a strain on the current Avengers. Every night this last week someone had been in this room with me as I'd gone to sleep, or they'd come in after I'd fallen asleep. Tony, Pepper, Natasha, Happy, Vision, Rhodey, _all_ of them. Nobody had forced me to talk. Nobody had told me they were sorry about what happened. I guess they'd all experienced enough death to know better than to just apologize and tell me everything was going to be alright.

"Pepper and I would like to talk with you, if that's okay?" he asked, and I nodded my head, clearing my throat as I stood up and turned the TV off. Tony walked in, Pepper's hand in his as they walked over towards me.

"Please sit," Pepper said to me, and I sat back down in my chair. Pepper took the other lounge chair while Ton dragged over the desk chair to sit on.

"What's up?" I asked nervously, wondering what they could want to talk about. They both exchanged looks before Pepper took in a breath and began to speak. The barest of smiles graced my lips as I knew Tony didn't feel comfortable talking about emotional things. He was great at it, I felt, but he still didn't feel comfortable doing it; hence, Pepper starting the talk.

"We know it's only been a week since your aunt passed," she began, "and I wish I could give you all the time in the world to deal with it, _but_ there are decisions that need to be made. Before we start, though, I need you to know that whatever decisions you make, know that we will support you in any way we can."

I gave her a single nod, understanding now what this conversation was going to be about.

"This is about where I'm going to live," I stated, and she gave me a sad smile. I looked back down at the photograph in my hands, my heart hurting more than it ever had. This was too big of a decision for me to make on my own. I didn't know what to do. I had nowhere to go. Fifteen years old. An orphan once again with no place to call home. Even if I went back to the apartment, it wasn't like I could afford the rent. I had no job. I doubted they'd let a fifteen-year-old live alone anyways.

I flicked my eyes towards the unnaturally silent Tony and remembered how he'd told me he'd been emancipated when he'd been orphaned at sixteen. He also inherited billions of dollars, I reminded myself morosely. Not to mention he had a home. And he was a genius. So…I guess our situations weren't quite similar.

What options did that leave me with? Going into an orphanage who knows where? Foster care? That sounded horrid.

What else? Live as a homeless kid, I supposed. It's not like I'd be afraid. Nobody could take me on. I could probably convince someone to hire me, and save up some money to get myself a place. Hell, if I asked nicely enough Tony would probably let me stay here until I had enough money to get my own place.

I finally lifted my head, looking from one concerned face to the next. Tony's eyes narrowed when we locked eyes, and I could instantly tell he was analyzing me. Being the genius who he was, he probably already knew what my options were.

"I don't want to go to an orphanage," I admitted right off the bat. "I don't have money, but if I could just live here for a little while, I could get a job somewhere"—

"Oh god, please just shut up," Tony interjected firmly, throwing me with a look of fond exasperation before turning to Pepper who looked even sadder than before. "I told you he'd be like this."

"The decision has to be his," she countered, "if we'd just outright asked him, I was worried he'd feel obligated."

"He's fifteen, Pep," Tony argued, and I figured it was time I cut in.

"Yeah, fifteen and sitting right here with perfectly good hearing," I informed them with an unhappy frown. "Don't treat me like a kid."

Tony's eyebrows rose before he simply said, "You are a kid."

I wanted to argue, but before I said anything, he asked a question that left me completely stunned. "We want to adopt you. You cool with that?" I barely noticed Pepper letting out a groan as she slapped a hand at her face.

"That's not how you ask him, Tony Stark!" she snapped heatedly, looking ready to strangle him.

Tony responded with an innocent look before zeroing in on me. "You don't have to answer now, but at least think about it. I've known you long enough, spiderling, to know what you're thinking. I'm not asking out of obligation. I'm asking because I want you." He frowned suddenly, murmuring, "That came out a little weird. I don't want your body, I want you as part of my family. That sounds better, right?" he said, looking at Pepper for approval. Pepper just rolled her eyes looking completely appalled and exasperated as she graced Tony with a glare.

For my part, my eyes were already filling with tears as I finally registered what I'd just been asked. They wanted to adopt me. They wanted me as part of their family. This was completely surreal. Never in a million years would I have imagined my life turning out this way.

I didn't think I had anymore tears in me, but they now trailed down my face as I suddenly said, "Yes."

Their married-couple argument ended, both their faces looking at me. Pepper looked relieved while Tony just gave me a real smile. He then turned towards Pepper, stood up, and with a grand gesture, pointed at me and announced, "Congratulations Pepper, it's a boy!"

Laughter escaped me. The first laugh since all of this had happened, and then the laughter turned to crying. I stood up and literally ran to Tony, accidentally tackling him to the floor as I hugged him.

He let out a groan before chuckling softly and returning the hug, one hand wrapped around my back while the other cradled my head. "Welcome to the family," he said. "It's a crazy one, but somehow I feel you'll fit in just fine."

"By the grins on your faces I assume he said yes," Vision stated casually as he looked at us with a smile. I looked at him in surprise, not knowing when he'd come in. Nat and Rhodes were with him.

"What a sickeningly, revolting sight," Natasha commented drily, but I knew she didn't mean it as her eyes were lit up and she had a genuine smile on her face.

"Awesome!" Rhodey exclaimed, as he rested his arm on Vision's shoulder. "I'm finally an uncle! So, have you proposed to Pepper yet?" he then asked, looking at Tony with a smirk. I released my hold on Tony, wiping at my face as I sat up. I couldn't keep the grin off my face as Tony looked at his oldest friend with a disgruntled look.

"I was getting around to that, Platypus," he grumbled before putting his hand in a pocket and pulling out a ring.

He got himself up, walked to Pepper and then got down on bended knee. We all watched with bated breath as he took her hands in his. Holy shit. He was actually doing it here and now.

"Pepper, you know me," he began. "You know me better than I know myself. You've been with me through a lot of bad years, and you've stuck by me as I've screwed up time after time. I love you, and I honestly don't know how I'd survive without you. I really wanted to do this right, and get married before even thinking about kids, but now that we've got a bouncing baby spider, I almost feel like we gotta get hitched. So, my darling, beautiful Pepper Potts, would you do me the honor of being my wife?"

Rhodes let out a low whistle as we watched Pepper go from shocked to tearful in a matter of seconds. "Yes," she finally said. "Yes, yes, yes!" she shouted before launched herself into his arms. He once more ended up on the floor, but he didn't seem to mind as he just wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her in for a passionate kiss.

Rhodey laughed before rushing over to me, faster than I thought possible when using crutches, and covering my eyes. "Cool it in front of the kid, Starks!" he berated in amusement. Tony just treated him to one of his signature, cocky grins before picking himself and Pepper off the floor.

"Congratulations, you two, I'm very happy for the both of you," Vision said, his features lit up more happily than I'd ever seen before. "And congratulations on the adoption, Peter," he said, looking at me now. I grinned widely, feeling overwhelmed with happiness. Never did I think I would be able to feel like this after Aunt May's death.

The newly engaged couple now walked to me, both pulling me onto my feet before enveloping me in a hug. When we broke apart, I was surprised but pleased to feel Natasha's arms wrapped around me. "You're going to need help with Tony as a father, so if he ever gives you trouble, you come to me and I'll straighten him out." She kissed my cheek then before breaking apart.

"Really, Nat?" Tony complained. "Already trying to prejudice _my_ kid against me?" Nat just shrugged unapologetically before hugging Tony.

More hugs were exchanged as Rhodey went around and embraced each one of us; and while he clearly felt awkward, even Vision managed to hug each one of us. I was wondering where Happy was when he popped into the room, looking quite bewildered.

"What the hell did I miss?" he questioned with wide eyes.

"Pep and I are engaged and Peter's agreed to being adopted by us. Congrats, Uncle Happy!" Tony announced with all his Tony Stark charm, his arms spread wide.

Happy's eyes bugged out as his mouth fell open in surprise. He quickly overcame that though, and yelled, "It's about freakin time, Boss!" He rushed the happy couple, wrapping his arms around the both of them. Turning to me, he smiled warmly as he said, "And welcome to this crazy family. You need help dealing with Tony, you let me know." He hugged me, and I laughed as Tony complained, "Why is everybody saying that?"

Things weren't perfect. They never would be, but I suddenly was filled with hope that I would be okay. I had a new family. A crazy family, apparently, but one that I already knew cared a great deal for me; and that's all I could ask for.

 **A/N: Once again, sorry for the killing off May. The method in which she died, tragically happened to one of my coworkers last year. I didn't personally know her, but she left behind a family. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the ending at least! I wanted to add some happiness and levity to an otherwise tragic chapter.**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Thank you to those who continue to faithfully review, you keep me going. This next bit is broken into two chapters.**

 **Chapter 14: Teenage Angst**

 **Peter's POV:**

I arrived home, feeling bored out of my mind and famished. As I walked in I asked Friday if anybody was home, and was disappointed yet unsurprised when she told me no. I walked into the kitchen and wondered what to eat. I didn't exactly know how to cook. I knew I should've just grabbed a sandwich on the way home. Oh, well.

It'd been a month and a half since Tony and Pepper had asked to adopt me, and I was now an official member of their family. I still couldn't help but grin widely every time I thought about it. Officially, my name was now Peter Parker-Stark, but it was agreed by us all that for safety reasons, and to keep the media out of my life that I would drop the Stark in my everyday life; or at least until I felt comfortable taking it on.

Tony, being the big dork that he was, presented me with a fake birth certificate with the date of the adoption along with my new name, current weight, height, and age. It was now proudly displayed on the wall right next to a picture of the three of us. As weird as the gesture was, it was so Tony Stark I couldn't help but laugh. I was really touched that he and Pepper seemed to be as excited for my adoption as I was.

Before the adoption took place, we discussed where we would live. I'd assumed we'd be living at HQ, but they said it was up to me. They asked me first, if I wanted to return to my same high school, and I'd been surprised that it was even an option. I immediately agreed, and they had then told me they'd bought a penthouse for us to live at, so we wouldn't have to get up at the crack of dawn every day for me to get to school. Pepper also added that she wanted me to have as normal a life as possible, and that living at the Avengers headquarters, was not the conducive to that.

I'd felt guilty that they were moving back to NYC just for me, especially since I knew, Tony at least would need to go back to HQ for Avengers business. They'd scoffed at my concerns, Tony saying it was no problem, and Pepper assuring me that living in the city again would be helpful to her as there was an SI building here.

The new place was really nice. It was at the top of a nice apartment complex, and we had the top two floors. The very top, Tony converted into a temporary lab, while the second floor was for living. It wasn't big, by Tony standards, but he didn't seem to mind. The bedrooms were a nice size, and I was allowed to decorate mine however I wanted. I had a couple of things from my old apartment, some of my stuff and some of my aunt and uncle's stuff. I also had pictures of me with my new family. I toned down on the Spiderman theme, but Tony still managed to sneak in a huge Spiderman emblem onto my ceiling. That man could be more of a kid than me. I was surprised his bedroom wasn't entirely decked out in the Iron Man theme, but I guess Pepper wouldn't let him.

It was nice living close to my school. I was close enough that I only needed to hop on one bus to get there, unlike before. Tony and Pepper had assured me they could give me a ride if I wanted, but I disagreed for several reasons. First off, it wasn't public knowledge that they'd adopted me, and it would stir questions if they drove me to school every day. The story was that a cousin had come to take care of me. Secondly, I had to admit that it'd be embarrassing being dropped off at work like a little kid every day. I wanted my independence. Tony had looked aghast at ever being considered an embarrassment while Pepper had been completely understanding.

Being able to go to the same school was a huge help as it was the only familiar thing I had left. Having Ned was the biggest relief, because after everything we'd been through, he was like a brother to me now. I'd also been getting closer to MJ over time, and she'd been really helpful in helping me deal with my aunt's death. She understood losing parental figures as her parents had died a few years back, and she was currently living with an older brother. She and Ned were the only two that knew I'd been adopted by Tony and Pepper. I'd actually had her over to the house for twice now, and she'd stayed for dinner once. She had yet to meet Tony, but she and Pepper had hit it off instantly. I wasn't really surprised by that, though, as everybody liked Pepper.

Now, while having been adopted rather than living on my own was great, everything wasn't peachy. Tony and Pepper were really busy people, and they came and went at odd hours. Sometimes they'd be gone for days, and with Tony, we didn't always know where he was or when he was getting home. More often than not, I found myself arriving home and being alone; which, I was embarrassed to admit hurt me. It was childish, but I wished I could see them more, Tony especially. Pepper usually managed to make it home every night, even if it was late, and we said hi, but it still wasn't enough. Tony, on the other hand was here or he wasn't, and the wasn't happened more and more lately. Something was going on, but of course I wasn't privy to what that was.

Then, there were the rules. I hadn't expected to have a curfew. Aunt May hadn't set one, even after she knew I was Spiderman. Here, on the other hand I was expected to be at home by midnight and asleep by 1AM. A couple times now, I'd accidentally missed that curfew, and Tony had sent his suits to pick me up and fly me home. After the second time, three days ago, my curfew had been changed to 10PM for a week. I'd been pretty pissed, telling Tony that bad guys didn't have a curfew, and that he was allowing people to be hurt or killed by demanding I be home so early. His expression had darkened at my accusation, especially when I refused to apologize, and my curfew had been changed to being outright banned from going out for the week.

Tony had been gone since he'd passed down my cruel sentence, and it had occurred me to go out. However, I knew that even if I removed the tracker from my suit, he'd still know I was out because of Karen. I loved Karen, but it was so not fair that she was programmed to listen to him first and me second.

Not for the first time I wondered why Tony and Pepper adopted me if they were never going to be around. I instantly felt guilty for the selfish thought. They were trying, I guess, but they probably just didn't know how to take care of a kid. Besides, I had a home, clothes, and food, and even an allowance. What did I have to complain about?

I pulled out two crumpled up notes from my school. One was from my history teacher and the other was from my English teacher, both requesting to speak with my guardian. They didn't know who my real guardians were, and I was going to keep it that way. I'd been a little distracted at school lately, and my grades in classes other than math and science were suffering. Those were the only classes Tony cared about, so I really figured he wouldn't care about the others. My future was with the Avengers, not getting into college. I just needed to pass so I could move on and eventually graduate.

I stuffed the notes into my backpack, planning on just forging notes from my "guardian" that they'd talked to me and things were going to change or whatever…Really these teachers were being jerks. They should realize that I'm dealing with the loss of my aunt, and so clearly my grades are a result of me grieving.

I walked to the fridge, intent on finding something to eat when I saw a note taped to the fridge. Had to be from Pepper because Tony would've just told Friday to tell me whatever he wanted me to know; or he'd have just texted me.

 _Hey Peter,_

 _I tried calling but you didn't respond, so I just wanted to let you know I've been called to an emergency meeting in Florida. I'll make sure I'm back by tomorrow evening. I'll try and call later, so take care and stay out of trouble. Remember, NO SPIDERMAN!_

 _Love, Pepper_

I let out a heavy sigh before grumbling at the last bit. No Spiderman. Who was going to stop me, I thought sardonically? An empty suit?

I sighed sadly now, realizing that Pepper would probably miss my decathlon competition tomorrow. Tony and Pepper had said they'd be there, but I guess they couldn't. I didn't know where Tony was, and Pepper wouldn't be home early enough. Whatever. Aunt May hadn't ever been able to make it either because of work.

I threw myself onto the couch, and stared morosely at the ceiling. I was bored. I didn't want to do homework. I wanted to go out as Spiderman. I couldn't believe I was grounded! I mean, who grounds a super hero? What an embarrassment.

I mulled over what to do when I decided there was nothing stopping me from going out. I didn't have to use the suit Tony gave me. I'd just go in my old suit, and leave my phone here. There'd be no way of him tracking me. Yeah, if he asked Friday he'd know I was gone, but I could always say I was with Ned and that I'd forgotten my phone.

Feeling a familiar thrill of excitement, I rushed into my room, glad that I'd decided to keep my old suit. Tony had told me to just throw it away, but when I argued, he'd just rolled his eyes. The next day I'd walked into my room to see it in a glass case with the title, Mach 1. Looking at the case, I felt a flash of guilt of what I was about to do. He was being overprotective though. And what right did he have to order me to do anything when he wasn't even around? With that thought, I opened the case and put on my old suit. It was embarrassing looking, but my desire to go out and patrol was stronger than the need to look cool.

Putting the suit in my back pack, so that I could keep as much as I could from Friday, I rushed out of the penthouse, ducking into an alley to get changed before swinging away. I let out a whoop of excitement as I felt the rush of adrenaline course through me. I loved swinging through the city. The freedom, and the feel of the wind rushing past me. I supposed Tony probably felt the same when flying.

I went first to Ned's place. I needed him to provide an alibi should Tony call him. I snuck into his room, and snickered when he let out a squeak of surprise.

"Peter, what are you doing here?" he whispered, looking frantically around the room for any danger. "I thought you weren't supposed to be Spiderman right now."

"I'm not," I replied. "Why do you think I'm wearing my old suit."

"Oh," he replied with a nod before his eyes widened and he said, "Wait, you snuck out? Peter, are you crazy? Why do you always look to put yourself into trouble?"

I frowned at what he was saying. "Relax Ned," I told him grumpily. "I'm Spiderman, and I shouldn't have a curfew or be grounded. I'm a superhero first and foremost, and I'm not going to let people be endangered because of Tony's dumb rules. Besides, nobody's at home anyways, so it's not like I'm missed."

Ned's expression looked sympathetic as he said, "They're gone again?" I nodded, and he let out a sigh. "I'm your alibi," he then stated more than asked, but I nodded my head anyways.

"I left my phone at home, and if for some reason, Tony or Pepper call, tell them I was with you and that I forgot my phone at home, okay?" I informed him, and he grimaced before nodding.

"You know I hate lying to Iron Man; and to tell you the truth, Pepper seems just as scary if not more than Tony," he mumbled, and I gave him a pointed look.

"You're my best friend, Ned, come on, help a guy out," I pleaded, and he smiled as he nodded.

"I got you, man," he assured me. We did our secret handshake, and then I took off.

Patrol was more exciting tonight than usual. It seemed the bad guys had noticed my absence because they were out in droves. I stopped two muggings, one car theft, one ATM robbery, and aided the police in a high-speed car chase. As I stood at the top of a building and looked around, I grinned widely in satisfaction. This was I was meant to do. Spiderman was who I was.

Looking at my watch, I saw it was 3AM, so I decided to head home to get some sleep. I went back to my secret alley and changed clothes before going into the penthouse like a regular human. As I walked in, Friday greeted me and let me know that both Pepper and Tony had attempted to call me, but that she'd let them know I'd left my phone at home.

I nodded, looking at my phone. I saw one missed call and a voicemail from Pepper. Listening to it, it was just her reiterating that she was in Florida while also mildly scolding me for leaving home without my phone. My eyes widened when I saw that Tony had called me five times, left three voicemails, and texted me twice. I felt uneasy as I decided to ignore the voicemails and look at the texts. The first text was a link, and with a sinking feeling I watched a short clip of me webbing up a man to a wall who'd been trying to break into a car. I stifled a groan, feeling I could chalk this up to being an old video, but the video had been uploaded today. Shit.

I looked at the next text from Tony, and groaned again when I read:

 _Hey Bueller, next time you think about defying me, try not to be filmed doing it. By the way, I'll be home around 5AM, and I better find you sound asleep in your room when I check in on you._

Damn it, damn it, damn it! Stupid people with stupid camera phones that stupidly had to film everything and post it on the stupid internet! Arrghhh! Now Tony was pissed, and I was going to have to listen to him lecture me and then he'd probably ground me some more! Not fair!

I'd done so good tonight. I'd helped a lot of people, but all he could focus on was that I was out past my bedtime?! I wasn't a little kid anymore! I looked at my phone and decided to text Tony everything I'd been able to do tonight in the hopes that he'd calm down. He had to know how much this city needed me. A minute after I sent the text I received a response from Tony.

 _Good job, but you're still in trouble. Go to bed._

I scoffed, feeling suddenly so angry that I chucked my phone against a wall, a hole being formed. I felt satisfaction at the hole, but disappointed that my phone didn't break. I'd forgotten that Tony had spiderman-proofed it months ago.

I was angry, so _angry_.

Who did Tony think he was? I got that he didn't want me taking on guys like the Lizard. _That_ I understood. I wasn't quite ready for them, and while I didn't quite agree, my track record worked against me. I didn't get the curfew, though. I didn't get why he would ground me from being Spiderman when I wasn't injured or anything! Was this a power trip? Was he trying to show me who was boss?

And what right did he have to control what I did as Spiderman? I was a super hero! I didn't need to answer to anybody!

Chest heaving from emotion, I ran into my room, and stuffed some clothes into my backpack. See how they like it, I thought moodily, when they arrive home to find nobody here. If they can just disappear for days on end, then so will I. That'll show them that I can take care of myself. That'll show them that I don't need them babying me!

"Mr. Parker, it appears to me that you are preparing yourself to run away, and I feel that's a bad idea," Friday spoke up, and I completely ignored her. "I feel the need to inform you that if you leave I will notify Mr. Stark immediately."

"So, what?!" I snapped, glaring at the ceiling. "He can't stop me, and I can do what I want! I'm not a kid anymore! Make sure you tell him that, Friday! Make sure you tell him he's a jerk, and-and…," I trailed off, feeling suddenly emotional. Shouldering my bag, I stormed out of the room and out of our home. My first destination was Ned's house. As my best friend, I felt I owed him some explanation.

I snuck into his room, creeped up to him, and covered his mouth as I woke him up. He still screamed into my hand until he figured out who I was. I let him go when it seemed he'd calmed, and he breathed heavily before glaring at me.

"You scared the hell out of me!" he accused. "What're you doing here?" he then asked, his anger melting into confusion and concern. "Are you hurt? Do you need me to call, Tony?"

"No, no, nothing like that," I responded firmly before explaining what I was doing.

He didn't seem happy with my explanation, and he sighed heavily before asking, "Are you sure this is the right thing to do, Peter? I mean, I get how you feel, but from my point of view it seems like Tony and Pepper are just worried for you."

I glared heatedly at him as I grumbled, "You're supposed to be on my side."

"I am, I am, Peter, but I just don't want to see you in trouble, or hurt because of what you're going to do," he defended. My glare softened immediately, and I gave him a little nudge of affection.

"Why don't I come with you?" he asked out of the blue, and I had to quickly stifle a loud laugh as I looked at him incredulously.

"What?" he asked in confusion. "It won't be forever, and I wouldn't mind skipping school for a few days." I shook my head in surprise, marveling at how blasé Ned was suddenly being about this.

"Ned, no, I can't let you do that," I argued. "You'll get in huge trouble with your parents, and it's not going to be easy out there. I've got money, but it's only going to be for food. It's not like anybody is going to let me check out a room in a hotel, even."

Ned frowned thoughtfully, and I felt like I'd won the argument when he stood up, turned on a small light and grabbed his backpack. He unloaded all his school stuff before beginning to stuff some clothes and snacks in it. I shook my head in disbelief as he stated, "I'm not letting you run away alone. I'm your best friend, and you'd be lost without me."

I snickered softly at his words before just giving in. It'd be fun having him along, like an adventure.

"Wait here," Ned then ordered before walking out his room. When he came back a few minutes later he had a long rectangular bag. "Tent," he mentioned, and I grinned, glad he'd thought of that. I'd honestly hadn't thought of where I was going to sleep.

"You can protect us, right?" Ned asked, and I rolled my eyes.

"Of course, I can!" I assured him, and he shouldered his backpack before motioning me to lead the way. I went towards his window and hopped out, sticking to the outside wall.

"Maybe I should just walk out the front," he mused, but I ignored him and hauled him out, before jumping down. He yelled loudly, so I quickly dragged him away from his home before anybody came to check out the noise.

"Sorry, sorry!" Ned whispered after we'd gotten far enough away.

"Where now?" he asked, and I kind of shrugged. While having Ned around sounded fun, I hadn't planned on having him around. I guessed we should look for some place to stay. Glad now, that Tony and Pepper had been generous enough to give me an allowance, I hailed a taxi cab and gave the destination. While I couldn't get a hotel room at my age, hailing a cab was no problem.

Sitting down in the cab, Ned and I gave each other looks of nervous excitement as we wondered what the next couple days would bring us.

 **Tony's POV:**

I stood in our house, crossing my arms more tightly than I needed to because of how angry I was. That little punk. That little hot-headed, stubborn, spiderling!

Peter was gone. Friday had informed me the second that brat had left the house with a bag of clothes. I'd rushed here even faster, but still didn't arrive until an hour and a half after he left. A quick glance in his room revealed his old suit was gone, so I cursed inwardly. Dumb move, spiderboy, _dumb move_.

Knowing it was probably futile, I called Peter's phone. I immediately heard it ring from nearby; and walking into the living area, I saw the phone inside a good sized hole in the wall. Pepper was going to love that.

I shook my head before noting Peter's school backpack sitting on one of the kitchen counters. I looked it over and opened it up, hoping for some idea of where my stubborn spider went off to. I glanced through his binder, seeing nothing but school work. There were two crumpled pieces of paper, and I opened them up, my eyebrows raising in surprise at what they said. Apparently, my studious Peter wasn't doing well in his history and English class, and his teachers wanted to speak with me.

I let out a heavy sigh, leaning onto the counter now in exhaustion. When did this happen? The kid always did his homework, didn't he? He told me and Pepper he did. Admittedly, I wasn't around a lot. The amount of missions the Avengers had increased in the last couple weeks, and the missions kept me gone for two to five days at a time, with only a day or two of downtime. As the de facto leader of the current Avengers I had to be at every mission and debriefing. I was also working with some of the UN leaders on making changes to the Sokovia accords, the first of which was getting rid of The Raft and Ross. We were actually making headway with that, but I'd definitely been busy.

Looking around the house, I noticed lots of Peter's stuff around the rooms with some of Pepper's as well. A sudden feeling of guilt filled me as I realized I hadn't really been here for Pepper and Peter. It didn't even look like I lived here, which was sad. I rubbed a tired hand over my face.

I needed to find the kid. He was clearly pissed at me for having grounded him from Spiderman duties. I figured he would be. I mean, that was the point of punishment, but I honestly didn't expect him to defy me. A week wasn't that long to ask, I felt; but clearly, I didn't know Peter as well as I thought.

He and I needed to sit down and talk.

Where the hell could he be? I groaned inwardly before running up to my lab and putting on my Iron Man suit. I took flight, heading over towards Ned's house. I didn't think I'd find Peter here, but I figured I'd check. Staying high up, I called Ned's number. I heard it ring through the audio's helmet, which helped me locate Ned's bedroom. Searching for heat signatures, I found there were none in his room. Searching the rest of the house I found two heat signatures in what I assumed was the master bedroom.

Son of a bitch. Peter had roped Ned into running away with him. What were they, twelve?

My disappointment in Peter mounted. I knew the kid could take care of himself, but what the hell was he doing dragging Ned into his mess? Why the hell was he running, anyways? What was he hoping to prove? He was smart enough to know that he'd have to come home eventually. He couldn't hide from me forever.

Flying over the city, I decided to do an old-fashioned search, hoping I'd get a glimpse of my kid or Ned. I asked Friday to keep an ear out for anything on the internet concerning Spiderman. When the sun had come out, and I knew school was going to start soon I headed towards the boys' school on the off chance they'd show up.

I waited until twenty minutes after the bell had rang before giving it up as a lost cause. They'd run away, so of course they weren't going to go to school. Looking at his school reminded me that I was going to have to talk with his teachers about the kid's grades. That was for another time.

I headed home next, my lack of sleep hitting me hard. I needed to sleep before I passed out. Hopefully, when I woke up I'd be able to think clearer, or the troublesome teen would get his common sense back and come home. Arriving home, I checked for Peter, hoping he'd gotten over his temper tantrum, but he was still gone.

Worry coursed through me now, dampening some of my anger. What did I do to push the kid to feeling he had to run? Would he come back?

I let out a large sigh before calling Pepper to inform her of our runaway spider. She was shocked and extremely concerned, blaming herself immediately for not being home for him. I tried to soothe her and tell her she wasn't to blame, but she wasn't hearing it. Too tired to argue at the time, I informed her of what I'd done so far before admitting that I needed to rest. She agreed, letting me know she'd be home as soon as she could.

Her guilt further built upon my own. I was beginning to realize that we hadn't been around for the kid a lot as of late. Pepper and I were going to need to talk.

Collapsing onto my bed, I didn't even bother to take off my shoes before I passed out.

 **A/N: Yeah, so I'm going to come off whiny, but I've noticed a decline in the number of reviews...so, I'm going to be a jerk and hold my story hostage... :(**

 **I'm continuing to work on this story, and I'm currently working on chapter 21. I've honestly never been so interested in a story that I've written so much so quickly and so easily. I'm loving the dynamics between Tony and Peter, and more and more ideas just pop into my head. You're always welcome to make suggestions, and I'll see if I can add them in. Chapter 21 is currently taking place during Peter's summer break.**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Well now, it seems my childish threat worked. THANK YOU! It's reviews that keep me going, so if I don't get them, I start to doubt my story and feel people don't like it. Yeah, I'm sensitive like that. As a thank you for all the reviews, I'm giving you the longest chapter of the story!**

 **To anyone whose day I seem to brighten, I am extremely touched that I am able to help you in any way. I totally understand how reading stories on this site can help distract you from the troubles of life.**

 **WARNING: This chapter will contain disciplinary spanking of a teenager, so don't read or flame if you don't like!**

 **Chapter 15: Growing Pains**

 **Tony's POV:**

It'd been three days since Peter had run away, and any anger I'd had was replaced with full blown worry. I couldn't believe he and Ned were still gone. I'd thought, for sure, that after a day that they'd return. I couldn't help but feel like I was to blame, at least in some part. I wasn't going to say the kid was blameless, because nobody told him to run, but he'd definitely been feeling angry about more than just being grounded from being Spiderman.

After his first day gone I'd informed Happy, Nat, Vision, and Rhodey, hoping they'd have some ideas on locating my runaway spider that I hadn't thought of. They hadn't, although Happy and Nat had taken to the streets separately, attempting to just do a ground search.

I had Friday permanently scouring the internet and media for any mention of Spiderman activity, and there'd been one instance of him being involved in a police shootout, but by the time I'd arrived, the situation had been wrapping up and he was nowhere in sight. I felt pride at how he'd assisted to police, and they had clearly been grateful rather than aggravated. At least I knew he was okay. This had been yesterday, so I also knew that he was still in the city; which, we hadn't been sure of.

Pepper and I were sitting in our living room, both filled with worry and guilt.

"I thought he was doing fine in school," she murmured, looking at the notes I'd showed her. I nodded in agreement, and she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I feel that we've messed up, Tony," she admitted, and I grimaced, giving her another nod.

"We haven't been around for him as we should be," she continued to speak. "We insist he's still a kid, and I stand by that, but we've been leaving him alone too much. We need to learn how to juggle our work with him, making sure that at least one of us, if not both is here for him. Leaving him to his own devices…we have no idea what he's thinking, and," waving the notes from school, "we've clearly no idea how he's doing in school."

"In short, we suck at being parents," I surmised, and Pepper's eyes suddenly filled with tears. I immediately sat myself down by her, and took one of her hands in mine.

"We'll fix this," I assured her. "The kid won't be gone forever, and when he's back we'll talk to him."

"I just wish he was here, so I could hug him and apologize for being so awful," she informed me, and I agreed to some extent, but I also wanted to let her know that we couldn't just wave away what he'd done.

"Pepper," I began seriously, "I get that we need to fix the way we've been gone, but the kid still screwed up. I know you're ready to apologize to him and take full responsibility, but he's fifteen, almost sixteen now; and he knows better than to act like this. He's smart, and while I'd been willing to let his little adventure as Spiderman go, I'm not going to let this running away. He may have super powers, but he's still a kid, and running away will never solve anything. Not to mention, the danger he's putting himself and Ned in."

"Tony," Pepper complained, "he's been through a lot lately. With his aunt's death and then us not being around, can't we just let this go?"

I stifled a frustrated groan as I gave her a pointed look. "Would you have gotten away with this with your parents at his age?" I pressed, and she immediately shook her head, a light blush appearing on her cheeks.

"Yeah, they weren't happy at all when I decided to run away," she admitted, and I grinned at the thought of a rebellious Pepper. Story for another time.

"I ran away when I was fifteen," I informed her. "Gone two days before I got arrested for drunk and disorderly content," I confessed with a sheepish grin. She had an amused grin as she'd seen me in that state more times than either one of us cared to admit. "My dad chewed me out something fierce, but my mom's punishment was what made the larger impact. She was furious with me more about the drinking than leaving, and for the first and only time she took a belt to my dumb ass. I couldn't even look at a drink after that…until she died, that is." I frowned, before giving my fiancé a lopsided grin.

She shook her head, and played with the hair at the back of my head. "You're not planning on"—

"No. God, no," I interjected with a rapid shake of my head. "I could never, and if even if I wanted to, it's not like a belt would hurt him. But like I said, I could never do that. I just…no way," I said, feeling sick at the mere thought of doing that to my little spider. "I do plan on busting his butt, though."

"I hate when you do that," Pepper responded, her hand falling back down to her lap. Her face clearly expressed her displeasure, but she eventually sighed, leaning into my chest as she said, "But I'm not going to fight you. I certainly received the same punishment when my dad got his hands on me." I snorted as I kissed the top of her head.

"Enough of this talk," I then stated. "Let's focus on finding Peter first. Friday's scanning for not just mentions of Spiderman, but also Peter Parker and Ned Leeds. Those kids are gonna mess up at some point or another. They can't hide from us forever."

Pepper nodded against my chest, and I felt my shirt dampening as she started to cry. Wrapping my arms around her, I placed another kiss on the top of her head as I assured her we would find Peter, and that he'd be just fine.

 **Peter's POV:**

Ned and I were sitting at a police station, having been arrested (unbelievable, I know) for disorderly conduct. We were innocent, but the police didn't believe us, of course. Ned and I had been walking around after having had dinner when we saw a kid our age running and being chased by a bunch of guys. The boy tripped, and my super hero persona took control, causing me to immediately place myself between the bullies and the kid. I wasn't wearing my costume, so I shouldn't have been so surprised when they'd just laughed at me.

Ned joined me, and I cursed him for being an idiot. He picked up the boy and was starting to lead him away when one of the guys hollered at him to stop. Obviously, Ned ignored him, but that's when things turned ugly. One of the men went after my friend, and as I went to stop him, the other men got involved, two of them pulling out switch blades.

Fear filled me, not having expected things to be this dangerous. I'd thought these guys were just having fun at the kid's expense (yeah, this sadly wasn't so uncommon), but it was clearly more serious than that. I immediately fought back, no longer caring about hiding my identity. I didn't have time to hold back as I couldn't risk Ned or the boy getting hurt. These guys were clearly surprised by my skills, and all of them turned their attentions to me rather than the other two.

I fought hard, taking them down rather easily. My spider sense suddenly went off, and I turned around to block the knife coming my way when Ned appeared out of nowhere and tackled the man. He ripped the knife out of the dude's hand and stood up, eyes wide as he looked at the knife and then at me.

"Woah. Woah, what did I just do?" he asked, and I came towards him planning on grabbing the knife when the police decided to turn up. I felt a wave of relief until they began to yell at us, demanding Ned put the knife down right now. Oh, crap.

I looked at the situation from an outsider's point of view. Here, Ned and I were unharmed, and Ned was holding a knife as we were surrounded by five unconscious or groaning men on the ground. I looked behind me to see that the kid we'd saved was gone, so he wouldn't be able to defend us.

As the officers cuffed us we both tried to explain what happened, but they told us to be silent. I noticed with relief that they were arresting the men as well, at least. Once at the station, an officer came up to us to demand what happened. We explained, but he seemed to think the knives were ours. I mean, how else would a scrawny little kid, and a chubby kid take on five grown men.

"None of them are even cut," I defended hotly, not liking being accused of attacking people. "The knives were theirs, and we just got lucky. We caught them by surprise."

The officer, Rick, didn't believe us, but he also agreed that none of those men had a single cut on them. He didn't quite know what to make of it, so he decided he had no reason to hold us. I was relieved, but then he stopped us from leaving saying that we couldn't go without a guardian signing us out. We both froze, giving each other nervous looks. Neither one of us wanted our parent/guardian to bail us out of jail. This certainly wouldn't help our case that we could take care of ourselves.

Rick asked for our names and we gave him fake ones. He then asked for our home phone numbers, but we refused to tell him. He demanded we give him our phones, but we told him we didn't have one. He wasn't happy at all with us, and he threatened to throw us in a jail cell, but we refused to tell him. My fear of Tony's reaction far outweighed my fear of a jail cell. It seemed Ned was of the same mind concerning his parents, so he too remained mute.

Rick glared at us, but before he could follow through with his threat, several officers came in with a group of people who looked rather drunk. To my horror, one of those people was Flash Thompson, who was brought over towards us. His other friends, who must've been adults were taken to jail cells.

Flash was really drunk, so it took him nearly two minutes before he noticed us. "Hey! Peter and Ned, what're you doing here?" He had a huge grin on his face, and he came to put an arm around me. "Who'd have thought, Midtown's two biggest losers would end up in prison! Is it because of the truancies?"

Our luck going from bad to worse, Rick happened to hear what Flash said, or more importantly heard what he'd called us. He immediately asked Flash to tell him our names.

"Penis Parker, hahaha! Just kidding, he's Peter Parker and the other dude is Ned Leeds," he informed the officer. "They go to my high school, but they've been ditching the past couple days. Naughty, naughty," he said, laughing loudly. His laugh cut off abruptly, though when he turned away from us to throw up. Somebody came to help him while Rick whirled on us.

"Looks like I've got myself a couple of runaways," he muttered. "The gigs up, boys," he declared, "so make things easier on yourselves and give us your numbers now. If not, I'm sure your drunk friend would more than happily give us your high school's name, which means we can get your information. Face your parents now, or face them tomorrow after I tell them how much trouble you gave us. Your choice," he stated, crossing his eyes and giving us a raised eyebrow.

Ned let out a groan, clearly recognizing defeat before he gave up his phone number. Rick wrote it down before looking to me expectantly. I wasn't ready to go down without a fight.

"I'm an orphan, so no parents to call," I said, and he frowned unhappily. Turning to Ned, he asked, "You willing to give me his info?"

Ned looked to me in concern before answering, "No, sir, he is an orphan. His aunt just died, so he's on his own. Nobody to call."

The cop sighed loudly, shaking his head in disappointment. "You two look like friends, so you know Ned's parents are going to give you up? You wanna stick with that story?"

I nodded as Ned's parents didn't know that I was living with Tony and Pepper. They, like everybody else thought I was living with my cousin.

Huffing, the officer walked away, no doubt to call Ned's parents.

Ned buried his head in his hands at this point, letting out another groan. "My parents are going to kill me," he told me. "My dad's going to tan my hide."

I squirmed guiltily, knowing that he was in this situation because of me. "I'm sorry, Ned. This is my fault," I said, but he just lifted his head and gave me a small smile.

"I decided to go with you, Peter, so I'm as much at fault as you are," he replied firmly. "It was fun hanging out, but I have to admit, I do miss home."

I found myself agreeing with him completely. I missed Tony and Pepper, but I didn't want to say it out loud. I also wasn't ready for them to get their hands on me, especially when that'd mean picking me up at a police station. Besides, I knew that Ned wouldn't be the only one getting his butt tanned. After all the crap I'd done, Tony wasn't going to just let this go. He was a laidback guy, but he became serious when it came to my well-being.

It didn't take long for Rick to come back, letting us know that Ned's dad was on his way. He then asked me once more if I was willing to give up the number of my guardian. I said, no. Rick's eyes narrowed, but when I just stared back at him, he walked away, clearly realizing I wasn't going to change my mind.

"What're you going to do, Peter?" Ned asked at that point. "They're just going to call the high school tomorrow, and they'll give him Tony's number. Do you really want to spend the night here? Do you really think it's a good idea to just annoy Tony even more than he probably already is?"

I felt my nerves shoot up as I responded, "I'm not giving the number up. I don't even know if the school has Tony's number. I'll escape from here, somehow, and then I'll probably go home. I just don't need Tony and Pepper finding me here. Like you said, I'm in enough trouble."

Ned didn't look happy, but he decided not to argue.

Flash was brought back now, looking decidedly morose and quiet. Glancing towards us, he graced us with a real commiserating smile as he said, "Your parents going to kill you too?"

Ned just let out another groan as I gave him a single nod.

Flash let out a quiet laugh as he nodded his head. "Yeah, me too. My parents put up with a lot of crap, but getting arrested is not going to go over well with them." He sighed then, leaning his head back against the wall and closing his eyes. It didn't take long before he began to snore softly.

"There's something really wrong when we have a real conversation with Flash," Ned remarked unhappily. I couldn't help but agree.

Another twenty minutes passed before Ned's father showed up. He looked immensely relieved when he saw us, but that relief quickly morphed into anger when he saw we were unharmed. Ned whimpered, sinking down into his chair. I felt bad for him.

Ned's father, George, talked with Rick for several minutes before filling out paperwork. I had no doubt Rick was asking George about me, because George looked to me with a frown before saying something back to Rick. I grew alarmed when Rick threw me a triumphant smirk before leaving to make a phone call. Uh oh.

George came over to us now, and graced us both with a look of stern disappointment. Looking to me he simply said, "Tony Stark has been in contact with us, and gave us his number in case we had any information." I froze, my stomach twisting painfully. George looked at his son now, his lips pursed before he motioned for Ned to get up. George turned and walked away without a word, clearly expecting Ned to follow. Ned threw me one last sympathetic look before trailing after his dad.

Rick came up to me now, still looking triumphant, but also rather stunned. "Your _guardian_ will be here soon. He's asked that we meet him in the back when he gets here in order to avoid a scene." Rick now gave a slightly bewildered shake before admitting, "If he was any other man, I'd refuse, but I understand his need for discretion. I only hope that despite his past, he's able to teach you that running away, skipping school, and getting arrested are not actions that need to be repeated."

I was the one to let out a groan as I sadly muttered, "You have nothing to worry about. He's going to kill me, so I won't be a bother to anyone anymore."

I was surprised when Rick let out a laugh, his stern look turning into amusement. "You have no idea how many times I've heard that from kids like you. Thankfully, none of you have been right as of yet. I may not know your guardian, or why you've ended up in his care, but I do believe he's a good man. If you're afraid of him killing you, then he must be doing something right."

I frowned unhappily at his words, not liking how amused he seemed. Rick then sat himself down next to me, and I gave him a confused look.

He smirked in response before saying, "I've been warned that you're a good escape artist, so I'm just going to sit with you until it's time for you to go."

I huffed angrily, frustrated that my last chance for escape was gone. I was done for. There was no way I was going to get out of this. Goodbye cruel world, I thought sadly.

Only ten minutes went by before a cop signaled towards Rick. Rick nodded, placed a hand on my shoulder, and motioned for me to get up and follow him. My eyes widened, my heart hammering as I froze in my seat. Rick, noticing my sudden panic, told another officer to keep an eye on me as he walked away. I wondered dimly what he was doing.

He came back a few minutes later, a note in his hand, which he handed to me. I recognized Tony's neat print. It read:

 _Peter, take a breath and relax. Yes, I'm mad about this whole mess, but I'm more relieved that you're alright. Everything is going to be fine, I promise._

I swallowed, feeling suddenly emotional before looking up at Rick. "You were looking pretty petrified, so I asked him to write you a note. He looked upset when I told him how panicked you seemed. He cares kid, so let's get you home, alright?"

I took his hand, allowing him to help me out before following. The strong urge to see Tony hit me now, and I felt just wanted him to forgive me for being such an idiot. Arriving outside, I saw Tony handing a clipboard with papers to another officer. At hearing the door, he turned to look at me. His eyes looked me up and down rapidly before he closed the distance between us and pulled me into a hug. This was the first time he'd initiated a hug with me, and that action alone brought me to tears as I hugged him back.

"I'm sorry, Tony," I cried, and he rubbed the back of my head as he responded, "I know, pal. Let's just get you home and worry about all that later. Pepper's waiting anxiously to smother you with love, so we shouldn't keep her waiting, right?"

"Nuh uh," I replied, giving a single shake of my head.

"Thank you, gentlemen, for doing this," Tony spoke to the officers with gratitude. "The public doesn't know about Peter, and I'd like to keep it that way; so, if you could please not tell anybody about this, I'd really appreciate it."

It was Rick who responded. "No worries, Mr. Stark. It's the least we could do after all you've done." I heard Tony give a sigh of relief before I felt him shake Rick's hand. Tony then apologized for the trouble I'd caused, causing me to let out a whine. Tony immediately placed a reassuring hand at the back of my head before breaking apart and leading me to his car. He held the door open for me, and I got in, giving Rick a little wave. He graced me with a small smile and nod before the door was closed. Tony exchanged a few more words with the officers, reaching out and shaking hands with the other two before heading around and getting into the driver's seat.

Looking at him with sad, nervous eyes, he sighed as he turned on the car. He ruffled my hair softly before beginning to drive. "You hungry?" he asked in concern. "I can stop and get you something if you'd like."

I knew I should be hungry, but at the moment I only felt sick with nerves, so I shook my head.

"You hurt anywhere I can't see?" he then asked, and I once more shook my head.

"I'm glad you're alright, Pete," he then said, glancing at me in open honesty. Tears just filled my eyes at that, and I sniffed noisily as I wiped them away. His gaze was concerned again, but he said nothing more as we drove home. It was a twenty-minute drive, meaning Tony must've really sped to get to the station in ten minutes. We got out and Tony wrapped an arm around me as we rode the elevator to our floor. When the elevator opened into our penthouse I was immediately accosted by Pepper.

"Oh, honey, I was so worried!" she cried, pulling me into a tight hug. She immediately pulled away, looking me up and down as Tony had before pulling me into another hug, seemingly satisfied I wasn't injured. "I was so worried, Peter, you have no idea. Please, don't ever, _ever_ run away like that again!"

"I'm sorry, Pepper, I'm really, really sorry," I told her, tears running down my face again. She kept her arms around me, rocking me slightly as she shushed me.

"No more talking, okay. You're home and safe, and that's all that matters right now," she declared, putting her hands on either side of my face, gently wiping away my tears. "You look filthy, exhausted, and hungry," she stated, her hands now dropping down to hold my hands.

"Do you want me to make you something?" she asked, and I just shook my head. I still felt too nervous to eat.

"How about you take a shower and then go to sleep?" she suggested, already beginning to lead me towards my room.

"Okay," I murmured quietly as we walked into my bedroom. She went and grabbed me clean clothes before guiding me into the restroom. "I'll be right out here when you're finished," she said, her tone reassuring. Whether she was reassuring me that she wouldn't leave me, or herself that I wouldn't leave, I didn't know.

Showering felt fantastic. Ned and I hadn't been anywhere where we could shower. We had jumped into a river to fool around, but that wasn't the same thing. The warm water running down my weary muscles felt good, and I found myself able to really start relaxing. I cut my shower shorter than I wanted to, but I was afraid Pepper would come in soon to check that I hadn't drowned or something if I took too much longer. When I walked out, she immediately enveloped me in another motherly hug. I'll admit, as overbearing as she was being, I really appreciated it. While guilty, it was still nice to know how much she clearly cared about me.

As she smoothed my hair back and guided me to my bed, I saw Tony leaning against my doorway just watching us with a small smile. I felt more muscles relaxing as I saw no anger on his face. I knew we were eventually going to talk about what I'd done, but right now at least, they were just happy to have me home; and I was happy to be home.

Pepper motioned for me to get into bed, and tucked me in. I was embarrassed, but I knew it helped her feel better.

"I missed you guys," I admitted, and she smiled warmly before placing a kiss on my forehead, just like my aunt used to do.

"We missed you too, Peter, you have no idea," she responded. "Now, I hope you sleep just fine, but if you have a nightmare or need anything, tell Friday, or you know which room is ours," she remarked, and I just gave a nod.

"Goodnight, Peter," she said, and I responded the same.

"Night, kid," Tony called out from the doorway, and I told him goodnight as well.

They both walked out, and I just rolled over and welcomed sleep. I was home, and for the moment, I was content…

…When I woke up, the sun was shining brightly in my room. I groaned as I asked Friday what time it was, and she let me know it was 8:30AM. Huh, I'd thought for sure I would've slept later.

"Ms. Potts says to get dressed, and to then join her and Mr. Stark for breakfast," Friday informed me, and I gave the AI a nod. Grabbing some jeans and a t-shirt I went into my bathroom to change before walking out. I arrived into the kitchen a large spread out of food, larger than we usually had when we were all together.

"I couldn't decide what to make," Pepper remarked as she greeted me with a hug.

"It looks great, Pepper, thanks," I informed her gratefully. I found myself suddenly ravenous, so I piled on a little of everything.

Tony strolled in at that point, stifling a yawn before staring at the mass of food we had with an amused raised eyebrow. Pepper must've given him a look, because he just smiled, bade us both a good morning, and went for his usual morning cup of coffee. That man and his caffeine.

Pepper sat herself next to me and began to eat as well, and after receiving a pointed look, Tony joined us also. I had noticed over the many months of knowing Tony that he wasn't good about feeding himself. He'd live on caffeine alone if it were possible. Truthfully, I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd experimented with that before.

We all ate well, Tony and Pepper filling the silence with small talk. I noticed now that both adults were wearing casual clothes, and I was happy because this meant they weren't going into work today.

"What's with that grin?" Tony questioned curiously.

"Oh, um, you guys are wearing regular clothes, which means you're not working today," I responded, blushing as I added, "It's nice when you're around."

The two shared a glance, and Pepper suddenly looked sad. I wondered what I'd done to cause that, but Tony spoke before I could ask.

"There's things we need to talk about today, spiderling," he said, "and our work schedules are one of those things."

I nodded in understanding, knowing that my behavior was going to make up the bulk of this conversation, no doubt. Anxiety hit me, but thankfully I was already full; or maybe that was a bad thing as nausea was hitting me now.

I finished my milk as Pepper and Tony finished their plates. Noticing we were all finished, Pepper insisted we all work on cleaning the dishes. Putting Tony and I on wash duty, she began drying. When all dishes had been washed, we all jumped in on drying duty, and within fifteen minutes, all dishes were cleaned.

"Alright," Pepper declared, hands on her hips as she gazed at both us guys, "family meeting in the living room." My shoulders drooped as we all walked their before taking seats. Pepper and I took the sofa seat while Tony casually sat himself in the arm chair, turning it to face us before propping his feet up on the coffee table. Trust Tony to act so casually during what would no doubt be a serious discussion.

Reaching into a pocket, Pepper started things off by placing two crumpled up pieces of paper on the coffee table. Knowing immediately what those were, all I could get out was, "Oh."

"I think Tony and I would like a little more explanation than just, 'oh', Peter," Pepper remarked, looking stern for the first time. "You've told us you were doing fine in school, but clearly that's not the case."

I bit my bottom lip before answering, "I just haven't been able to concentrate that well. There's been a lot of stuff going on in my life lately, and school just hasn't been my top priority." It wasn't the complete truth, but it wasn't a lie either.

"We know things have been tough, and we can understand why school would've taken a back burner; but why didn't you just tell us this?" she asked, and I was relieved she accepted my answer.

"You guys haven't exactly been around much," I replied, now being completely honest. "I know you both are important people, and I get you've got other obligations, but I just…I don't really like being alone, and when you're not around I can't help but wonder that I'm being a burden, or that maybe you…I don't know."

Glances were once more exchanged as Pepper said, "We figured as much, and we're both incredibly sorry about how absent we've been. We are busy people, but we should've made more of an effort at making sure at least one of us was around. We're new to this parent thing, and we've let you down. I'm sorry, Peter, and I swear we will both do better. I've already informed SI that I won't be able to go in for every little emergency. I plan on taking more conference calls instead of doing things in person. We will make this work."

Tony spoke up for the first time now as he informed me, "I'm sorry as well, kiddo, as, like Pep, I'm not used to being…well, being a parent either. I know it sounds like an excuse, but with all the crap that went on since the Sokovia accords, I've been weighed down by a lot of responsibilities. I'm the new head of the Avengers, and with so few of us, I've been sent on more missions. Then, I've been trying to amend the accords. It'd always been my plan to, but right now it's only me and Rhodey working on this with a few other UN members. We're slowly getting more support, but it requires a lot of one on one talking. We need to get rid of Ross, and we need to find a way for super heroes that want to, to keep their identities secret."

I stiffened in surprise, never having anticipated the fact that I might be forced to sign the accords, and as such, reveal my identity.

"No, Peter, stop that train of thought," Tony immediately said. "You're fine. Nobody will force you to do anything. I will protect you, and the accords will be amended. I've still got some power, and I'm going to use it. Please don't stress about this, I swear to you that you'll never be forced to reveal your secret identity."

I swallowed, before letting out a sigh. I believed that Tony would protect me, but I worried about what lengths he would go to do that. Thinking about my secret identity, for the first time ever I considered the fact that if I had to, I would reveal it. If it meant keeping Tony out of trouble, then I would do it for him. I didn't tell him that, though, feeling it wasn't the time; and I didn't want to argue about it.

"As I said, I'm busy, but I've decided to lay off some missions. I really don't need to be a part of each one," he explained, "so if I'm not needed, I'll sit it out. Rhodey, also, doesn't need me there at every discussion. Natasha and Vision have been getting involved with the UN, and T'Challa has also started to assist. I'm not alone in this, and I'll start letting go of some control and trust the others to do what's needed. Believe me when I say, you and Pep are the two most important people to me right now, and I swear I'll be around for you more. I know you need me, and that's nothing to be ashamed of."

I honestly hadn't expected Tony to be so honest with me. Pepper's words hadn't surprised me, but Tony's had. I understood what he was doing better than I understood Pepper's work; and the fact that he was willing to step back from that work, thrilled and frightened me.

"Please, Tony," I felt the need to say, "don't stop what you're doing just because of me. I get what you do, and I don't want people's lives to be endangered because I'm so needy."

"You're not needy," Pepper immediately argued, Tony letting out a frustrated sigh. He took his feet off the coffee table, and rested his elbows on his knees before speaking again.

"Nobody is being endangered by me stepping back a little," he stated firmly. "The rest of the Avengers are more than capable of taking care of themselves. I have complete faith in them, and if ever I do worry, I will be there for them. This is what being a part of a team is about. It's taken me a while to figure it out, and hell, I'm still trying to figure it out; but I understand the need to trust others to do what's right. Besides, to tell you the truth," he admitted, his voice going soft as he looked decidedly unlike himself, "being Iron Man would mean _nothing_ to me if I couldn't be there for the people who meant the most to me." I sucked in a breath of surprise as his eyes settled on me.

"You've got nothing to prove to anybody," Tony continued, "least of all me. You are a great kid, a great person, a great super hero, and over time you'll only get better; but you have your limits right now. I know I come off like a jerk, and I know you think I'm overprotective; but I'd rather you be angry with me, than hurt or dead because of some dumb mistake. Don't get me wrong, mistakes are normal, but with you being Spiderman, your mistakes could be more disastrous than something Ned would do. You understand that, right?"

"Yes," I responded. I understood completely, but I still wasn't that happy about it. Logically, it all made sense, but I guess it was the teenager in me that wanted to fight back. My track record kept me quiet, though, as every time I'd sought to prove myself had only ended in disaster. In all honesty, I was a kid, and I did need them both. I wanted them here for me when I got home. I wanted to talk to them about school and what Ned and I were up to. I wanted them around when I had nightmares. I needed them. Feeling it was time I give more than just nods or one-word answers, I decided to speak.

"Thanks for being so honest with me," I decided to start. "I feel bad that you're changing your schedules in order to be with me, but I'm also grateful. I-I…I like having you around," I confessed with a reddening face. "I want you around, and I'll admit some of the stuff I did was because I was angry that you weren't around. I'm sorry about that. I'm sorry I'm so needy, but…," I trailed off, looking away, unsure of what else I wanted to say.

"You're as stubborn as Tony," Pepper sighed fondly, as she lightly gripped my chin and turned my head back towards her. "Get this through that bull-headed head of yours, Peter Parker- _Stark_ , we both _want you here_. We both _want to be there for you_. You are not a burden!"

"You think I'd adopt just anybody, little spider?" Tony asked with a raised eyebrow. "I have standards, and even with those standards I have bestowed upon you my great and all important name of Stark, so don't take that lightly. I'm Tony Stark, and if I hadn't wanted to adopt you, I would've found a place for you to go. I would've found a nice, loving family to take you in. If I didn't want you around, then you wouldn't be around me. I would never have approached you for help. I never would've kept in touch, and I definitely wouldn't be so mushy and stuff. This is hard for me, but thankfully it seems it's gotten easier for me to be this open, at least with you. Point being, I _wouldn't_ be like this, and I _wouldn't_ have adopted you if I didn't want to."

Although Tony and I hadn't even known each other for a year, I knew him well enough to see the truth in his words. I'd noticed over time as he'd opened himself up to me, and how he'd started to be more affectionate. I also realized that if he hadn't wanted me around, then I wouldn't be around, regardless of my superhero status. He'd shown his love for me time and time again, even when I screwed up or yelled at him. He'd never let me down, and he'd been there for me every time I'd needed him to be.

Looking at Pepper, she was the maternal figure I needed since my aunt had passed. She was constantly reassuring, with hugs and kind words, which Tony still found difficult. She was as responsible as Tony for me being able to survive the death of my aunt. I was healing faster than when my uncle had passed because of them.

"We good?" Tony now asked, and I felt immense gratitude that he wasn't expecting me to vocalize my tumultuous thoughts. I grinned as I nodded, and Pepper took that opportunity to pull me in for a tight hug. When she let go, Tony immediately changed the topic with a grin I didn't feel he should be sporting.

"Wonderful, now we can move on to our naughty little spider's actions, like disobeying me repeatedly, and running away before getting himself arrested," he announced, the grin now leaving his face as he pinned me with a hard look. My stomach flip-flopped, nerves shooting up before I felt Pepper's reassuring hand squeeze mine. I was so glad she was here, because I couldn't help but feel intimidated by Tony when he became stern with me.

"I'm sorry," I immediately said, and Tony's eyes just narrowed, a frown gracing his features; and I knew he didn't want an apology from me, but an explanation.

"I was angry," I then stated, and he nodded his head, twirling a finger for me to go on. I really didn't want to explain everything, but I knew there was no way around it, so I just confessed to everything that I did. I confessed how angry I'd been, and how I'd felt he was treating me unfairly. I, with much embarrassment, admitted that I'd run away to make a point of being independent, and when Tony gave me a sardonic smile, I blushed. He didn't interrupt, thankfully as I recounted what Ned and I had gotten up to, and what eventually led to our arrest.

Pepper sighed in disappointment while Tony just took in a deep breath. "Is it true that you refused to give the officers your real name, and that after they found it out you then refused to give them my name and number? Is it true that it was only by sheer chance that I'd thought to give Ned's parents my number, and that if I hadn't, the police would never have been able to contact us?"

I shrunk in my seat as I nodded my head.

"Why would you do that, Peter?" Pepper asked with a disapproving frown. "What were you planning on doing? Didn't you realize that child services would've gotten involved at that point?"

I blinked in surprise, not having thought of that last bit at all.

"I was planning on escaping," I told them, and Tony rolled his eyes dramatically before he repeated Pepper's first question.

"Why did you refuse to give the officer's our number?" he asked, an undercurrent of anger in his tone, which just caused me to squirm more.

"I didn't tell them because I knew how angry you guys would be with me, especially if you had to come get me at a police station," I finally admitted.

"Aww, Peter, you have to realize that even when we're upset that we'd never hurt you, right?" she questioned concernedly, her face distressed.

"I know _that_ ," I immediately retorted, "It's just that I hate disappointing you guys. You get really stern when you're upset with me," I informed Tony specifically, "which isn't normal for you, and I…" I squirmed in embarrassment now as I looked down at my hands. "I figured with what I'd done, you were probably going to… _y'know_ , and I didn't want that." There were several moments of uncomfortable silence, so I began to speak once more, still avoiding their gazes. "I know it's childish of me, and it's not like I'm afraid of you guys, but"—

I stopped speaking when I heard Tony let out a harsh sigh before getting up and walking towards me. He shoved the coffee table away and kneeled so that I was forced to look at him. My heart was pounding as I wondered what he could possibly want to say. Pepper's hand began to rub soothing circles on my back, which helped me relax minutely.

Tony didn't look angry or disappointed or even sad. He looked mildly amused, but mostly understanding. "Spiderling," he spoke softly, "I know you don't want to disappoint us. Frankly, nobody likes disappointing the people they care about, but it happens. I know this won't be the last time you get into trouble, and I can't guarantee that _we_ won't ever disappoint you. What I can assure you is that we'll get through it and you'll survive." He quirked his lips, tapping my knee lightly before continuing. "You're right that me being stern isn't really normal. Ask Pepper and she'll tell you that I'm the one that's usually causing trouble, while she's the one that gets stern with me," he said with a laugh, and I couldn't help but give a small smile of amusement.

"Once again, I get like that because I need you to get how serious I am. Me being stern, especially when it's not normal for me should clue you in that you really screwed up, and you're not going to want to repeat what landed you in that position. I realize I come off as intimidating," he now said, all amusement gone from his face, "and I guess I can scare you at times. That's why you didn't want to leave the police station, right? You were afraid I was going to be furious and start yelling something?"

"Yeah," I replied quietly, before quickly adding, "but I know you'd never hurt me. Like I said, I just don't like you looking at me with disappointment or anger."

He nodded in understanding, wryly asking, "I guess that's a good thing?"

"Yes," Pepper answered for me, eyeing the two of us with a smile. "If he wasn't nervous when getting in trouble, then we're doing something wrong."

"That's what the police guy said," I muttered, and Pepper just gave a light laugh.

"As for your last concern," Tony now addressed, his tone suddenly stern, "you should really think about how you don't want _that_ before you pull a stunt like running away." I made a whining noise, giving him a pleading look, which he completely ignored. "And your hunch was right. I was willing to let your Spiderman stunt slide, but when you add in the running away, getting arrested, and keeping notes from us regarding school, I'm thinking that more than a lecture is needed."

"No, it's not, Tony, come on," I openly whined, not caring how childish I sounded.

"Peter," Pepper sighed sadly as she commended with rubbing my back again.

"Good thing this decision isn't up to you, little spider," he responded, getting up now and just sitting himself down on the coffee table. "Now, before we get to that unpleasantness, we have a few things to say to you."

"I've set up a meeting with your teachers," Pepper stated, and I gave her a wide-eyed look.

"Why?" I cried out, and she gave me a look that clearly said, 'are you for real', before saying, "We need to know what's going on at school, and it'd be best if your teachers knew how to contact us directly rather than depending on you to actually give us notes."

I groaned, not believing they were doing this.

"The meeting is set for tomorrow," she informed me, "and be prepared to make up all the work you missed from every day you missed. You're going to be spending a lot of time doing homework when you get home, young man."

"Spiderman is once again grounded until all your grades have come up," Tony said now. "School is important, regardless of what you think. You're a smart kid, and there's no reason any of your grades should be suffering, especially since you've had so much free time lately. And honestly, as my adopted son and intern I expect much better," he added with a cocky grin, letting me know he as serious about that last bit.

I still let out another groan of frustration, not believing that I'd only made things worse for myself. "Tony, please don't stop me from being Spiderman. I've got to be out there helping people. I'm a super hero and super heroes don't spend their time on schoolwork and homework."

"Well, that definitely explains the grades," Pepper commented disapprovingly, Tony giving a small snort.

"This is where you're wrong" he informed me firmly. "Peter Parker comes before Spiderman. Spiderman does not define you, and it's not a full-time job."

Pepper spoke now as she told me, "For now, your life means going to school and getting good grades. It means taking care of yourself. It means doing as Tony and I say. Get used to it, because if you keep fighting us we'll just come up with more creative punishments that'll only make you more miserable. So, if you want to be a hero again, get your act together. Show us the maturity we know you have, and you'll gain back your privileges."

I felt miserable, but realized that arguing was futile. "This sucks," I complained moodily, and while Pepper looked sympathetic, Tony just shrugged before he stood up, motioning for me to get up with him. Realizing what was going to happen now, I shot him a puppy-eyed look as I gripped the couch with my hands. Tony just sighed before kneeling in front of me again.

"This is going to happen, whether you want it to or not," he said firmly, although his tone was sympathetic. "It's gonna suck, but then it's over and this'll be behind us. Now, we can do this the easy way and you can come with me willingly, or I'll do this right here in front of Pepper. Your call, buddy."

My eyes widened at the two choices, and I immediately stood up, mortified at the mere thought of being punished in front of Pepper.

"Good choice," Tony replied before motioning for me to lead the way.

I groaned for the umpteenth time before resigning myself to the inevitable. Just get it over with. I walked into my room with my head down and shoulders drooping. Tony didn't waste time with anymore talking as he immediately settled himself down on my bed and tinkered with his watch. My stomach filled with butterflies as I placed myself at his side. I gave him a pleading look, but he just shook his head sadly.

"Jeans, pal," he ordered, and I whimpered as I did as he said. I was then placed over his lap, my jeans and boxers pulled down in one swoop. I barely had time to brace myself before I felt his hand landing on my backside hard. I sucked in a breath before starting to squirm as his hand fell rapidly. I gripped the comforter of my bed tightly, crying as the heat built rapidly. I noticed immediately when the swats increased in intensity, and I began to sob at that point, my legs kicking and my wriggling increasing. I started apologizing profusely and promising to never run away again, but I wasn't sure it did any good as my backside burned something fierce. As with the last two times, right when I thought I couldn't handle anymore, the spanking ended. Tony pulled up my boxers and jeans, gentler than he usually did before helping me stand.

"Come here," he now said, pulling me into a tight hug that I very happily returned. I sobbed out the rest of my guilt, content with the knowledge that I was now forgiven. When my cries finally ceased, Tony made to break away, but I just whimpered, not letting go. I still wanted comfort, and I found his unique scent of after shave and heated metal to be nearly as comforting as his hugs. I hoped I wasn't making him too uncomfortable with the prolonged hug, but after stiffening for a few seconds, he just chuckled quietly. I maintained the hug for a full minute before deciding I'd pushed him enough, so I let go. I wiped at my face quickly, telling Tony I was okay before he even asked.

He sighed, looking relieved before smiling at me with fondness. "Wash your face, if you want and then come on out. The rest of our ragtag family has been worried about you, and I'm sure they'd love to see you, if only to make sure I haven't killed you."

I laughed, and nodded my head happily. Rapidly washing my face, I ran to meet with Tony and Pepper, and Pepper pulled me into a hug the second she caught sight of me. Like always, she too asked how I was, and I assured her that I was just fine. When satisfied, she let me go and we headed out. Tony asked me if I wanted to drive, and I blushed before shaking my head. My backside was still throbbing, and I didn't feel like driving. He seemed to understand because he gave me a sympathetic look before just getting into the driver's seat.

"You better keep Natasha from taking him for training," Pepper warned Tony, and he just laughed.

"You make it sound like she'll listen to me," he responded. At my look of horror, he then said, "I'll make sure she knows you've got school tomorrow so she'll let you be. Be prepared for a scary lecture, though, kiddo."

Wonderful, I thought sarcastically.

On the other side, it was nice to know they cared so much, even if it did prove painful at times. I settled myself in the car as best I could before laying down flat, taking up the whole back seat. Tony just chuckled as he saw me through the rearview mirror, but he thankfully didn't tell me to get up. I sighed happily. There's the Tony I love…

 **Pepper's POV:**

…Tony and I were sitting in the car at Peter's school, about to walk in for the conference with all his teachers concerning his grades. I was currently coaching Tony on how he was to behave. Being who he was, I knew there was a possibility of some of the teachers judging him harshly without really knowing him.

"Please, Tony, I need you to be as respectful as possible," I asked of him. "This is about Peter, and if you anger any of his teachers, they may take their anger out on him. Peter loves this school, and we need to do whatever possible to make sure he's not kicked out because of our behavior."

Tony looked back at me with a small smile before saying, "Pep, relax. Contrary to popular belief, I do know how to behave like an adult, and I'd never want to make things worse for the kid. I'll be on my best behavior, I promise."

I smiled, leaning over to kiss him on the lips.

"Okay, let's go," I said with a sigh, and we both exited the car. It was the end of the school day, and Peter was already at school waiting for us. Tony walked up beside me, and took my hand as we walked into the office. Both of us were incognito, I guess you could say, as nobody but the principal knew who Peter's real guardians were. We didn't want this becoming knowledge, and while we knew Peter's teachers needed to know who we were, we didn't want the entire school getting wind. Which, is why we were both currently in jeans and t-shirts, with Tony also sporting a hat, hoodie, and sunglasses. Not very professional, but we'd do what we had to for Peter.

We walked on in, and I approached the front desk to inform them of our arrival. The secretary nodded her head before directing us towards a conference room. A woman approached us, holding her hand out to me as she introduced herself as Ms. Ramirez, one of the assistant principals. I refrained from introducing myself, waiting to be inside the room with the door closed.

"Everyone is already here and ready," she explained as she let us into the conference room, "and which one of you is Peter's cousin?" I withheld a sigh, having assumed that the principal would be here, or that he would have at least told his AP who Peter's real guardians were. The room was filled with Peter's six teachers, and Peter himself. He gave us a sheepish smile and a little wave causing me to smile warmly at him.

"Neither one of us is his cousin," Tony spoke up with an irritated sigh, removing his hood, hat, and sunglasses. "I thought your boss would've let you know that Pepper and I are his true guardians, and that the story of a cousin was just a front. Here's a copy of the adoption if you need proof," he remarked, setting down the paper in front of her before walking over to Peter and plopping down right next to him. The room was silent, all eyes on him, and I smothered a laugh. They seemed shocked, but Tony being Tony, didn't acknowledge it. He just casually ruffled Peter's hair as he gazed around the room with an aloof look.

"I'm Tony Stark, by the way, and she is my fiancé, Pepper Potts," he added, as if an afterthought, and I shook my head ruefully before going and sitting on Peter's other side. I almost wished I had Tony next to me, if only so I could control his mouth.

Glances were exchanged before an elderly woman extended her hand towards the both of us. "I'm Mrs. Martinez, Peter's English teacher, it's a pleasure to meet you both," she greeted, and we both shook her hand

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well," I returned with a smile, extending my hand now to the others.

"Mr. Hill, history," a blonde-haired man introduced himself.

"Ms. Garnett, Spanish," a young woman said.

"Mr. Robbs, math," a middle-aged man greeted.

"Coach Wilson," another man introduced himself, his expression still looking taken aback as he stared mostly at Tony.

"And I'm Mr. Black, his science teacher," the last man stated, giving us both firm shakes of his hand. He seemed rather excited by our presence.

"Well, I must say, this is a surprise," Ms. Ramirez remarked, looking rather flustered. I felt a stab of sympathy towards the younger woman. She was clearly intimidated by us both, and unsure of what to do. The principal knew who we were and should've been here; or he should have at least warned her.

"I apologize for the secrecy," I felt the need to say, "but we wanted Peter to have as normal a life as possible, which would've been difficult if it became common knowledge that we were his guardians. However, since receiving those notes from you two," I addressed, looking specifically at Mrs. Martinez and Mr. Hill, "we both felt that we needed to meet with you all face to face, if only so you can now contact us directly rather than using Peter as your messenger."

"I guess I'll get things going," Mrs. Martinez began, as the AP was looking a little lost. "I wrote you that note because I was concerned with Peter's recent behavior in my class. He has always been a pleasant, studious young man who has been pulling an A all year. Within the past few weeks, however, his grade has declined dramatically as he has turned nothing in. His attitude has been surly, and when I've attempted to talk to him, he's refused to explain. I am concerned."

"It's pretty much the same story in my class," Mr. Hill added. "He was great for nearly all year, and then these last few weeks he's gone downhill. He just doesn't seem to care about my class anymore."

"Yes, I have been noticing that as well," Ms. Garnett spoke, frowning in concern as she looked to her colleagues. It seemed she hadn't been aware of this going on in more than just her class.

"He's the same as always in my class," Mr. Black informed, looking confused as to why Peter was doing poorly in other classes.

"I've noticed his interest waning a bit," Mr. Robbs said, "but his grade has been stable throughout the year. He'll miss an assignment every now and then, but with all he's been through, I'd say he's doing rather well."

"Like with Mr. Wilson and Mr. Robbs," Coach Wilson spoke up, "Peter's been pretty consistent in my class. He's not the most athletic kid, but he does everything I ask."

"So, I guess the question is, Peter," I spoke sternly as I looked at the boy, "what is going on in English, History, and Spanish?"

He looked down at his lap before shrugging and saying, "I don't know."

I shook my head, not believing him at all. "I don't know, is not a response any of us are going to expect, young man. Clearly, something is going on that has caused your grades to slip, and I'd like to know what that is. Why are you not turning in your work in just these classes?"

Peter was frowning unhappily now before sighing as he stated, "I'm just going through stuff, okay? I mean, I've been through a lot lately, so I haven't been able to focus in all my classes."

"We know you've been through a lot," Mrs. Martinez told him in sympathy, "but if you were struggling, then you should have come to us. You should have said something. As it is, it doesn't make sense why in three of your classes your grades continue to be excellent, while you are close to, if not failing your other three."

Peter looked downright moody now as he said, "Fine, I'll start to do my work, okay? I'm sorry, I'll do better. Can we go now?" I shot him a disappointed look, getting ready to scold him, but Tony beat me to it. He used his leg to turn Peter's chair towards him before sticking the boy with a look.

"Alright, I'm done with the attitude, and your teachers and Pepper deserve better," he lectured sternly, and when Peter attempted to look away, he snapped, "No, you keep your eyes on me. This conversation is now between you and me, because I'm not in the mood for this teenage angst. What's up with these classes? You're better than this, kiddo, so just spit it out."

"It's nothing," Peter mumbled softly, his demeanor now that of a chastised child rather than the moody teenager he'd been only seconds before. I marveled at how Tony instinctively knew how to handle Peter. He was a born father.

"Not an acceptable answer," Tony responded, giving the teen a hard look. "Try again."

Peter squirmed uncomfortably, attempting to look away, but Tony just snapped his fingers loudly, bringing Peter's attention back to him. After several moments of tense silence, Peter spoke in barely a whisper, "I didn't think you'd care about those classes." My eyebrows rose in surprise at the admission. I looked at the teachers to see they too hadn't been expecting that response. They said nothing, though, seemingly content to leave the conversation in Tony's hands.

"Why?" Tony asked, not even having blinked at the kid's response. I wondered if he was surprised, or just hiding it.

"Because…because it's not something you use, and it's not something I'll need for what I want to do," he admitted in the same quiet tone. "I don't plan on college anymore, so I just need to pass"—

"Stop right there," Tony interjected softly, shaking his head sadly. We both understood now. Spiderman was Peter's future plans, and he didn't feel classes like English and History were needed, or college even.

"You're thinking is flawed," Tony declared firmly. "Every subject is important, and you're too young to be making decisions that discount college. What if I want you to go to college? Would that change your outlook?"

Peter looked at him in surprise and confusion before looking down ashamedly. An entire minute passed by as he processed Tony's words before he spoke again. "I'll do better, Tony," he said, when he looked back up, "I promise." My two boys looked at each other for several moments, and then Tony smiled while nodding his head. "Okay," he said, turning back towards everyone.

"Now, tell them," he ordered Peter.

"I'm sorry," he told all his teachers, but looking specifically at Martinez, Hill, and Garnett. "I promise to do better from now on, and if I need help I'll ask."

"You have a lot of makeup work to bring up your grade, but if you work hard enough, I'm sure your grade will go back to what it was," Mr. Hills responded, giving the kid a nod. Martinez and Garnett voiced their agreement. The meeting didn't last much longer, as specifics were gone over on how Peter could raise his grade. Tony and I both assured his teachers that we would keep on him, and that they should feel comfortable contacting either one of us for any reason. Hands were shook, and we made our way out.

I had my arm wrapped around Peter's shoulders, and I kissed him on the side of his head as we walked to our car. "Sorry for the attitude," he apologized meekly, but I waved it away with a smile.

"It's okay, honey, I know things have been difficult for you lately. You really have been through a lot this past year, and remember you can talk to either one of us, if you need to," I reminded him, and he nodded in understanding.

Once we were in the car, Tony told Peter, "Spiderling, don't assume you know what I want from you again. Just ask me, instead, so we can avoid things like this. I want you to succeed," he said, looking at Peter through the rear view mirror. "I want you to get good grades because I know you're capable of that, and I'd really love for you to go to college. I know you see Spiderman as your future, but I want Peter Parker to have a future too. If you plan on keeping your identity a secret, Peter Parker is going to need a job, and if you plan on working for me, then you're going to need a degree. Got it?"

"I got it, Tony, and sorry again," he replied remorsefully.

Tony looked to me now, and with a small smirk asked, "So, do you think I need to spank our little spider again for his grades?"

"What?!" Peter sputtered. "No, Tony, come on! Pepper, please say no!"

I rolled my eyes at Tony before looking back at Peter and saying, "Don't worry, honey, he's only joking."

Peter glared at the back of Tony's head now, and kicked his seat.

"Hey!" Tony protested, and I shook my head in amusement.

"Bear in mind, Peter," I felt the need to add, "you won't be getting a spanking _this_ time, but if your grades fall again for no reason, then you might not get off so lucky."

Peter's smile fell off his face as he gave me a hesitant nod. "Okay, Pepper, my grades won't fall again."

"Should I give him a preview?" Tony asked with a devious smirk, and I laughed while Peter yelled, "Tony, no! You keep your iron hand away from me!"

I laughed again as Tony continued to tease Peter. I'll admit, I did worry about the boy a lot, because he truly had been through so much. Seeing him like this, I felt comforted to know that he was settling in, and that he was happy. Looking at Tony, I also felt comforted that despite everything _he_ had been through, he too was settling in to family life, and he too was happy.

 **A/N: Wow, looonnngg chapter! I actually only added the last bit with Pepper's POV very recently. This chapter originally ended with the car ride to the Avengers HQ. Hope you enjoyed and PLEASE REVIEW!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Thank you all so much for the amazing reviews. I need them now more than before because of crap going on in the family. By the way I'm working on chapter 22 right now.**

 **WARNING: This chapter will contain disciplinary spanking of a teenager! If you don't like this content, then don't read/flame please!**

 **Chapter 16: High School Troubles**

 **Peter's POV:**

It'd been a month since mine and Ned's excellent adventure, as we dubbed it in secret. I'd referred to it like that once in front of Tony, and in the blink of an eye he'd transformed his watch into a glove and given me two scorching swats. I hadn't been able to tell which one us was more surprised, but he'd definitely recovered quicker, warning me that if he heard me refer to my idiotic stunt as an excellent adventure again, then I'd find myself with a sorer butt than last time. I'd told him it was a joke, but he'd just held up a stern finger at me, letting me know he'd called bullshit.

Where the hell had his sense of humor gone, I'd wondered with a disgruntled pout after having been sent to my room to work on homework. When had the well-known rebellious, Tony Stark, turn into such a hard ass?

At least things at school had gotten better, socially speaking that is. With Flash running into us at the police station, it'd been like our status in the school had elevated. No longer were we just the nerdiest nerds at a school full of nerds, but now we were rebels. We'd ditched school. We'd run away, and we'd gotten ourselves arrested.

Flash now looked at us with a newfound respect, and had yet to call me, Penis Parker, since that day. We weren't friends or anything, but he laid off on the bullying…for the most part.

Admittedly, this new popularity had grown to be as annoying as it was cool. The idiotic Flash kept giving us these knowing smirks, even though he really knew nothing. Lots of people were asking us for details of what had gotten us arrested, why we'd run away, and what we'd done while on the run. Ned and I gave vague details, but they just seemed to want to hang out now. Then, add the fact that nobody had forgotten how I personally knew and worked for Tony Stark. Once again, those questions had started about how I'd met him, what I did for him, and if I'd met any of the other Avengers.

Now, while the students seemed in awe of what Ned and I had done, the teachers were not. They looked at us both with disappointment and disapproval. Any leniency and understanding I'd received for my aunt's death dwindled quickly; and they cracked down on us hard. The meeting between Tony, Pepper, and I and the teacher only made things worse as they were all now aware of who my guardians were, and that those guardians were very interested in how I was doing in school.

Suffice to say, I was being watched like a hawk by not just the teachers, but by my classmates as well; and I was feeling the pressure. I wished things could go back to the way they used to be. I wanted to be the loser everybody ignored, and the student all the teachers liked and trusted.

Then, there was MJ. She, like Ned was a godsend. I confessed to her why I'd run away, barring Spiderman, of course. She'd been understanding, although that hadn't stopped her from smacking both Ned and I upside the heads for being idiots. Unlike me, though she found our classmates' and teachers' interactions with us more hilarious than annoying.

My grounding at both home and from Spiderman duties lasted three weeks, which had been nearly unbearable. On the upside, it had given me time to catch up in all my classes and raise my grades, which pleased both my guardians and the teachers. I was very slowly working on gaining back all their trusts.

Being able to go out as Spiderman had helped immensely. It was so relieving to be able to swing around the city, helping people, and letting go of the stress of keeping so much of my life a secret.

Another advantage to not being grounded was that I got to visit the Avenger's HQ, teaching Vision how to play video games with Rhodey and Natasha, and being stunned when he immediately beat us all. Natasha had then suggested twister with a devious smirk, and it'd come down to both her and I at the end. Things got pretty tense, and she ended up only winning because she intimidated me until I messed up. I accused her of cheating, but she'd only smiled as she patted my head condescendingly. I'd been tempted to trip her, but a quick glance of Tony and Happy waving their hands and rapidly shaking their heads back and forth convinced me to keep that temptation to myself.

Tony and Pepper had kept their promises about being home more often, and for the most part it'd been great. I'd gotten to know Pepper better, learning more about why Tony loved her so much and how she was the only person in the world who could keep that man under control. She was playful, smart, easy to talk to, and she'd even managed to help me pull a prank on Tony. It'd been a completely childish prank, but she'd been all for it, which had surprised the hell out of me!

Pepper had taken over the first part of the prank when she managed to pour honey all over Tony right as he stepped out of the elevator before I used a fan to cover him in multi-colored feathers. Tony had been completely stunned, standing there for several moments looking himself up and down before coughing out a couple of feathers. Pepper and I had been dying with laughter, and to my delight, Tony also began to laugh. When we managed to calm down a little, he began to chase us all over the room, managing to capture a shrieking Pepper easily. Once she was covered with a good amount of honey and feathers, she too came after me.

"No powers!" Pepper yelled when I'd hopped onto the ceiling. I was pouting, distracted by her trying to get me down with a broom when I was dragged down to the ground by Tony who had leapt onto a table before leaping up to grab me.

"Got ya, Spiderling!" he shouted triumphantly, both of us landing on the ground with grunts before Pepper appeared, pouring even more honey on us.

"Ahh!" I screamed as Tony protested, "Where in the hell did you get all this honey?!"

I retaliated quickly, grabbing more bags of feathers, tossing one to Tony before we both threw them at her. The chaos continued for at least another hour as we chased each other around, changing from throwing honey and feathers to throwing pillows, chocolate syrup, marshmallows, uncooked and cooked pasta (why, Tony?), ketchup, ice cream, and more. By the end of the night, our penthouse was filthy, and we were covered in a variety of foods. As we lay on the floor, panting out of both exhaustion and exhilaration, I couldn't help but feel that I really loved this family.

Things, of course, couldn't ever stay this blissful for long. It was unfortunate, but I really couldn't seem to stay out of trouble. Sometimes, it was just worth it, though…at least that's what I kept telling myself as I sat in the principal's office waiting for Pepper to arrive. I was so glad she was the one home rather than Tony. She might not like what I did, but she at least wouldn't scold me as bad as Tony, and she especially wouldn't even think of busting my butt.

So, why was I here, you ask? A fight. Yes, I, Peter Parker-Stark, had gotten into a fight _at_ school, and I didn't even have the excuse of being drunk. Who had I fought with? Flash? No, although up until recently that would've been the only person I ever felt like getting into a fight with. No, the person I got into a fight with was some guy I'd barely had any interactions with until recently. His name was Teddy Meyers, but like Flash, he preferred to go by a nickname. Unlike Flash, though, Teddy went by the ridiculous nickname of Bear. Yes, you heard right. Bear. That was the idiot's nickname.

With Flash pretty much laying off me, this jerkwad had seemed to take offense to my sudden popularity, most especially the part where I worked with the famous Tony Stark as part of an internship with Stark Industries. Why did he care so much? Because, he'd apparently been applying for an internship with Stark Industries for years. He was a senior now, and top of his class. He was captain of the football and baseball teams. His girlfriend was head cheerleader. He was your classic, good-looking, popular, rich guy who had not only succeeded in sports, but was smart as hell.

He was also a grade-A bully, like Flash, but as I was only a sophomore, he'd had no reason to interact with an underclassman like me. Not until recently, that is. It'd started out with him asking me to put in a good word for him with Tony, or at least SI. I told him no. I knew of his reputation already, and I personally was not going to vouch for someone like him. Of course, I hadn't told Bear that (hahaha, what a stupid name!). My refusal wasn't enough to deter him, though. He continued to pester, beg, threaten, so I finally told him if after his four years of applying he still hadn't qualified for an internship, then nothing I could say would make up for whatever qualities he seemingly lacked. Needless to say, he hadn't appreciated my words of wisdom.

So, like the bully he was, he took to harassing me. It was like dealing with a taller, meaner, and more experienced Flash. He didn't bother with childish names like, Penis Parker. He went straight for trips and shoves of not just me, but Ned as well. He, like the rest of the school knew about my uncle and aunt's deaths, and he wasn't against using that to get to me. Flash had boundaries. Yeah, he was a bully, but he'd never dared touch on the subject of my family. In all honestly, he'd even offered his condolences after both their deaths.

Like I said, though, Bear (okay, I can't stand that stupid name)—Teddy had no qualms with poking fun at their deaths. He told me they were dead because of me. He told me they probably died of shame for having such a faggoty loser for a nephew. He told me how they had probably regretted having to take me in, and that I'd no doubt ruined their lives. Hell, my birth parents probably faked their deaths to get away from me because they couldn't stand me either.

I could handle being called stupid names. I could handle being shoved around; but I couldn't handle Ned being hurt, and I definitely couldn't handle the deaths of my family being used against me. What hurt most, though, was that I did blame myself for Uncle Ben and Aunt May's deaths. I had let the guy go who'd ended up killing Uncle Ben, and the stress of his death and dealing with me had no doubt been the cause.

This had been going on for the past week, and I couldn't take it. I'd dealt with Flash's bullying for years with irritation, frustration, and anger; but it'd never been unbearable. It'd never been this hurtful.

I'd finally reached the end of my patience today, when today during passing period between 2nd and 3rd period, Teddy had started up again. He hadn't even made a scene, but had just loudly remarked to a friend as he walked by how whoever was stuck as guardian for me now better watch themselves before they too ended up dead. It wasn't like it was a threat to Tony or Pepper. He did, unfortunately, hit upon a deep-seated fear I had of just that happening. I really was terrified that some screw up of mine would lead to their deaths.

The words had barely left Teddy's mouth, when I swung my backpack against him hard, knocking him to the floor. While he sat there looking stunned, I grabbed hold of his throat, pulled him to his feet, and slammed him into the lockers behind him.

"Don't you _ever_ for as long as you live talk about my family or guardians again," I loudly hissed at him in a menacing voice I normally reserved for criminals. "You don't know anything about what you're talking about, so if you'd like to remain with your pretty-boy face intact, you will refrain from mentioning them _and_ talking to me, are we clear?" Teddy struggled to escape my hold, his face turning red as he fought to breath.

"Peter, that's enough!" I heard MJ yell in shock as she desperately tried to pull me away.

At the same time, a teacher yelled out, "Break it up, break it up! What's going on here?" He managed to get through the crowd, spotting what I was doing, and his eyes widened. "Mr. Parker, get your hands off him _this instant!"_ he ordered.

Truthfully, it wasn't his order that made me let Teddy go, but MJ's look of disbelief and fear as she looked at me with wide eyes. I let go of Teddy, stomach churning as I watched him fall to the ground, gasping for air. As the seconds passed by, my sense of satisfaction seemingly failed as my guilt began to manifest.

The teacher grabbed hold of my arm at this point and roughly dragged me to the principal's office. The principal had tried to get out of me what happened, but I refused to speak, too stunned by now of what I'd done. I was told to remain seated. Apparently, they went to speak with Teddy at this point, getting his side of the story; and once that happened, they'd gotten a hold of Pepper.

Pepper had arrived shortly after they called, and she'd looked at me with a face of confusion and concern. She honestly couldn't fathom why I would get into a fight, and as trusting as she was of me, she also couldn't help but think there had been a mistake. As Teddy's side of the story was told, however, her confusion morphed into surprise and disappointment. The concern was there, but now she was demanding an explanation. I had looked down stubbornly, not wanting to admit that a small comment had been what caused me to choke a fellow classmate. Pepper's disappointment mounted, frustration now showing; although, I noticed that there was still concern. As chaotic as my thoughts and emotions were, I still couldn't help but be touched that after what she'd heard she could still feel concern for me.

I ended up being suspended for two days. While I hadn't been willing to speak, other students had spoken up on my behalf, informing them of how Teddy had been bullying me. That's why I'd only received two days suspension instead of a week of suspension and possible expulsion.

Pepper thanked the principal for his understanding before taking me home. She tried the entire way there to convince me to speak, but I still couldn't bring myself to talk. I didn't understand why I didn't just tell her. Maybe it was the guilt and shock I felt at what I'd done. Maybe it was shame. Maybe it was the satisfaction I also felt. I just didn't want to talk.

My silence was not taken lightly, though, and Pepper's normally calm, patient, and understanding demeanor began to break. Once inside our penthouse she turned stern.

"Peter, that's enough, do you hear me, young man," she chided. "Whatever this attitude is, I want it gone. Explain to me what happened."

My own stubbornness and confusion turned to irritation and frustration. "It's none of your business," I retorted in forced calm.

She scoffed, glaring at me, hands on her hips. "You've been suspended for two days because you _choked_ another student and slammed him into the lockers. A teacher had to convince you to let him go. The boy has bruises on his neck, so don't you dare tell me this is none of my business."

I glared right back at her, my fists clenching. "I just stood up for myself. I was tired of his bullying, so I let him know I was done," I explained, crossing my arms. "There, I explained, and now I'm done."

"Oh, no, mister, we are far from finished here," Pepper announced with anger as she stalked over to me. "That explanation was far from sufficient. I get that you were bullied, and I'm sorry, Peter," she told me, her voice softening, "but what could he have said to deserve that sort of reaction? You know your 100 times stronger than any of those kids, so why would you expose yourself and risk nearly killing him?!" she shouted, exasperatedly throwing her hands in the air.

My breathing was heavy now with exasperation and anger of my own. I didn't want to do this right now. I didn't want her to know. She didn't need to know.

"I don't want to talk about it," I declared through gritted teeth. "This conversation is over." I began to walk away at this point, furious at how she wouldn't just let this go.

"Peter Parker-Stark, do _not_ walk away from me," she snapped, coming right up to me and grabbing hold of my bicep. Turning me so that she looked me in the eyes, she stated, "I will give you one more chance to talk with me before I call Tony, where _you_ will explain what is going on."

Tears of frustration stung my eyes as I yanked my arm out of her grasp, making sure, though to do it gently enough not to hurt her. "Call him then," I spat, "I don't care! And I _won't_ talk to him. You can't force me." With those words, I walked straight to my room, slammed the door, and locked it. I gripped my hair tightly, and had to resist the urge to punch or kick anything. I wasn't going to destroy my room in a temper tantrum.

Why didn't I just tell her? Why did I have to be so stubborn? Why did I have to be so dumb and attack Teddy? I'd spent years ignoring Flash, yet I couldn't last a single week with Teddy. Pathetic.

What if I'd killed him? I swallowed, my heart pounding at the mere thought. _What if I'd killed him?_ I'd been squeezing his throat. It could've happened so easily without me really trying. If I'd held on a little longer or squeezed a little harder, Teddy would've died. And why? For saying stupid stuff to me?

I slid down to the floor, my back leaning against the door as all the ramifications came to my mind.

Pepper was so angry with me. I'd never seen her so upset. Why did I have to be such a jerk? Why hadn't I just talked to her?

I felt a flutter of nerves as I knew she had to be talking to Tony right now. Tears now threatening to fall, I sucked in a shaky breath as I held them at bay. He wasn't going to be happy with me at all. In fact, he'd probably be furious. He'd probably… _no_ , I wasn't going to take it.

I had all the right in the world to stand up for myself! Yeah, I had the ability to kill that bastard, but I hadn't! I'd controlled myself. All he had was a bruised neck and ego. He deserved it.

I sat where I was, my emotions fluctuating from guilt to fear to anger. I rested my head in my hands, cursing myself, Teddy, and even Tony for this stupid situation. If Tony hadn't shown up at my school, it would never have become common knowledge that I worked for him; and Teddy would never have gotten involved in my life.

 **Tony's POV:**

I didn't bother using the landing pad as I arrived home, choosing instead to just land directly on the balcony of the living area. Stepping out my suit I quickly entered the house and ran over to Pepper, who was sitting on the couch looking guilty, like any of this had been her fault.

I'd received a call from her half an hour ago informing me of what our kid had gotten up to at school. He'd gotten into a fight with some kid I'd never heard of, and he'd freaking _choked_ the boy. What the hell had he been thinking? Pepper had told me this boy had been bullying Peter, but I still didn't understand. Peter had been bullied for ages by that Flash kid and he'd never retaliated, so what made today different?

The fight was upsetting, but I honestly found the way he treated Pepper to be more upsetting. It was that behavior that had me fuming. Pepper loved the teen with all her heart, and had never been anything but kind to him. She hadn't deserved Peter's anger or attitude.

Wrapping my arms around my future wife, I gave her a kiss on the cheek before asking her to explain once more to me what had occurred. Hearing her repeat everything did nothing to calm my anger, instead just fueling it even more.

"You've got nothing to be guilty about, Pep," I told her gently. "That mouthy spider had no right to treat you the way he did. He knows better than to get into fights, and he knows better than to act so disrespectfully."

Pepper made an indistinctive noise against my chest before breaking away. "I don't understand where this attitude is coming from. He's always been nothing but respectful with the both of us."

"Well, clearly he's grown comfortable enough around us that he feels he can show off some attitude," I remarked, giving Pepper a wry grin. "Now, excuse me while I go and deal with our naughty little spider. I assure you he will be full of apologies for you when I'm done."

Pepper sighed, but nodded her head anyways. "Remember, Tony, that he's just fifteen," she stated. "He's a boy whose been through a lot lately, so please don't be too hard on him. He didn't hurt me."

I raised an eyebrow at her defense before giving her a single nod. I understood what she was saying. She didn't want me allowing my overprotectiveness of her to cloud my judgment.

I walked towards Peter's room with purposeful steps, firmly knocking on his door three times before attempting to open it. I let out a sigh at finding it locked. Yeah, I was so going to replace his doorknob with one that had no locks after this.

"Open the door, kid," I ordered, but I received no response. Of course, it wouldn't be this easy.

"Peter, open the door," I ordered again, but I still received no response. I huffed before asking Friday if he even was in his bedroom, and she responded that he was. Very well, time to up the ante.

"Peter, I'm giving you three seconds to open this door before I just break it down; and I'm warning you now, if I have to break it down, then the first thing I'm going to do when I get in there is spank you," I informed him, my voice hard. "Neither of us wants that, so unlock this door _now_."

"Go away," the kid mumbled, sounding like he was right at the door. I'll admit to being stunned at how ballsy he was feeling right now.

"One," I counted, really hoping he'd come to his senses and open the door.

"Two," I continued, feeling my own nerves kick up as they did every time I had to tan that boy's butt. I honestly hadn't anticipated him disobeying me on such simple an order like opening his freaking door.

"Three," I stated, my voice coming out as a disappointed whisper. I closed my eyes as I took in a deep breath to resolve myself to what I was going to do. I'd swear my little spider had to be related to me in some way with how often I found him acting as I did at his age. I'd pushed my mother to counting to three a good handful of times, even though I knew it'd only ever end my spanking with several painful swats from a sandal.

Morphing my watch into the Iron Man hand, I grabbed hold of the doorknob, broke it, and then pulled the door hard enough to break it off the hinges. I was greeted with the sound of Peter yelping as he fell on his back. I guess he'd been leaning against the door. The boy stared at me with wide, startled eyes, as though he hadn't expected me to be able to open the door. Really, kid?

I'd barely narrowed my eyes at him when he got on to his feet in a flash and jumped on to his ceiling.

"I'm not coming down," he declared, attempting to sound determined; however, the quiver of his voice only made him sound like a scared kid, which is why I reacted with an unamused raised eyebrow. He just stared back, looking unsure as I settled for saying nothing. I didn't order him down. I didn't scold him for attempting to get away. I just stared, my arms crossed, and my expression stern.

Was I trying to come off as intimidating? No. In truth, I was just afraid of what I'd say if I let my anger and frustration do the talking. I also didn't want to risk giving any more threats that I didn't want to follow through with. As it was, I now had to spank the kid before we'd even had a conversation. I didn't want to, but if he was going to be this stubborn from the get go, I guess it'd be best just to get the worse over with. I had no doubt he'd be more talkative when nursing a sore backside.

I always had been. I'd been a stubborn, smart ass kid who'd made it a point to get under people's skin. Mom had never appreciated that, so I'd usually always ended up with a sore ass before I'd been able to have an honest conversation with her. Even sometimes when I had been willing to talk, she's still decided to start with the punishment, telling me I needed to be knocked down several pegs before she'd believe anything I had to say. Did I mention I lied a lot in my youth? Yeah, I was a parent's worst nightmare; but she'd still loved me, and she'd never given up on me. A old ache for her hit my heart, and I wondered what she'd think of me now? I wondered what she'd think of Peter, and how I was with him? Would she be proud? Disappointed?

Watching the increasingly nervous spiderling, I pushed thoughts of my mother away. Feeling calmer, I simply asked, "Ready to come down now?"

He shook his head, biting his lip, looking every bit the image of a kid in trouble. "You're going to spank me," he accused, as though I was doing something wrong.

I shrugged, deciding to just sit down in his desk chair. "I did warn you, pal," I responded casually. "You're going to have to come down eventually, so how about you make things easier on both of us and just come down so can just get this done with, alright? Waiting up there is only going to make you more nervous, and when you get like that, you tend to make dumb decisions."

He frowned, but didn't deny what I'd said. Instead of complying, though, he glared before stating, "I'm not coming down because you shouldn't spank me just for not opening my door. I didn't want to talk, so you should have left me alone."

I cocked my head to the side, frustrated, yes, but also immensely curious as to what had my kid in such a state. This was the first time he'd openly told me, no. Taking a breath in order to maintain my calm front, I told him, "I'm not going to spank you for not opening your door. I'm going to spank you for the fight at school and for the way you disrespected Pepper. If you'd like to continue arguing with me, I'll add on defiance to that list, and you'll just end up with a sorer rear end. The choice is yours."

I noticed the kid's fists tightening, his face going red with increasing anger. This was very new to me. He had never argued nor challenged me like this. I stood back up now, feeling the need to show him I was not in the mood for his antics.

"Go away!" Peter snapped, and it was so clear that while he was angry, he was also upset. Something was eating at him.

"Peter, get down here _now_ , and explain what the hell is going on in that mind of yours," I ordered. "You're angry, so tell me why. You're upset, so tell me why. Use your goddamned words and quit throwing this childish tantrum!"

"I don't want to talk to you!" he screamed furiously. "Why do you care that I got into a fight, huh? That guy was an ass who blamed me for my family's deaths! I stood up for myself and choked him, no big deal!"

"No big deal?!" I retorted in disbelief. He couldn't really believe that?

"Yeah, no big deal!" he declared, sounding more chocked up than angry. "It's _your_ fault, anyways, that he was bothering me anyways! If you hadn't come to my school and made a big show of knowing me, then he never would've started bugging me, so go away!" he roared, his breaths coming out in huffs.

I was startled and confused by the accusation that I was in anyway at fault for what happened. My little spider had really worked himself up, though, and I knew that if I continued to argue with him, then things would only get worse. Deciding to take a step back, I looked up at Peter and graced him with a look of disappointment.

"Alright, I'm not in the mood for arguing," I informed him sternly, "so I'll just lay it out for you. You've got a spanking coming your way, kiddo, but I'm not going to stand here anymore and listen to your excuses about what happened while waiting for you to get off your high horse. When you're ready to accept your consequences and talk, then you come find me. Until that moment, though, you are to remain here in this room. Is that understood?" I asked, and he graced me with an uncertain look. I said nothing, though, waiting for him to give me his understanding. He settled with a small nod, and I briskly walked away, resisting the urge to punch the wall in frustration. Damn little punk!

Pepper stood at the end of the hallway, giving me an inquiring look. "I heard the end of your conversation," she said. "What happened?" I sighed inwardly before explaining the short chat the mouthy spider and I had.

"That boy told Peter he was to blame for his family's deaths?" Pepper asked, and I grimaced as I nodded. "That's what he told me, although I don't think he meant to say it," I remarked. "It would explain, though, why he attacked that kid."

"He still blames himself for his uncle's death," Pepper stated, and I frowned as I walked into the kitchen and leaned against a counter. "He probably blames himself for May's death as well," I added, and she leaned down onto the counter with me. She leaned her head on my shoulder, so I placed a kiss to her head.

"You really think that after telling Peter you're going to spank him that he'll actually _ever_ decide to come and talk?" she questioned, giving me a curious look.

"Yup!" I answered, giving her a smile. "Kid's too good to stay angry for long. He'll come to us when the guilt starts to eat away at him, trust me."

She raised her eyebrows in surprise at my assessment before just nodding his head. "Guess it's a good thing he doesn't have your genetics, then, huh?"

I just rolled my eyes as I let out a light chuckle. "Oh yeah, it's a good thing. If he was related to me he would've laughed in my face, and he would've been gone by now. Speaking of which, Friday, darling," I called out, "please be sure and let me know if our resident spiderling decides to leave the premises."

"Of course, sir," she replied.

Pepper sighed unhappily, running her fingers through the hair at the back of my head.

"I'm sorry for calling you back home for this, but I wasn't sure"—

"Shh, don't apologize," I interrupted, "I'll be here whenever you need me."

"He just seems to respond better to you than he does me," she spoke, "and I'm happy about that, I really am. You two are great for each other."

"You two just need to spend some more time together," I retorted. "The kid and I have got a lot in common, which makes it easy for me to understand him. He does love you," I added gently.

"I know that," she immediately responded before giving me a kiss on the lips. She broke apart, I felt, too soon, but when I went to give her another, she just smirked at me before saying she was hungry.

"I'm going to cook something for us all. Any requests?" she asked, and I shook my head, asking instead, what I could help her with. I preferred to keep busy, concern, frustration, and anger towards the spiderboy swirling in my mind. I didn't want to dwell on that, so I focused instead on helping Pepper cook and on keeping her spirits up as I knew she too was concerned about Peter. We made a simple pasta dish, so it didn't take long for us to finish and fill three plates full.

"I'll take this to Peter," Pepper stated before turning around and freezing, as the rebellious teenager was nervously peeking his head around the corner of the entryway. My stomach tightened at the sight, and I immediately spoke up before Pepper could begin to coddle him.

"You ready to talk?" I asked, and he bit his lip as he gave a single, slow nod.

"Okay, back to your room," I ordered, setting my plate down and making to follow him.

"Tony, really?" Pepper questioned as she blocked my path. "Can't you let him eat first, or can't we talk?" she pressed, and I shook my head.

"I warned him, Pep, so I gotta follow through," I explained. "I know I'm new to this parenting thing, and that I'm not that great at it, but I do know that if you say something to your kid, then you've got to follow through. I mean, that is what that ridiculous book you made me read said."

Pepper's eyebrows rose in surprise, no doubt because I'd actually read the book she gave me. She then let out a sigh before giving me a sad smile. "Okay," she sighed, moving aside to let me pass. I gave her a grateful look before walking by her. "You're a great father, by the way," she remarked as I passed by her, and I gave her a look of appreciation before heading into the kid's room.

Peter already had tears in his eyes when I entered, and while that let me know he was ready to listen, it made it immensely harder to remain stern and follow through with this punishment.

"I, uh, Tony, I-I'm," he started to stutter, but I silenced him with a sharp wave of my hand.

"Spanking first, then talking," I informed him as I tinkered with my watch. Peter's shoulders dropped in defeat as he gave a morose nod. God, this sucked big time. Why did he have to look like a kicked puppy right now? This wasn't fair! Just looking at him was making _me_ want to cry. Forcefully shoving these emotions away, I resolved to get this done and over with as quickly as possible.

"You know the drill," were the only words I gave him as I sat myself down on his bed. The kid graced me with puppy-dog eyes, but still managed to do as told. I quickly pulled him over my lap and yanked down his pants. My little spider was already sniffling loudly, his hands tightly gripping the comforter.

"Alright, my young and rebellious spider," I spoke sternly, "you are in this position because of your behavior today. Fighting is serious, but then coming home and disrespecting both Pepper and me? You just dug yourself a deeper hole; hence, why I'm busting your butt before we talk rather than afterwards." With those final words, I began to bring my hand down, quickly covering every inch of exposed skin. As usual, the teen was wriggling and crying after only a few swats. Poor kiddo, he was so sensitive. I continued to bring my hand down until his backside became a dark red color. He was openly sobbing at this point, begging me to stop as he always did. It was only when his pleas became unintelligible that I finally stopped.

He sobbed his little heart out, and as usual, I felt like an absolute monster. I pulled his pants back up before helping the boy stand up. I immediately pulled him into my arms, and I felt relief at the feel of his arms wrapping around me. Knowing that he still needed me for comfort helped me to not hate myself so much for being the one who put him in tears. The kid cried out his guilt and hurt into my shirt, soaking it, but I didn't care. It was only when his cries stopped that I pushed him away.

His whimper tore through me, but I needed to see his face to make sure he was okay. "How you doing, pal?" I asked him gently, and he just nodded his head while wiping at his face with his right arm. With his left, he was gripping part of my jacket. I placed my hand on his sweaty head, and he finally made eye contact with me. Another shot of relief coursed through me to see no anger, only apology.

"I'm okay," he murmured, sniffling once more as he wiped the last of his tears from his face.

I ruffled his hair, smiling as I said, "Let's go eat, and then we can talk about that fight. I don't think we need to go over the attitude, though, do you? I feel you understand that neither Pepper nor I were a fan of it."

Peter nodded, finally releasing his grip from my jacket, and then walking out. I let him go a few steps ahead of me, and rubbed tired hands rapidly over my face. When I got to the kitchen, Pepper was all over the kid, hugging him, consoling him, and telling him he was completely forgiven. I just shook my head with a smile. She was such a mother hen.

Pepper had kept the food warm and hadn't yet eaten so that we could all eat together. We sat down, and Pepper and I kept the conversation light. We didn't force the kid to talk, and we pretended to not notice the way he continued to shift around in his seat throughout the meal.

When we finished, we worked together to clean up before I point blank asked the kid for an explanation. I didn't want to beat around the bush or call a family meeting or anything. I just wanted him to say it; and, thankfully, he did.

He told us what _Teddy_ had been saying to him. He told us about his guilt over his uncle and aunt's deaths. He told us what had set him off today, and how he felt one day his screw up would lead to one of us getting hurt. He admitted to feeling some satisfaction with how he hurt Teddy. Yes, he felt guilty, but it felt good to stand up for himself.

I felt for the kid. I wanted to bash in that idiot bully's head in also, but it was still the wrong reaction. Neither Pepper or I really focused on that, though, as we found Peter's guilt and worry for us more concerning.

Pepper was great at this point, talking Peter through his uncle's death and then his aunt's. I hated how much he blamed himself. It hurt to watch him crying in guilt and grief over what had happened. He was just too young to have suffered so much. Pepper had her arm wrapped tightly around Peter as he struggled to keep his tears at bay.

"I-I get what you're saying, but-but it's j-just so _hard,_ " the kid admitted, those tears falling once more. "I don't understand why this has all happened. I don't understand why they all had to die. And what if you guys die?" he asked despairingly, looking from Pepper to me. "What if something I do gets you killed? Or-or, not even that! You guys are important, famous people, and you, Tony are a freaking super hero. People want to kill you, and what if they do? I don't want to lose anybody else. I couldn't handle it! I couldn't!" he cried, and I felt tears coming to my own eyes at his agony. I understood his emotions so damn well. I understood what it was like to fear for your loved ones, and to fear what their deaths could do to you.

I thought back to several years ago when I had a conversation with Pepper. _Threat is imminent, and I've got to protect the one thing I can't live without—that's you._

Pepper shared a glance with me, and I could see my words echoing around her mind. How alike we were.

"Hey, Spiderling," I spoke softly, "I understand how you feel." He lifted his tearful eyes up to mine, yearning for whatever words of comfort I could give him. This was so wrong. A fifteen-year-old boy shouldn't have this much pain in his eyes. I shouldn't have to reassure him that people weren't going to die, or that he wasn't going to be left alone.

"I've got the same fear," I admitted, my voice sounding hoarse. "I'm _terrified_ , kiddo, that the people I love will be hurt because of me. I've made so many mistakes that have resulted in people's deaths. I've pushed people away most my life because I was afraid to let anyone get close to me." My heart beat rapidly now as I struggled to maintain my composure. "When my parents died I blamed myself. It didn't make any sense, but I _still blamed myself_. I told no one, though, because I had no one to turn to. I was hurting so badly that I pushed everybody away. I hurt them before they could hurt me first; and _then_ , because I couldn't deal with the guilt and pain, I drank. I drank a lot, and I did a lot of drugs, and-and, I did a lot of bad things to deal with that. _Please don't be like me_ , buddy." I begged.

"You've got so many people here who care about you, and who want to help you," I told him, my voice sound far too emotional for my own liking. There was this annoying lump in my throat, and I had to look to Pepper, letting her know that she could take the reins now. She thankfully understood.

"We love you, Peter, and we're here for you whenever you need to talk. You don't need to keep this all hidden inside of you, or we'll end up with incidences like today," she remarked, smoothing the boy's messy hair back.

The kid nodded his head, giving us grateful looks, but remaining silent. We'd probably overwhelmed him. Looking at the clock, I saw that it was only 6:30, but a glance at the teen let me know that he was exhausted. I didn't want to order him to bed, though, because he'd refuse on principle alone. He was a teenager, of course, and going to bed at 6:30 was unheard of!

Feeling he needed to sleep, though, I suggested we just sit down and watch a movie or TV. He agreed, and Pepper and I placed the kid between us on the larger couch as we turned the TV to a mindless comedy. I don't think any of us really watched it as our minds were buzzing with everything that had happened today.

In addition to this incident with Peter, I was also thinking about the Sokovia accords. I'd been talking with some of the UN representatives today, specifically those from Sokovia, Germany, and Russia. I was trying to gain their support in removing Ross from his position. They'd agreed with little insistence, which surprised me, but I guess one only needed to meet the general before gaining an instant dislike. How that man gained his position was an absolute mystery. It didn't speak well of our military that he was the kind of general we produced.

After discussing Ross, I put forth my ideas for some amendments to be made. I didn't want to force any superhero to have to reveal their identity to the world if they didn't want to. Perhaps, they could just have someone whose identity was known, like me, vouch for them; which meant that I'd be able to vouch for Peter once he turned 18.

I also wanted to change how involved the UN was in controlling the actions of the Avengers. I'd explained the concern that having to contact them every time we went on a mission could lead to loss in lives. If we had to waste precious minutes, or more likely hours, getting permission, then our mission could be a failure before we even began. I stifled a groan as I felt a splitting headache begin to hit me.

A gentle touch to my shoulder caused me to look over at Pepper who was gazing at me with concern. I gave her a smile, realizing that I should probably take my own advice and open up to her more. She motioned to Peter now, and my grin grew when I saw him leaning on her fast asleep.

"Want me to move him?" I asked quietly, and she shook her head. I nodded in understanding, just throwing a blanket over the them. We both turned our attentions back to the television, and before long exhaustion caught up with the two of us, and we fell asleep.

 **A/N:** **Hope you enjoyed, and as usual, please review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Note: I forgot the principal's name at Peter's school, and I admittedly was too lazy to look it up, so I made one up.**

 **Chapter 17: Even More High School Troubles**

 **Peter's POV:**

Tony and Pepper were gone on some Stark Industries business stuff. It'd been five days already and they still had two more to go before they could come home. They'd told me that they both had to go, explaining that for the sake of the company, they needed to be seen. They were going to be travelling around the world visiting every one of the major SI sites. I was told that this trip normally took at least three weeks, but that they would shorten it to a week for my sake.

I'd been torn between relief and annoyance, between complaining about them rushing and begging them to stay. In the end, I'd just settled with doing neither and just nodding my head in understanding. I mean, yeah, I did understand. They were _the_ Tony Stark and Pepper Pots of Stark Industries. Their company wouldn't run without them, and it was obvious that they'd have to go out and actually talk with people in order to maintain that company.

I understood, but I wasn't happy about it. It was so childish and embarrassing of me, but I wanted them here with me. Any other teenager would be ecstatic that their parents were out of town for a week, but not me. Their mere presence was reassuring and comforting. I didn't need to be coddled or anything, but they understood me. They knew how to help me when I had a nightmare.

At least I wasn't alone, though. Happy had been left in charge of me, and I loved the guy, I really did. He was like a fun uncle, nothing like I'd originally thought him to be. He happened to be a huge Star Wars fan like me, and on the day after Tony and Pepper had left, we'd binge watched all eight Star Wars films. We'd spent the entire day and night in our pajamas, downing energy drinks and coffee to stay awake through it all. As we watched, Happy had told me about having seen episodes four and five in theaters, and how crazy the fans had been even back then. We discussed trivia, favorite characters, and even favorite movie. It'd been so much fun. Happy had even told me that he'd convince Tony to get us premiere tickets for Episode VIII whenever it came out.

"Really?!" I'd gasped in awe, and he'd just chuckled.

"Kid, honestly, all you'd have to do is ask Tony with those puppy-dog eyes you've got, and he'd give in without question," he mentioned with a smile. "He's putty in your hands, but don't let him know I told you." I grinned widely, not having known this.

The weekend had gone by quickly, and the school week had started three days ago. Happy had insisted on driving me and dropping me off.

"I'm a driver," he said with a shrug and smile, to which I'd just rolled my eyes. If it made him happy, then whatever. He at last drove a car that didn't stand out, unlike Tony; and he wouldn't make a big show either.

Monday had gone by uneventfully, and I'd convinced Happy to help me out with my homework. He'd agreed, and I found myself surprised by how intelligent he was. I was embarrassed by that thought, but all I'd known about him was that he'd originally been hired by Tony as a body guard. He'd told me the story a couple months ago when I asked.

"Yeah, I saved Tony from getting his drunk-self beat," he recalled in amusement. "Didn't know who he was at the time, but I couldn't stand aside and watch five guys beating down another, especially when that other guy was clearly drunk and didn't know when to shut up. It was probably his smart-mouth that got him in trouble, anyways."

"What'd you think when you realized who he was?" I questioned in surprise.

"I was really surprised," he answered, "but, honestly, I was also pretty upset. I couldn't understand what the hell a guy like him was doing in some dingy bar, dressed in filthy clothes, and without any ID or money on him. Apparently, he'd been missing for a couple days. Something happened (I never found out what) that caused him to go off on a drinking binge. Then, to make matters worse he'd gotten a hold of some serious drugs. It was something he rarely did, but he was hurting about something. I never asked and he never told me," he explained, frowning at the memory. "I drove him home, and about a week later, he found me at my home and offered me a job as his body guard. He admitted that he tended to piss off a lot of people, so having a body guard who could also teach him how to defend himself would be helpful. He offered me a ton of money, and things just took off from there. It's definitely been a crazy ride."

"Did you ever regret taking the job?" I then asked in curiosity. I'd heard enough about the "old Tony" to know that he hadn't been someone easy to get along with.

"Sometimes," he admitted. "Tony got up to some crazy stuff when he was younger, and he could be a real selfish jerk. He enjoyed pushing my buttons, and I nearly quit several times; but…every time I started to feel that way, Tony would do something to remind me of why I took the job in the first place. He'd drop his mask, and I'd see who he really was. I'd see how much he really cared about helping people. I'd see how much Obadiah's praise meant to him, which went against the arrogant image he so often portrayed. His eyes would light up when Obadiah, and then also Pepper would praise him for something he'd done well."

I listened in rapt attention, amazed at hearing what he had to say, and amazed at how Tony used to be. I didn't know much about Obadiah, except for the fact that he'd been Tony's godfather and that he was no longer alive.

"I also remembered exactly how he was the day I met him," he continued. "I could tell he was in a lot of emotional pain, and I understood what that felt like. I took the job because I wanted to help him. I wanted to get to know the man behind the mask. That first meeting with Tony let me know that the media didn't know who he really was." Happy gave me a smile as he then said, "Over time when he noticed that he hadn't driven me away, he started to drop his mask a little more around me. He started to trust me, and let his guard down. He became my friend, and still is to this day. I'd do anything for him, and I know he'd do the same. He still drives me crazy," he added with a shake of his head, "but he wouldn't be Tony if he didn't."

Tuesday and Wednesday, Happy had allowed Ned to come over, and that'd been great. He'd actually been able to spend the night for the first time in this house on Wednesday, and we'd had a blast. Happy had pulled out nerf guns from who knows where, and we'd had a nerf war battle. The entire living quarters had been open game, and Ned and Happy had ended up teaming up against me as I had no qualms with using my abilities against them. The game only ended when a shot from one of us (none of us admitted to being guilty) landed a shot on an expensive vase of Pepper's, causing it fall and shatter. I hadn't thought it was that big of a deal as Pepper could probably buy another, but at Happy's pale face and insistence that we get rid of the evidence, I quickly realized that this was not a replaceable vase.

So, the vase was cleaned up and the area cleaned spotless. We put a big pot with flowers where it used to be, hoping Pepper wouldn't notice. Nerf guns were then put away as we moved on to watching TV together. We ordered pizza, grabbed sodas, candy, and made popcorn before sitting and watching a couple of comedy movies. There were loads of laughter before midnight hit, and Happy insisted we go to sleep as Ned and I still had school the next day. We argued, insisting on one more movie, and Happy gave in. We put in a horror flick, _Insidious_ , and while the movie was awesome, it definitely hadn't been the best choice as a movie to watch right before bed. We'd all sat huddled together on the floor with blankets around us as we'd watched, and when the movie had ended we'd jumped when the ice maker in the fridge turned on. Happy bade us good night with an amused smirk, and Ned and I had quickly run to my bedroom.

"Beds big enough for the both of us," I stated, and he just nodded before we both jumped into the bed and under the covers. Our nerves were set on high as we looked around my moon for anything out of place. Every single noise freaked me out, and with my sensitive hearing I found sleep nearly impossible. Ned couldn't sleep either as every time I flinched, he jumped.

"Hey, Friday," Ned called out, "are there any ghosts in this place?" I wanted to laugh at the ridiculous question, but truthfully, I needed the answer if I was ever going to sleep.

"No, Mr. Leeds," she responded in an amused tone, "there are no ghosts in this residence. I will keep watch, though, and let you know if anything happens." A dim light appeared near the doorway, illuminating the room but not bright enough to be distracting. I felt a rush of affection for the AI.

"Thanks, Fri," I responded gratefully.

"Sleep well, young sirs," she responded, and both Ned and I were finally able to relax enough to sleep.

Morning came too soon, and Ned and I groaned and moaned as we sleepily got ready for school.

"Why did we stay up so late?" Ned complained as he attempted to put his left shoe on his right foot.

I just grunted in response as I looked around my room, trying to remember where I'd left my backpack.

A loud knock on the door caused us both to jump, Ned actually letting out a small shout. "Hey, you two! Get moving, we're leaving in five minutes and I've got no problems dropping you off half naked if you're not dressed," he joked, laughing to himself. I rolled my eyes, which was how I was able to find my backpack. Why had I stuck it to the ceiling?

Ned finally managed to put his shoes on the right feet, and we joined Happy, who somehow managed to look way too well rested.

"Told you not to stay up so late," he remarked knowingly when he caught sight of us. "Now, come on or you're going to be late."

We arrived at the school a few minutes before the bell rang. We split up as we had different first periods. I walked into my class and immediately looked for MJ, smiling when I spotted her. She'd been absent for a couple days, and judging by how bedraggled she looked, I assumed she'd been sick. When I sat myself down next to her, though, I instantly smelled alcohol. What the hell?

"Hey, MJ," I greeted, "how are you?" I decided to ask. Outright asking her in the middle of class why she was drinking didn't seem like the smartest thing to do.

"Hi, Peter," she greeted with a tired smile, and I noticed her red eyes. "I'm alright. Just been sick, y'know?"

I nodded my head, but we couldn't talk anymore as class started. I kept my eyes on her nearly the entire class, to the point where she point-blank told me I was freaking her out with my staring. While we worked on an assignment I asked her again if she was doing okay, because she didn't look fine. I even felt comfortable enough to ask her if she'd really been sick. I felt we were good enough friends now, that I didn't have to tiptoe around everything I said to her. She responded to my question with a weird look before repeating firmly that she'd been sick.

Class ended, and I was glad that we shared 2nd period as well, so that I could keep an eye on her. I couldn't understand why she smelled like alcohol. She didn't seem the type to drink. Had she just been around someone who was drinking? No, that didn't make sense. Alcohol wasn't like cigarettes. It didn't leave a scent behind on anyone but the person drinking. As we walked down the hall, I tensed when I heard the clinking of glass coming from her backpack. No. She didn't. She couldn't have. Did she really bring booze to school?! What was going on with her?

I needed to find out right now, so before we reached our classroom, I gently grabbed pulled her to the side and outright whispered, "MJ, you smell like alcohol. What is going on?"

She jerked, giving me a wide-eyed look, before shaking her head and asking me if I was out of my mind.

"Don't lie to me, please," I begged. "I can smell it on you," I admitted, "and I know you've got some in your back pack because I saw it earlier," I lied, feeling that telling her I could hear the clinking of glass in her back would be too weird.

Her face paled, turning scared, then angry, then frustrated before she looked around and said we should go somewhere private. We snuck into one of the empty classrooms, and immediately after I closed the door I was startled to see that MJ had tears in her eyes.

"What's going on, MJ?" I asked in concern. "Did something happen?"

"It's nothing, Peter," she replied, taking in a deep breath to bring herself back under control. "Just some crap going on at home."

I refrained from asking for details, and instead asked why she was drinking.

She looked down in embarrassment, looking very unlike herself. She was usually so confident, armed with a smart-mouth comment, but not right now. "It's a bad habit I got into a year ago. I live with my older brother and sister, and they both drink, so I just started to also." I frowned, not liking that, but still not understanding everything.

"I've never noticed, though," I commented. "You smell like alcohol, your eyes are red, and you've actually brought the stuff to school. _Why_?"

She closed her eyes, gritting her teeth as she began to pace. Her fists clenched and then unclenched before she let out a harsh sigh. "Look, Peter, there's some stuff that's been going on at home that I haven't wanted to tell you." I gave her a look of confusion.

"You've gone through a lot these past several months, hell, this past year with both your uncle and aunt dying," she said with sympathy. "There's a lot you're dealing with, and I just didn't need you worrying about me as well, so I haven't said anything." I nodded in understanding, although I didn't like it.

"My older brother got arrested for getting into a bad fight at a bar about a month ago," she informed me, her voice shaky. "It was pretty bad, and the other guy ended up in the hospital. My brother's been in custody since then, and we just found out over the weekend, that the other guy passed away due to his injuries. My brother is going to be charged with murder," she confessed, the tears in her eyes finally falling. My heart broke for her, and I enveloped her in a hug.

"I'm so sorry," I told her.

"I just don't know what to do," she continued, as she pulled away from me slightly. "My sister is only 19, and neither one of us can afford to get him a good lawyer. Brock was just defending himself, but that's going to be hard to prove when the other guy is now dead. Then, there's the fact that he's considered my legal guardian. Tara is falling apart, and I don't think she'll be able to gain guardianship of me unless she can pull herself together. She's got a good job, but we're going to need her money for rent and food. This just sucks so much."

I felt so bad for her. I had no idea what I could do to help her. "I'm so sorry," I repeated, an idea then popping into my head. "I'll talk to Tony," I stated. "I'll ask him if he could pay for a"—

"No way, Peter!" she argued, looking aghast at the mere thought. "You're not telling him anything, okay? We don't need his charity."

"But, MJ, come on, I'm sure he'd help," I countered, understanding what she was saying, but also wanting to do something to help.

"No, Peter, you hear me, _no_ ," she retorted firmly. "Promise me you won't tell him, or that you won't ask. Please."

"I promise," I spoke unhappily. "Just let me know if you change your mind, or if there's something else I can do to help."

MJ smiled now, responding, "Just talking helps." I smiled back, glad that I was able to do something.

"Is this why you've been drinking more?" I had to ask, and she nodded morosely as she pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniels. I was surprised that she could stomach the hard drink. Clearly, she had been drinking for a while if she could tolerate it straight from the bottle. She screwed off the cap, and took a small drink, grimacing before sighing.

"You're smart, MJ, and you know this won't make anything better," I said gently.

"You sure about that?" she asked, arching an eyebrow as she offered me the bottle. "I know you're still hurting. Join me?"

I wasn't sure what to do. I knew drinking didn't make things better. It was a depressant, and actually made things worse; but, I couldn't help but remember how it felt the one time I'd been drunk all the months ago. I sighed before taking the bottle and taking a long drink. I had to clear my throat loudly to fight back the cough that wanted to escape. MJ just smirked in amusement.

"How do you stand this stuff?" I asked, and her response went unheard as the door suddenly opened. We both looked to the door in shock, and I put the bottle behind my back as the security guard looked on us with stern eyes.

"Well, this is a surprise," he mentioned with a frown. "How about you hand that bottle over, Peter," he said, and I knew it wasn't a suggestion, so I slowly walked over and gave him the bottle. His eyebrows rose in surprise when he saw what it was. Shaking his head, he simply said, "Come on," and walked out. MJ and I shared nervous looks as we followed.

"I'm so sorry, Peter," she whispered to me, "I'll tell them you caught me drinking and that you were only trying to take the bottle away."

"What? No way," I argued, and the security guard hushed us as we arrived at the office. He gestured for us to sit down while he went to explain what happened to the principal.

"You're not taking all the blame for this," I hissed. "Let _me_ take the blame for you instead. You've got enough problems going on at home, and Tony and Pepper aren't home right now to hound me. Besides, they won't be that mad," I lied.

MJ glared as she shook her head. "This is my fault, so there's no way I'm going to let _you_ take the blame," she retorted just as hotly.

I glared back as I insisted she let me take the blame. "Look, if you get in trouble for drinking, your sister might have more trouble gaining guardianship of you since she could come off as unfit," I stated, and her glare faded as she paled. Her expression was fearful as she thought over the situation.

"You'll get in trouble, Peter, I can't"—she argued again, but I just shook my head.

"Let me do this for you," I begged. "I do this, and you start to cut down your drinking," I added, giving her a serious look. "You're too smart to let this crap ruin your life."

MJ stared back, looking at me with an unreadable expression. "You're one of a kind, Peter Parker," she commented before nodding her head. "Okay," she agreed dismally. "You take the blame, and I swear to god, I'll stop the drinking." I relaxed, feeling glad that not only would I be helping her, but she'd also start to stop drinking so much.

"This isn't right," she remarked, but I gave her an encouraging smile. "Don't stress so much. I'll be fine. You can't afford for this to happen right now, and I can."

"It's still doesn't make it right," she countered sadly. "I'll tell your guardians the truth after this, so that they won't be mad."

"You don't have to do that," I said, but she gave me a disbelieving look.

Principal Edwards appeared before us, ending our conversation. His arms were crossed and a disappointed look was on his face as he brought us into his office and demanded an explanation. I spoke up, informing him that the drink was mine and that MJ hadn't had any. "She saw me sneak into the classroom and was arguing with me about the drinking when the guard walked in on us."

The principal frowned unhappily at me before looking at MJ for confirmation. I looked at her two, hoping she'd stick to the story. Tears began to fall down her eyes, and I was afraid she had changed her mind; but instead, she nodded her head and repeated the same story as me. "But please, sir, don't be too mad at him," she argued on my behalf. "He's been through so much lately, and he's a great student." I gave her a grateful look, touched by her defense.

Edwards sighed, leaning back in his chair as he looked at both of us. I was worried about whether he'd believe MJ, but thankfully her excellent school record worked in her favor. She was sent back to class, and Edwards then looked at me with extreme disapproval and disappointment.

"Peter, I just don't know what to do with you," he commented. "You used to be such an exemplary student, but in this past year…I know you've been through a lot of trauma, and you have my deepest condolences, but this behavior cannot continue. Skipping school, getting into fights, and now drinking? Why, Peter? What are you trying to gain with this behavior? You're a good kid, so please try and help me understand," he pleaded.

I shifted in my seat, feeling guilty for how genuinely concerned he was. I honestly had no answer for him, though. "I don't know, sir," I simply stated. "I don't know why I've been acting like this."

He shook his head unhappily as he took in a deep breath. Looking at me through narrowed eyes, he then said, "Tony Stark is your guardian. He's a very famous and very busy man. Is he around often?"

I wasn't sure why he was bringing this up, but I nodded my head. "Yeah, he's around as often as he can be. Pepper, too."

Edwards nodded, looking thoughtful. "I truthfully don't understand why he adopted you, but Peter, I need you to know that I care about your wellbeing very much," he told me, gracing me with a look of concern. "He doesn't strike me as the family type, especially given his…extracurricular activities. Please, feel free to be honest here. Do you feel safe with him? Do you feel that you're being taken care of?"

I stiffened, my jaw clenching as I realized what he was getting at. He thought Tony was an unfit guardian. He thought Tony was the cause of my behavior.

"You don't know anything," I snapped angrily. "Tony is a great guardian! Yes, I feel safe with him, and yes, I feel taken care of. If that's all, _sir_ , I'd appreciate it if you'd just tell me my punishment so we can get past this."

He clearly didn't care for my response as he frowned deeply and just shook his head. "You're in enough trouble as it is, Peter, so I'd watch the tone, young man," he scolded sternly. "As for your punishment, I'm giving you in school suspension for all of next week."

"In school?" I gasped in surprise.

"Yes, I feel you'd benefit more from being here than at home," he replied, and I bristled at the implication. I swallowed back a retort, though, as I didn't want to get into even more trouble.

"I'm going to call home now so I can explain to your guardians what is happening, and so that they can pick you up," he remarked, before lifting the phone.

"They're not home," I reluctantly informed him before he began to dial. I knew he would just take this news as further evidence of my apparent mistreatment.

Edwards pursed his lips, and looked as he was now the one holding back a comment. "Where are they and how long have they been gone?"

"They're traveling around the world for work, and they've been gone since Saturday," I answered. "They'll be back Friday night or early Saturday."

"And you're alone?" he pressed, and I narrowed my eyes as I shook my head.

"Of course not," I said.

"Well, then please give me their number so that I can call them; and inform your guardians that we need to have a meeting next week about your behavior," he declared, and I just nodded as I gave him Happy's number. I was dismissed at that point to wait in the office, and within twenty minutes Happy walked into the office with a bewildered look. The principal immediately brought him into his office to no doubt explain everything I'd done wrong. My eyes widened when I heard raised voices, and when Happy stormed out with a red face.

"Let's go, Peter," he snapped, and I hastily followed, my stomach knotting as I feared it was me he was furious with.

"You're not going to school tomorrow because you're suspended, and all next week you've got in school suspension," he stated angrily as we arrived at his car. I got in to the front, and tried to make myself as small and as quiet as possible. Happy didn't speak the entire way back home. He didn't ask what happened or why, and he didn't even scold me. I refrained from explaining what happened as I was afraid he was too angry to listen or even believe me.

When we got home, the elevator ride up was filled with tense silence, and a quick glance at the older man caused me to hunch my shoulders. He looked mad.

Happy finally spoke when we stepped out of the elevator. "Peter, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do about this. Frankly, I'm shocked and…," he trailed off, looking at a loss as he turned to look at me for the first time since he entered the school office.

"What did the principal tell you?" I asked, wanting to know what the shouting had been about.

"That you and some girl were caught _drinking_ in an empty classroom _during_ class time," he told me, looking stern. "That apparently that girl was trying to convince _you_ to stop drinking. Oh, and let's not forget that apparently Tony is a horrible influence on you, and that he's going to express his concerns with social services."

My eyes widened in horror at his statement, and my stomach clenched painfully. "He's contacting social services?! But that's ridiculous! I told him that I was fine!"

Happy sighed heavily as he threw his hands up in the air. "Fine?" he questioned in disbelief. "Clearly, that's not really true if you're not only drinking but _drinking at school_ _during class_!" he exclaimed.

"I wasn't drinking, though," I defended. "I-I mean I did take a drink, but the bottle wasn't mine and I was only trying to"—

Happy cut me off as he interjected, "It doesn't matter if the bottle was yours or not, Peter, the fact is that you were caught drinking! One drink or not, it doesn't matter. God, how am I going to explain this to Tony and Pepper?" he questioned himself, rubbing both hands over his face. "Go to your room, kid, I really don't feel like talking right now."

"But you don't understand," I attempted to say, but he glared, pointing to my room as he ordered, "Go to your room, _now_. Save those excuses for Tony and Pepper."

I felt a lump in my throat at seeing him so angry with me that he didn't want me around. If he just understood why I did it. If he just understood that I was defending a friend. I went to my room, gripping my hair tightly as I cursed myself over and over.

I couldn't believe the principal was contacting social services because of this! What did that mean? Were Tony and Pepper going to be in trouble? Was I going to be taken away? Could they do that?! I felt sick, so sick that I had to rush to the bathroom suddenly. I vomited what little I had in my stomach, and had to fight back tears.

What had I done? I just wanted to protect MJ, but I may have ruined things with my guardians. Would they even believe me when I told them the truth? I mean, the principal had a point when he pointed out all the trouble I had gotten into recently. With everything I'd done, would they believe me? What if this was the last straw for them? What if social services getting involved convinced them that I was more trouble than I was worth. What if they gave up on me?

My heart beat so rapidly, and my throat felt constricted as I gasped for air. I knew I was panicking, so I tried to convince myself to breathe, but it was so difficult because I couldn't calm myself down. I couldn't convince myself that I hadn't really screwed up. Tears started to fall, and I angrily swiped at them. The anger actually was what calmed me. I didn't have the right to be so upset. I wasn't a little kid. Crying and panicking weren't going to help anything.

Once fully calm, I walked out of the bathroom. I closed and locked my door as I didn't want to talk to Happy anymore. Looking at my phone, I was surprised to see that I already had missed calls from both Tony and Pepper. There were two voicemails, one from each of them, and several texts. I turned off my phone, not wanting to know how disappointed they were. Crawling onto my bed, I decided to just go to sleep. I felt exhausted, especially since I'd slept so poorly the night before, and I also didn't want to think any more about today. I curled up into a ball and covered myself up before closing my eyes and allowing sleep to take over.

Sleep, unfortunately, did not provide me with the comfort I sought. A nightmare hit me, and I saw Tony and Pepper glaring at me with disappointment and hatred. They didn't want me anymore. They told me they regretted having adopted me because of all the trouble I'd caused, and that they'd be happy to get rid of me. I cried for forgiveness, begging them to not leave me, but my voice was mute. No words could come out. They walked away with disgusted looks, and I tried to run after them, but my legs couldn't move. Once they were out of sight, my voice came back, and I let out a yell of agony.

I woke up at this point, gasping for air. I was covered in sweat, my pajamas and sheets sticking to me uncomfortably. My heart was hammering a mile a minute, and I realized in anger that I was crying. Pathetic, I told myself. Still crying over stupid nightmares.

"Are you alright, sir," Friday asked concernedly. "Would you like me to wake Mr. Hogan for you?"

"No, Friday, please don't bother him, I'm fine. Just a dumb dream," I answered, relieved she'd asked me before just alerting Happy.

I shakily got out of bed, noting that it was only two in the morning. My sheets and blanket were as soaked as me. I literally looked as though I'd jumped into a pool, so I ripped everything off my bed. Taking off my clothes I then jumped into the shower, hoping the warm water would help soothe me. It did help me relax, but not enough to fall back asleep. Instead, I just grabbed my bed sheets and blanket, and hauled them to the washing machine. I shoved them in to wash before silently making my way into the kitchen. Feeling hungry, I made myself a huge bowl of Captain Crunch, cradling it near me as I ate silently. I finished the food quickly, hungrier than I realized. I thought about having another bowl before deciding not to. I felt shaky, and I was shivering with cold. From sweating to freezing, I thought unhappily. What is wrong with me?

I went back to my room, and suddenly felt an agonizing need to see Tony or Pepper. I wanted them to tell me they didn't hate me, and they weren't going to get rid of me. I wanted their comfort. I'd even take a spanking if it meant they weren't getting rid of me. Hell, I'd accept _two_ spankings! I just wanted to know that they still wanted me. I just wanted to know that I wasn't going to be alone again. I wouldn't be able to stand it. I wouldn't survive.

Looking at my bare bed, I realized that I didn't know where any other bed sheets or blankets were. Biting my lip, without thinking it through I just went to Tony and Pepper's room. Even knowing they weren't home, I still felt disappointed to find their room empty. Sniffling, I got onto their bed, grabbing onto the pillow I knew was on Tony's side. It smelled like him, and I found it comforting. I then got myself under the covers as I was still cold, and closed my eyes. Inhaling the scent of aftershave, hot metal, and coffee, I managed to calm myself enough to fall asleep once more.

 **Tony's POV:**

I yawned widely as I walked into the elevator on my lab floor. I'd only just arrived from a long flight from Brazil. Happy had called hours ago to inform us of what had gone on with the kid today, and I'd been the only one that could leave. As CEO Pepper needed to stay, so I'd gotten into my Iron man suit and had flown straight home.

Happy told me the kid had been caught drinking at school. He was suspended tomorrow and all next week, and the principal was calling social services. The man also wanted to meet with me, specifically as he felt _I_ was not meeting my kid's needs.

I'd called the principal on the way home, scheduling a meeting for tomorrow, or I guess, later today. I wanted to meet with the man as soon as possible in order to convince him to lay off on the social services call.

What a mess, I thought as I exited the elevator. What had Peter been thinking? What the hell was he doing drinking anyways? Especially at school while ditching class? Pepper and I had both tried to contact Peter, but he'd never answered or responded. In truth, I hadn't been that surprised as Peter tended to shy away, from me especially, when he knows he's in trouble.

And the principal involving social services? I felt a flash of fury and panic. Fury at the principal for implying that I was unfit, and panic, at the trouble this could cause. I was certain they wouldn't be able to take Peter from me, but I still couldn't help but worry.

I headed straight for Peter's room, and frowned when I found it empty. His bed had been stripped for some reason, but, where was he?

"Friday," I addressed, and she answered before I could even ask a question. She informed me of Peter's nightmare, how he woke up covered in sweat, so he had taken everything off his bed to wash. She then let me know the boy had just fallen asleep in my bedroom. My eyebrows rose in surprise as I quickly made my way to my room. Turning on dim lights, I caught sight of my little spider curled up on my side of the bed with his arms wrapped around one of my pillows.

I walked over to him, sat on the edge of the bed and slowly ran a hand through his soft hair. He leaned into the touch, and I realized he was looking for comfort. That's why he was in my bed with his arms wrapped around my pillow. My heart ached at the thought of how much he needed me, and how much he loved me. As always, just looking at my kid seemed to rid me of whatever anger I had towards him. I really loved him, and whatever trouble he got or would get himself into wasn't going to change that.

Padding into my closet I threw off my clothes and put on some sweats and a tank top before walking back to the bed. I crawled in on Pepper's side, and fell asleep quickly, listening to my boy's breathing.

I awoke a few hours later to the feel of a warm body pressed right up against me. Open bleary eyes, I saw that the kid, with his arms still wrapped around my pillow was lying right up against my side. I didn't know if he realized I was here or not, but he definitely looked more relaxed than when I had arrived earlier.

"What's the time, Friday?" I asked aloud.

"8:34 AM, sir," she responded. "You're meeting with Peter's principal is at 10:30 AM, and Mr. Hogan is already awake and in the kitchen."

I nodded, deciding that Peter needed to get up since he'd be going with me to this dreaded meeting. Shaking the teen, I smiled when he just groaned, burrowing his face further into my pillow. "Go away," he murmured, clearly not aware of his surroundings.

"Come on, spider boy," I said, poking him in the side, "we've got a meeting with your principal in two hours." I noticed as his body froze, a moment of silence occurring before his head lifted to look up at me with wide, guilty eyes. The teasing remark I had ready became stuck on my tongue as I noticed that behind the guilt there was raw fear and despair. Oh, no, I thought sadly. What had this boy been telling himself? I knew he had a tendency to think the worse, but this…this looked bad.

"Hey, pal," I said gently, choosing to tread cautiously. "I need you to get dressed, alright? We've got a meeting at your school." Apparently, I said the wrong thing, as tears welled up into my kid's eyes that he buried back into my pillow. His shoulders began to shake with silent sobs, alarming me. What the hell? I knew he tended to get emotional when he was in trouble, but I could tell there was something more.

"Hey, hey, hey," I called to the kid, rubbing his back comfortingly as I ran another hand through his hair. "What's with the tears, little spider, huh?"

"I'm sorry!" he sobbed, his voice muffled. "I'm sorry!"

"I know you are, and it's okay," I responded, feeling a little out of my element. "Come on, there's no need to get so upset. You're in trouble, but we'll get past this like we have everything else, okay?"

"I'm sorry!" he repeated tearfully, and I felt at a loss, not knowing what to do or say. "Please d-don't le-let them t-take me away! I don't mean t-to be b-b-bad!", he cried, his words like knives to the chest. Pieces began to fall into place as I lifted my kid up enough to get my arms around him.

"Peter, kiddo," I soothed as he cried into my chest, " _nobody_ is going to take you away, you hear me? _Nobody!_ You're mine now, and it doesn't matter what kind of trouble you get into, I'm not going to get rid of you. You're my kid. I'll fight tooth and nail for you, so please calm down, buddy. Don't stress about this meeting, nothing bad is going to happen."

His cries actually heightened now, but I could hear relief, so I didn't panic anymore. Instead, I just settled for consoling the worked-up teen. The tears quieted after several minutes, and when I heard him just sniffling, I pushed him away enough so that I could lock eyes with him.

"Sorry, Tony," he murmured, wiping at his face. I wasn't sure what he was apologizing for, so I settled with a single nod while remaining quiet until he looked back at me. The fear and despair were mostly gone, and I found myself relaxing. The kid had thought I was going to get rid of him for something like this? I felt sad that he felt his place in my family was so tenuous.

His eyes now displayed embarrassment, guilt, and anxiety, emotions I was now used to seeing in him when he was in trouble. "Let's get ready for the day. We can talk about everything later," I informed him, and he looked conflicted. Knowing we didn't really have the time to hash out everything, I gave him a pointed look, which caused him to nod and leave the room. I sighed heavily before texting Pepper an update. Quickly showering and getting dressed I then walked into the kitchen and greeted Happy.

He brought me up to date with everything that had happened since I'd been gone. I found amusement in the antics my old friend and Peter had gotten up to. I was glad that the two seemed to really care for each other and enjoy being with one another.

"Everything was going great, Tony, so I really don't understand what happened yesterday," he informed me incredulously. "I had no idea the kid even drank. Let alone taking one to school to drink during class time? None of this makes sense."

"It doesn't," I agreed, shaking my head. I'd caught Peter drinking only once before, and that had been that disastrous house party that I'd had to rescue him from. He hadn't been drunk yesterday, thankfully, but like Happy, I couldn't fathom any reason that he would be drinking. I'd drank at his age on a rather regular basis, but I'd never had the gall to do so during school hours. I'd shown up hungover, but I'd never ditched class to drink. I knew Peter wasn't like me. I watched him close enough to know that he didn't drink, period. Ned was the only kid his age he hung out with, and I knew Ned didn't drink. None of this made sense.

Seeing that it was just after 10AM, I let Happy know about the meeting I'd set up with Peter's principal. He frowned unhappily, describing the man with some choice words. I grinned before letting him know that everything would turn out just fine.

"Ferris Bueller!" I suddenly shouted, "time to go, so get a move on!" I heard the kid's rapid footsteps running, and he was at my side in seconds. He threw both Happy and I uneasy looks. Happy just graced the kid with a small smile as he threw him an apple.

"Cheer up, Peter," he told him. "Everything' going to be just fine." Peter's expression brightened some as he returned Happy's smile. We headed out and arrived at Peter's school earlier than I ever would for a meeting. I figured, though, that with my character being on trial, that my usual tardiness would not work in my favor.

Peter sighed heavily as he led the way to the office, and my heart went out to him. He was really beating himself up. Coming up beside him, I threw an arm around his shoulder, pulling me into my side. He looked at me, and I gave him a reassuring look. "Relax, kiddo, nobody is taking you anywhere. Your principal is just overreacting." He relaxed under my arm, and nodding his head.

Walking into the office, I allowed Peter to do the talking as I wanted as few as people as possible to know I was here. Instead of my normal three-piece suit that I would've worn to a meeting like this, I was instead in jeans, a t-shirt, and sweater, the hoodie pulled over my head and sunglasses covering my eyes.

Principal Edward's arrived in seconds, ushering Peter and I into a conference room. I was surprised to notice that all the kid's teachers were present along with two people I didn't recognize. Peter froze in the doorway, and I gently prodded him in the back to get him moving. When the door closed, I pulled the hood down and took off my sunglasses before greeting everyone with a smile. A third of the room smiled back, the second third nodded, and the last third frowned. Yikes.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice, Mr. Stark," Principal Edwards began, "I know you're a busy man."

With a pleasant grin I responded, "Never too busy for Peter," and I placed my right arm on the backrest of the kid's chair. He unconsciously leant his body towards mine.

"You've met Peter's teachers," he then said, to which I nodded. "This here is Ms. Carol, the school's counselor, and over here is Mrs. Hawn, a social worker."

"And she is here because?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. It wasn't the principal but the social worker who responded. "Some concerns about Mr. Parker's living situation have been brought to me, and I'm here to get an idea as to what may be the cause of his recent behavior."

"I wasn't aware social workers got involved when students got into trouble," I remarked in fake curiosity.

"We don't, but as I already said, concerns regarding Mr. Parker's well-being have been brought to me, so here I am," she responded calmly. "I'm only here to make sure you're meeting all of his needs. If I feel any doubt, the next step will be a home visit. Where is Ms. Potts, by the way?" she now asked. "I was informed that you and she were both Peter's guardians."

"She's abroad on business," I answered evenly. "Couldn't be pulled away." Hawn nodded once. A glance at the other adults in the room, I noticed some of his teachers look uncomfortable with her presence, some looked curious, and one looked satisfied.

The principal began speaking once more, starting with informing me of yesterday's events. He showed me the bottle of Jack Daniels that Peter had been drinking from, and I frowned. One, the bottle was nearly finished, and two, that did not come from my house. I'd cut down on my drinking extensively since adopting Peter, but I still enjoyed an occasional drink. I had a mini bar in my lab, where Peter had no access to without me being there; and even if he did manage to get in without me knowing, Friday would've informed me. I also knew exactly what I had, and how much of it that I had. I wasn't a fool. Peter was a teenager, and it wouldn't have surprised me if the kid ever got the urge to try something. I wanted to make sure that I knew right away if he did, though.

"Where did you get this, Peter?" the principal asked, and he looked momentarily caught off guard.

"Uh, I stole it," he answered, and I kept my face blank as I looked at him. _He was lying_.

"From home?" he principal questioned, and Peter locked eyes with me. I didn't know why he was lying, so my brain worked furiously as I tried to figure out what the best answer would be. Stealing from me or stealing from a store?

"It's mine," I answered, lightly kicking the kid under the table to shut his mouth when he looked ready to argue. Better they think he stole from me, then from some store.

Edwards nodded, having expected this answer. Looking at me, he now asked, "So you have alcohol in the home?"

I arched an unamused eyebrow at him as I responded, "Yes, I do. As I'm sure many of your students' parents do."

"Yes, well, most students don't have Tony Stark as their guardian," he retorted, looking at me with disapproval. "I'm going to be honest here. I don't understand why you have adopted Peter. I know he works for you, but I still don't understand why someone like you would want to adopt a child. I'm deeply concerned about Peter, especially in light of all the trouble he's gotten into; and I question if you're really the best person for him to be living with."

"It's none of your business who I live with!" Peter shouted angrily. "Tony is a great guardian, and I wouldn't want to live with anyone else!"

"Enough, Peter," I ordered firmly, placing a hand on his shoulder. I gave him a comforting squeeze, but his outbursts weren't going to make things better.

"Actually, it is my business," Edwards replied. "I only want the best for you, Peter, you have to understand that. Everyone here knows who Mr. Stark is and what he does. Is this really the type of situation he needs to be living in?" he asked to the room, looking at everyone. My grip tightened on the teen as he once more looked ready to shout.

"Thomas," an elderly woman spoke up, and I recognized her as Peter's Spanish teacher, Mrs. Martinez. "I've seen no reason to believe that Peter is at any risk right now. Yes, he's gotten into trouble, but in all honesty, with all he's been through, he's adjusted very well; and I can only attribute that to Mr. Stark and Ms. Pott's assistance." I graced the woman with an appreciative grin, to which she responded with a nod.

"I agree with the principal," Ms. Carol, the counselor, stated. "I've tried to speak with Peter on multiple occasions to see how he is, but he's reacted with stubbornness and anger every time. Prior to his aunt and uncle's death, he'd never been anything but respectful with me. Now, it seems like he's hiding something, and this behavior only started after he began that internship with Stark; and since he's been living with the man, his behavior has only continued to go downhill."

"His grades have been fluctuating," a man, his English teacher, informed us. "However, since the meeting a month and a half ago with Peter's guardians, _all_ his grades have been coming up again. In fact, his grades have gone back to the way before…before his uncle passed away. So, in my opinion, Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts are doing something right."

A few other teachers spoke up, his math teacher agreeing with his English teacher, while his history teacher admitted he really didn't know what to think. "His behavior has been concerning, I agree," his stated, "but I don't know if we can just accuse his guardians of doing something wrong because of that."

"We have to go back to the fact that Peter's been through a lot of changes," Mrs. Martinez declared. "He's lost his aunt and uncle in less than a year. He's adopted into a new family vastly different from the one he came from. I'm not accusing you of anything, Mr. Stark," she said, looking at me, "but it can be said that living with you is vastly different than living with his aunt." I had to nod at that. Peter's life was different with me, no matter how much I tried to make it normal for him.

"When Pepper and I took him in," I told them, "we gave Peter the choice on where to go to school, and he chose to come back here. Wanting to give him as normal a life as we could, we moved from the Avengers headquarters to a penthouse here in the city. It's just Pepper, me, and him living there. He goes to school every day, and we make sure he does his homework. Yes, I'm not going to deny that Pepper and I are extremely busy; but we've worked our schedules so that someone is always home for him."

"Yet, you've been gone all this past week," Edwards stated, and I resisted glaring.

"We were, but we had someone staying with him. The man used to be my bodyguard, is an old friend, and considers Peter a nephew, so he was completely safe and taken care of," I told him, fighting to keep my voice in an even tone.

"Is this going to be a common occurrence, though?" he asked. "You're an Avenger, Mr. Stark. Your job doesn't exactly have set hours, and let's not forget that you've got a huge list of people out there who would love to kill you, and would have no qualms with using Peter to get to you." Peter stiffened besides me as I narrowed my eyes at his implication.

"Listen here, Edwards," I spoke, unable to stop my tone from coming out cold, "I would _never_ allow my _job_ , as you put it, to endanger my son. Peter is the number one priority in my life, and I _will not_ allow him to come to any harm. Think of it like this," I commented, "the Avengers are Peter's extended family, and we would do _anything_ to keep him safe. Do you understand what I'm saying? _Earth's mightiest heroes_ love this kid. I love this kid. I get that Peter screwed up, and I'll deal with that, but don't you _dare_ ever presume to tell me that I'm not taking care of him."

Mrs. Martinez snorted in amusement while his English and History teacher nodded in agreement. His math teacher and the counselor looked unsure now, looking to Edwards for guidance. The social worker, for her part, had remained silent the entire time, her face blank as she took everything in.

I stared at each and every one of them, daring them to argue with me or tell me I was still not taking care of my kid. It was only when I felt Peter's hand grab on to my sweatshirt that I began to calm down. I looked at him, and he stared back with wide-eyed wonder. I reached out a hand to ruffle his hair affectionately, and he just grinned weakly.

"I really don't think we're needed here anymore," Martinez declared as she stood up. "Peter seems to be well cared for, so if you'll excuse me, I have a class waiting for me." She gave her colleagues pointed looks, and they all stood up as well, following her out, each one shaking my hand and telling Peter they'd see him next week.

The only people left now were the principal, counselor, and the social worker. I looked at Edwards with raised eyebrows. He looked to the social worker, but when she just stared back, he sighed heavily. "I suggest that you keep a better eye on your alcohol, Mr. Stark," he instructed, and I resisted snorting as I just gave a nod. "His in school suspension for next week still stands." I nodded again, and his gaze turned towards Peter now.

"Peter, I hope you realize that everyone here today cares about you, and is worried about you," he told him, and the kid just outright glared.

" _Hey_ ," I called, giving him a stern look. Glaring wasn't going to make things better for him. He settled for a frown as the principal continued speaking.

"I'm sorry if you feel this was all unjustified, but I only wanted to make sure you were being taken care of properly," he explained. "Just do try and keep yourself out of trouble for the rest of the year, alright?"

Peter gave a stiff nod, his jaw clenched. I gave Edwards a charming smile, thanking him for such a _wonderful_ meeting before standing up. Peter jumped to his feet in seconds and was out the door before I'd even picked up my sunglasses. I didn't blame him. Pulling my hood back up and placing the sunglasses on my face I was about to follow him when Mrs. Hawn called out to me. Turning, I looked at her curiously as she closed the distance between us.

"I just wanted you to know that I will not be pursuing this any further," she informed me, and I couldn't help the sigh of relief I gave. "Enjoy the rest of your day, Mr. Stark," she then said as she went out the door before me. I gave one last look at the frowning principal before making my way out of the office and out of the school. Peter was waiting for me, and as soon as we were both in the car, he turned and hugged me tightly.

"Thank you," he whispered, his voice full of emotion.

I returned the hug as I responded, "I told you everything was going to be fine." He nodded his head, and we broke apart. It wasn't until we'd started to drive that I had to ask, "What really happened yesterday? You lied about the drink being yours. Why?"

The spiderling grimaced before telling me the truth. It was his friend, MJ, the one I'd still yet to meet, who had brought the drink. She was having family issues, and had turned to drinking to deal with it. Peter had confronted her, which was why they were out of class. The bottle was in his hand because he admitted that he had taken a drink. I gave him a frown before asking him why he covered for her.

"With her brother in prison for who knows how long, her sister is going to be trying to gain guardianship for MJ," he explained. "She's only 19 and barely going to be able to make ends meet with her job. If MJ got in trouble for drinking at school, it would reflect badly on her sister, and make it harder for her to get guardianship. I never thought that you'd end up getting blamed for this, or that social services would get involved. I'm so sorry, Tony."

We arrived home at this point, and I waited until we were out of the car before pulling my little spider into a hug. I'll admit that I was relieved the drink hadn't been his, and that he hadn't been planning to drink at school. Yes, he'd had a drink, but after everything that happened, I was fine with letting that go.

"You believe me?" he asked, and I gave him a disbelieving look.

"Why wouldn't I?" I asked back. "You really thought I wouldn't?"

He shrugged, looking down at his shoes as he answered, "I figured with all the trouble I've caused, that you'd just assume I did it."

I shook my head in exasperation. "You telling me you risked getting your butt tanned for this girl? She must really be something special," I teased, and he blushed furiously.

"She's just a _friend_ , Tony," he stated firmly, "a really good friend. She needed help, so I gave it." I smiled, unable to stop from giving him a proud look. Despite all the drama it'd caused, I couldn't fault why he'd done it. I felt bad now that he'd have an entire week of in school suspension for this, but there was nothing I could do to argue against it without admitting that he'd lied to the school.

"Would you really have spanked me?" the kid asked as we took the elevator up, looking at me nervously.

"Probably," I answered with a casual shrug as I exited out into our living area.

"Probably?" he questioned in confusion, and I looked back at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Why do you want to know? Thinking of actually doing it for real next time, because if so, I could just spank you now and save us both the trouble," I remarked, laughing when he just sputtered incoherently for a few seconds.

"Crisis averted?" Happy asked, looking between us both with confusion.

"Yup," I answered, "Jr. here is innocent and the principal will think twice before messing with me."

Peter snorted at my words before sitting down next to me at the kitchen table. I automatically wrapped my arm around him, pulling him close as I explained to Happy everything that happened. The kid added scathing remarks about the principal and counselor, and I let him vent to his heart's content.

Happy smiled as he told Peter, "Tony doesn't like people taking his things, so you're stuck with us." I just grinned proudly as Peter laughed.

"Now, which one of you is going to confess to Pepper that you broke her vase?" I questioned with a smirk, pointing over towards the flower pot. Both Happy and Peter looked at each other guiltily before turning to me and saying, "Ned broke it."

 **A/N:** **Hope nobody is upset by what I did to MJ. I love her character but was looking for some reality. I'll try and include some happier scenes with her much later. I'm coming up with an idea for chapter 23. Maybe I'll fit her in there. Have her show up in California on her own family vacay or maybe...I've said enough**

 **Please review!! They make my day**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Your reviews are a bright light in my day, so please, please keep them coming! Can't believe how much you guys are loving this!**

 **Chapter 18: Stowaway**

 **Peter's POV:**

I'd made a lot of dumb decisions in my life, but this one topped the cake. I'd _never_ seen Tony so angry with me, and he had all the reason to be. The number of rules I'd broken and the amount of times I put myself in danger…I'd made one mistake after another, and Tony wasn't the only one furious with me.

I guess I should back up and explain what happened.

It'd all started this morning, or yesterday morning, or…truthfully, I really had no idea when exactly as the time change had messed with me. And possibly, the nerves were screwing with me too.

Anyways, we were all at the Avengers HQ when some situation arose in Afghanistan. No details were given, the Avengers just being called to a meeting; but, at hearing the country, I noticed Natasha's eyes flicking to Tony's. Knowing his past, I too looked to him for a reaction, but he revealed nothing as he called out to Vision that they had a meeting.

"Can I come?" I asked eagerly, and both Tony and Nat said, "No," in unison.

"Really?" I pressed. "Don't treat me like a kid, guys, you know I can help. I'm a superhero too, y'know."

"And you've got a project to be working on, doesn't he, Ned?" Tony replied, and Ned just shook his head. "Uh, yes, sir, we do."

I shot my best friend a mild glare before giving Tony an imploring look. "You didn't have a problem with me having school work when you invited me to Germany," I grumbled, and Tony took in a deep breath before fixing me with a look, a look that I was beginning to dub his 'dad look'. I looked down, and without saying anything, he and Natasha walked away towards whatever debriefing or meeting they needed to attend.

"Yikes, Peter," Ned remarked in a whisper as he came up to me. I said nothing, just pouting at how he didn't even stop to consider having me along. It seemed since adopting me he'd gotten to be even more overprotective of me than he was before. I mean, it wasn't that long ago that he actually asked me to be a member of the Avengers. If he was willing to have me join, then why wouldn't he let me tag along on a mission?

"Friday, where are they meeting?" I asked, and she answered, "In conference room 1A on the third floor of the base. It is restricted to only Avengers and SHIELD members with level 1 security."

"Peter, what're you"—Ned began to ask, but I ignored him as I asked Friday, "Are there vents that I can take to get into that room?" There was a pause before Friday responded, "Yes, there is, sir, but I am going to advise against doing what you're planning. I believe Mr. Stark would not be pleased."

"Would you tell him?" I pressed, and she replied, "I would not."

"Sweet," I said before making my way to my bedroom. Ned ran after me, trying to figure out what I was doing.

"Gonna sneak into the meeting to see what's going on," I informed him, putting on my Spiderman suit.

"No, no, no, Peter, bad idea. What if you get caught?" he asked, running along with me until I got to the elevator.

"Ned, relax, I'm just going to listen in on the meeting to see what's going on, and if they need my help," I explained, and he just gave me an incredulous look, exclaiming, "That's supposed to convince me to relax?" I didn't hear anymore as the elevator doors closed. I put on my mask and then asked Friday to relay directions to Karen. I snuck through the compound before getting into the vent system when I could move no further. I crawled as quickly and quietly as I could until I finally arrived above the correct conference room. Tony, Natasha, Vision, Ms. Hill, and some other people I didn't know.

Nobody looked happy, and I grew concerned at how pissed Tony looked. His arms were crossed tightly, and Natasha was standing right next to him, close enough that they were touching. It looked like she was trying to reassure or calm him. What had happened?

"With or without permission, _I will_ be going," Tony asserted, his voice full of authority. "You know why."

"Mr. Stark, please just give the UN council some time to come to a decision," a woman pleaded, "I'm sure they will agree, but they need time."

"My weapons are out there killing people every damn second that damn council takes to _think_ about this!" Tony snarled, and I flinched, never having heard him speak in such a tone.

"Sir, if you leave without receiving their permission, you will be breaking the law," the same man informed him, his tone urging Tony to understand. "Think of the ramifications."

Tony's entire body was tense, and Natasha began to whisper something into his ear. My hearing allowed me to hear what she was saying, but since she was speaking in Russian, I had no idea what was being said. Whatever she said, it seemed to help because Tony's muscles relaxed and he even had a smirk on his face now.

A cellphone rang, and Ms. Hill picked it up, giving Tony a thumb up after only a couple seconds. "Let's go," he ordered and Natasha and Vision followed along.

"I'll send everything to the quint jet," Ms. Hills yelled after them, and I immediately asked Karen where the quint jet was. She informed me, and I crawled through the vents, jumping out at the first opportunity before climbing out a window. I'd get to the jet faster from the outside of the building rather than trying to make my way through the building. Karen directed me towards the underground bunker, and I was relieved to see that the Avengers had yet to board. I snuck on board without notice and found somewhere to hide in the cargo bay. I had barely settled myself when Tony boarded, going straight for the cockpit.

I got out my phone and quickly texted Ned to let him know what I was doing. I asked him to cover for me and then shut the phone off. I didn't want to read him freaking out and telling me what I was doing was stupid. Maybe it was, but Tony needed everybody he could on this mission. People were using his weapons, weapons he thought he'd destroyed.

I tried to make myself comfortable as the jet finally took off.

"God, I wish we had a hulk right about now," I heard Tony grumble. There was a loud bang, and I flinched.

"Injuring yourself before we even get there isn't going to help," Natasha drawled out before adding, "You need to get yourself under control. Going out into the field in this state will endanger you and us; so get it together."

I heard him emit a harsh sigh, his footsteps pacing up and down the length of the jet before they eventually just stopped. A larger, yet softer sigh was released before he said, "I thought I destroyed them all, Tasha. There shouldn't be any more of those out there, and this is the second time _this year_ that this has happened…and in Afghanistan of all places!" he yelled, and I could hear frustration and guilt in his voice. There was also a note of despair and defeat that frightened me. Tony wasn't supposed to sound like that.

"Somebody figured out how to build my old weapons," he continued speaking, his voice coming out more as a whisper. "And those weapons are being used to destroy people's lives. I became Iron Man so that I could stop this from happening, but days like today I feel like I haven't made a difference at all. It's been nine years, Nat, _nine_ years, and my mistakes are still ruining lives."

My heart clenched at the sheer agony in his voice. I'd never heard him sound like this. I'd never heard him talk like this.

"You have made a difference, Mr. Stark," Vision spoke plainly, "and you will continue to make a difference. We are going to destroy the rest of those weapons and the factory where they are being made."

"You're not alone this time, Tony," Natasha spoke softly. "Vision and I will be with you every step of the way, and we'll make those bastards wish they'd never even heard of your name."

Tony snorted at her words, before a comfortable silence descended upon the trio.

"I suggest you two get some sleep," Vision commented, and while they didn't respond, I did hear movement. I wondered how long the flight had to be for Vision to suggest we get some sleep. Leaning my head against the side of the jet, I thought over what Tony had said.

I was glad I'd come along. Tony needed me here to help. These terrorists were using my adopted father's weapons to hurt people, and Tony was blaming himself. I was going to kick their assess for what they were doing to Tony.

I lost track of time, eventually falling asleep…

… _BANG!_

I let out a startled yell as I jumped to my feet. My heart was pounding as I tried to orient myself and figure out where I was.

Quint jet, I reminded myself.

Afghanistan.

Stark Weapons.

Gotta destroy them.

Right, I thought as I peeked into the main bay of the jet. Nobody was there.

 _BANG!_

I flinched, knowing now that I was hearing explosions. The fighting had started, and I'd been sleeping. Holy shit. Heart hammering even faster, I walked out of the jet to see a battle taking place. Iron Man was flying in the distance shooting his repulsors, and Vision was closer, also flying and blasting things with his mind stone. I looked around for Natasha, but didn't see her. Men with guns were yelling and running in the distance, and I could see one holding what looked like a bazooka. He was aiming it up towards Vision, so I ran as fast as I could, shooting my webs at the man right as he fired. I yanked him, which caused the weapon to fire towards his own comrades rather than up at Vision.

I let out a whoop, before yelling as now I was the one being shot at. My spider sense worked perfectly, letting me know where the bullets were going so that I was able to zig zag, dodge, and leap out of the way. I kept my distance, though, and started stealing guns and webbing guys up.

My spider sense went off, stronger than ever, and I looked around wildly for the threat before looking up. "Uh oh," I murmured as a missile headed straight for my location. I barely processed the fact that I was probably going to be blown up when Vision landed in front of me, blasting the bomb in the air before shielding me with his body from the debris.

"Hey Vis," I greeted with false cheer once the dust started to settle. He frowned at me with disapproval as he said, "You should not be here, Peter."

"Yeah, well, I am, so let's get back to work and we can talk later," I stated, looking for where I should go next. I could still hear fighting going on, and the sounds of Iron man's repulsors could also be heard. The battle was moving.

"Where's that factory?" I asked Vision, and he continued to frown at me before shaking his head. "Mr. Stark would not want you here, and honestly, neither do I. Go back to the jet, Peter," he ordered, before beginning to fly off.

"What? Are you serious?" I shouted, glaring at the android's back. I was already here, so why not use me? Huffing angrily, I just started running, jumping like a mountain goat as I climbed around the rocky hills. When I got to the top of the hill, I zeroed in on the factory. They were under heavy fire from Tony and now, Vision. I still didn't know where Natasha was, but I assumed she was fine; or, that's what I told myself.

Going down the rocky hill, I ran into more of the bad guys, machine guns in their hands. They were firing up at Tony and Vision, so I threw a ricochet ball at one of then, knocking him out and getting the other three guys' attention. They yelled at me, and then looked at each other in confusion. I mean, I guess it would've been weird to see a guy in a blue and red spandex suit in the middle of the desert.

"Hey guys, I'm Spiderman," I decided to say, but my greetings were sadly returned with bullets. I sighed inwardly as I dodged them before easily taking the weapons from them and knocking them all out.

Heading closer to the base now, I settled with just taking out as many bad guys as I could. It proved easy at first as they weren't expecting me, but the more guys I knocked out, the more word got around of me. I curiously wondered what they'd been telling each other. Were they, like, "hey dude, there's this crazy new super hero in blue and red, and he's got these awesome webs that he shoots out and" …No, they probably wouldn't admit that they thought I was awesome.

I took out a couple more bad guys before coming up on a large missile system. It was set to be fired, and I wondered what to do about it. Looking at the control panels, I saw it was in a different language. Uh, how could I destroy this. It wasn't like I had blasters or anything. I looked the missiles up and down, wondering if I could just destroy it by hand.

"Oh, you better have a really good reason for being here, baby spider," Natasha spoke, suddenly appearing behind me. She was wearing the same outfit as the bad guys, and looking at me with anger and disapproval. She strode up towards me, yanked me off the missile, and placed a device with the number 5 on it. I figured it was a timed bomb.

"Does Tony know you're here?" she asked, her grip on me tight.

"No, well, I don't think so," I answered nervously. "I mean, Vision knows I'm here, but"—

Natasha sighed harshly, saying, "Come on," as she dragged me along. She began speaking rapidly in Russian, and I was pretty sure she was cursing, if the way she spat some words out was anything to go by. "Get back to the quint jet, _now_ ," she ordered harshly.

"Natasha, come on," I begged, "I can help. I _have_ been helping," I insisted, but she just shook her head.

"Peter, there's so many things wrong with that statement, but I don't have time to get into that," she replied angrily. "Now, _go_ back to the jet right now, and I'll consider telling Tony you never got off the jet."

I glared back, feeling angry now. Yanking my arm out of her hand I told her, "I'm not going anywhere, and you know you can't make me. I'm helping whether you like it or not." With those words, I ran off, Natasha shouting at me to stop. Bullets started raining down towards me, and I barely evaded them, looking back in panic towards Nat. I didn't see her. Had she been hit?

"Natasha!' I called out loudly. Oh, god, please let her be okay.

A loud explosion suddenly went off near me, and I found myself flying through the air before landing hard on the ground. I groaned, feeling the small cuts around my body. My spider sense went off, and I forced myself to my feet and just ran. Bullets were now flying all around me. I couldn't even tell if they were being aimed at me because there was smoke and dirt everywhere. Explosions went off, and I could feel the ground shaking. My ears were ringing, and I suddenly felt panicked. Where was I going? Was Natasha okay? Why didn't I hear Tony or Vision anymore? What was going on?

"Natasha!" I yelled, my gut twisting in fear. "Tony! Vision! Where is everybody?!" I was panting heavily, my mind frantic with worry and fear as I tried to figure out what to do.

I froze, falling silent when I heard yelling. It wasn't English, so I knew it had to be one of the terrorists. It sounded like they were running towards me, and when I started to see a dark shape approach, I tried to web him up. Nothing happened, though, and I realized I was missing one of the shooters, and the other one was empty. Uh, oh.

The man running towards me screamed as he raised his gun and prepared to shoot. Before he did, though, he was blasted to who knows where as Iron Man landed on the ground. Tony, I thought in relief as I ran to him. He wrapped his arms around me and took to the air. Once we got high enough, I realized what the large explosion had been that had knocked me to my feet. The factory had been blown to pieces.

Tony and I landed at the quint jet, and I let out another sigh of relief when I saw Vision waiting there with a relatively unharmed Natasha. I was going to run towards her, but Tony didn't set me on my feet. Instead, he just carried me into the jet, sat me down in a chair, and said, " _Stay there_." He stepped out of his suit then, quickly going into the cockpit as Natasha came over to me. She ripped off my mask, and began to look me over.

"Are you hurt?" she asked tersely, and I responded, "I'm fine." She shook her head before repeating the question more firmly. "It's just some cuts from the explosion," I told her, showing her some of them. "I might be a little bruised, but that's all." Her hands went all up and down my arms roughly, moving to my torso, and then my legs. I assumed she was checking for broken bones. Seemingly satisfied, she seemed to relax some before taking the first aid kit Vision offered her.

The jet took off, and Natasha tended to my cuts with practiced ease. I had thirteen total cuts, five of which needed stitches, and she finished cleaning, stitching, and bandaging me up in no more than thirty minutes.

"Here you are, Peter," Vision spoke up when she finished, handing me fresh clothes. It was a t-shirt and pair of sweats with the SHIELD logo, and I put it on quickly. Vision then handed me a bottle of water and a sandwich, which I downed in two minutes. I felt suddenly famished, and noting this, Vision handed me two more sandwiches. As I ate them, I watched Natasha tend to her own injuries. She had a nasty bruise on her leg, and several cuts like mine, but seemed fine otherwise. Vision looked unhurt, and I wondered about Tony. He hadn't come out of the cockpit since we'd arrived.

"Is he okay?" I asked quietly, and both Nat and Vision turned their heads towards Tony.

"After this stunt you just pulled?" Natasha asked rhetorically. She then sighed, and stood up to go over to him. She carried the first aid kit as she sat herself down right behind him. Tony looked at her, and they seemed to have this silent conversation before he showed her his left forearm. She gave him a frown before beginning to clean it. I couldn't tell how bad the injury was, but she ended up using stitches before wrapping it up in a bandage.

Nat looked over at me and then back at Tony, and the two leaned in to each other and began to talk in quiet voices. Tony sounded angry, but as they were both speaking Russian I couldn't understand what the conversation was about. Well, I guessed I could assume it was about me.

Drinking from my water bottle, the adrenaline from the battle dwindled, and with it gone came a rush of anxiety. Tony was angry. No, not just angry, he looked furious. His conversation with Natasha ended, and she gave him a pat on the shoulder before making her way back towards me. Tony didn't once look at me or acknowledge my existence in any way. I slouched in my seat, anxiety increasing.

Nat sat herself down across from me, and narrowed her eyes at me.

"He's really mad at me," I stated rather than asked in a whisper, and she nodded curtly. I guess she's mad at me as well. Looking over at Vision, who was just standing there, I wanted to know if he was mad as well.

"You mad at me too, Vis?" I asked shyly, and he pursed his lips before quietly responding, "I am displeased with your actions, but no, I am not angry with you."

"I just wanted to help," I stated. "I mean, I know I was helping, so I don't get"—My words were cut off by the ringing of a phone. Tony answered his cell, paused, and then placed the phone to his chest to block out the curse he let loose. He took in a couple deep breaths before going back to the phone and saying, "Pepper, please calm down, he's right here. He's okay, just a few scratches." I blushed, a shot of guilt coursing through me as I realized that Pepper was freaking out about me.

"No. _No, absolutely not_ ," he spoke into the phone in forced calm. "I had no idea he was here. Pepper, honey, I swear…" he trailed off, closing his eyes as Pepper apparently chewed him out. She was blaming him for me being here. I stood up and walked over to him, holding out my hand for the phone.

"Let me talk to her," I spoke, and Tony shot me a venomous look that shook me to the core before he just handed it to me and walked away. I suddenly wanted to sink to the floor and start crying. That expression. I'd _never_ seen that expression on his face, and it terrified me. Did he hate me for this? He told me he could never hate me, but what if I'd gone too far. What if this was what pushed him over the edge.

I heard Pepper calling out on the phone to Tony, so I shakily brought it to my ear and said, "Hi, Pepper."

There was a moment of silence before she said, "Oh my god, oh my god, Peter, baby, are you alright? Are you safe? Are you hurt? What happened? What are you doing there? Are you okay?" she asked rapidly, firing one question after another.

"I'm okay, I swear," I assured her. "I've just got some scratches, and they're already healing."

I heard her sigh of relief before she asked with anger now, "What are you doing there?"

"I wanted to help," I admitted, my voice quiet.

Pepper went silent again, but I could hear her taking several deep breaths before she quietly asked, "You wanted to help?"

"Yes," I answered, and she then asked me whether Tony, Nat, or Vis knew I had come along. I informed her that they hadn't known I was here until the fighting had already started.

There were several moments of tense silence, and I just knew Pepper was angry with me. "Peter Benjamin Parker-Stark, I am _beyond disappointed_ in you, so much so, that I don't even know what to say or think," she told me, her voice full of restrained emotion. Tears stung my eyes at her words as I'd never heard her speak to me like this. I wanted to apologize, but my throat felt clogged, so when she then told me to hand the phone back to Tony, I just did as she said. Tony took the phone without comment, greeting Pepper with soft tones.

"See, Pep, I told you he was okay," he told her gently. "We're on our way home now, and we'll be there in six hours tops. I'm pushing the jet as fast as I can. Yeah. N-No, please don't cry, Pepper, none of this is your fault. He did this on his own, he's not a little boy who should need to be watch 24/7."

I reddened in shame, while also having to fight back tears at hearing that my actions had put Pepper in tears. I couldn't believe I'd scared her so much. I felt horrible, because I hadn't even considered her feelings, or anyone's feelings, honestly, as I jumped onto this jet. All I could think about was helping Tony, and once again, proving myself as an asset.

Tony ended the conversation with Pepper, reassuring her once more that I was fine, and then telling her he loved her. He placed his phone back in his pocket before gripping on to the dashboard of the jet. I saw how tight his muscles were wound, and he was attempting to take slow, deep breaths to calm himself.

"Tony," I called out, and he stiffened as he heard my voice. Natasha immediately appeared at my side and placed a hand on me while shaking her head.

"Don't speak," Tony voiced through gritted teeth, and my heart sunk. How could I make this better?

"I'm sorry," I told him genuinely, "but I was just trying to help."

"Peter, enough," Natasha whispered as she tried to pull me away, and I saw Tony shake his head, his hands turning white with how tightly he was clenching them.

"Stop _speaking_ ," Tony stated, his voice deep and full of anger. Why didn't he want to talk to me? Please don't hate me, I thought in sudden alarm. This couldn't be it. Please don't tell me I'd ruined things between us. He loved me, I know he did; but what if he didn't anymore? It wasn't as though we were related, so could that love stop? Could I have infuriated him so much that he just wanted nothing to do with me anymore? It certainly seemed like it.

"Tony, talk to me, please!" I exclaimed desperately, easily fighting Natasha's hold on me as I neared the man. I was nearly upon him when he whirled around, freezing me in place with the look of fury on his face. My apologies and pleas died in my throat as he closed the distance between us.

"You want to talk, Peter?" he asked rhetorically, his face now inches from mine. The look in his eyes was cold, none of the warmth I'd come to expect visible. This man standing before me was not the Tony Stark I knew. He was not _my_ Tony. He was not my dad.

"Fine, let's talk," he spoke venomously. "Let's start with your deliberate disobedience and defiance. That sound good to you? What did I tell you this morning, Mr. Parker concerning this mission?" Tony questioned, and I flinched, hurt that he'd called me, Mr. Parker. It was like he was disowning me with that single term.

"Well?" he pressed, taking a step forward, which called me to backpedal several steps. "I thought you wanted to talk, so _talk_. What did I say this morning?" he pressed in increasing anger as he took another menacing step towards me. I backed up some more, bumping into Natasha.

"Tell me!" he roared, literally shaking with fury "What the _hell_ did I say?!"

I let out a choked sob, no longer able to hold in the hurt I was feeling. Tony's looked even angrier when he saw me crying, and he shook his head, a look of disgust on his face as he opened his mouth to speak. He didn't get out a single word though as Natasha placed herself between me and Tony before slapping him hard across the face.

Vision was at my side in an instant, wrapping his arms around me and lifting me up to take me away. Before he did, though, I watched as Tony's emotions turned from shock to fury and then to horror. Nat kneeled in front of him, and I no longer knew what was happening. Vision had pulled me into a hug, rubbing my back comfortingly. I didn't even realize I'd been crying, but when I did, I just buried my head against Visions chest, feeling more emotional pain than I had in a long time. I felt abandoned. I felt alone. I sobbed hard, and Vision began to rock me slightly as he murmured words to me. I was inconsolable, though. I just wanted Tony. I just wanted _my_ Tony back. I wanted my dad. I wanted him to comfort me. I wanted him to tell me that everything was going to be okay. I wanted him to tell me that even though I was in huge trouble, that everything would still be okay.

Natasha appeared, and she pulled me into her arms now, and attempted to offer me comfort. Instead of humming to me, she actually sang a lullaby to me in Russian, pausing every once in a while to tell me that everything would be okay and that Tony loved me very much. Her entire façade of a badass assassin was dropped as she did all she could to console me. Like Vision, she too failed, because I still only wanted Tony. Not getting what I wanted, and feeling absolutely distraught, I finally realized I'd have to voice what I wanted.

"I want Tony," I cried to Nat. "Please, please, please, Nat, I want Tony!" I begged pitifully, inwardly knowing that I was sounding like a little boy, but I just didn't care. I felt bad as I saw her look seemingly lost, but I couldn't help but continue to tell her what I wanted. "I w-w-want my d-dad!" I pleaded, nearly incoherent, as I buried my head into the crook of her neck.

A hand suddenly landed on my shoulder, and taking in a breath, I let out a sob relief as I smelled Tony's unique scent. Abruptly releasing my hold on Nat, I whirled around and threw myself into his arms. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I repeated over and over into his chest. His grip on me was tight, and he caressed the back of my head as he gave me the words I so desperately needed.

"It's okay, little spider, everything is okay," he assured me. "I'm sorry, too, and I swear everything going to be just fine. I was just scared," he explained, his voice hoarse. "I was so scared by what you did that I reacted badly. I'm sorry, buddy."

I nodded my head in understanding before I forced myself to ask, "You're not-not gonna g-get rid o-o-of m-me?"

He inhaled sharply before burying his head in my hair as he responded firmly, "Absolutely not, Peter, absolutely not. You are my son, and I would _never_ get rid of you. I'm sorry that I ever made you feel this way; but hear me when I say again, that no matter what trouble you get into, I'm never going to hate you. You're mine forever and ever," he assured me, and my heart warmed, my cries finally beginning to lessen. He slowly guided us onto the floor, and I stretched out, my head on his lap with my face buried into his stomach. A blanket appeared out of nowhere and he placed it over me, running his hand through my hair soothingly.

My breaths came out shakily, my tears finally ending, but I didn't move, just relishing in the comfort Tony was providing me.

"You know you're in big trouble, kiddo," Tony informed me after several minutes of comfortable silence, his voice managing to sound stern and gentle at the same time.

I nodded my head, and he sighed, rubbing his hand up and down my arm comfortingly.

"You can expect the spanking of a lifetime for what you put us all through," he declared firmly, and I whimpered, my stomach doing a flip-flop.

"I'm sorry," I told him tearfully.

"I know you are, pal," he replied wearily, "but that's not going to cut it. You've crossed way too many lines this time, so I'm going to come down hard on you. You might even get two spankings depending on your explanation."

I whimpered again in distress, tears falling down my cheeks, but I didn't attempt to argue. While nervous, I was also immensely relieved that Tony hadn't kicked me to the curb.

"Shhhh, everything is going to be fine. We'll get through this together," he whispered to me compassionately. "Now, try and get some shut eye, okay?"

"Kay," I murmured back, bringing up a hand to grab hold of a handful of Tony's shirt.

"I'm not going anywhere," he told me, chuckling softly when I ignored him and just tightened my hold. I closed my eyes, focusing on the hum of the jet and the feel of Tony's hand rubbing my back. I drifted in and out of sleep throughout the rest of the flight. Every time I began to stir, Tony would begin to rub my back or run a hand through my hair. Occasionally, I'd hear talking, but I could never wake up enough to understand what was being said.

It didn't seem like a lot of time had passed before my shoulder was being shook. "Come on, Spiderman, home sweet home," Tony told me, and I blearily opened my eyes.

"Chop chop," he said with two claps of his hands.

I yawned before finally releasing my grasp on his shirt and pulling myself to my feet. I sleepily reached out, grabbed Tony's arm, and easily pulled him up.

He laughed lightly as he ruffled my hair. We exited the jet together, and I followed behind Nat and Vision. When we got back into the main building, he stopped me from following as he said, "I need you to get back to the living quarters. Nobody knows you went on this mission and nobody _can_ know. We're keeping it a secret, and so will you, understand?"

I woke up completely at his words, and frowned in concern as I nodded. Why did it have to be a secret?

"You know your way back?" he asked, and I said, "Yeah, I do."

"Go straight there and make _no_ detours, you hear me, Peter?" he pressed sternly.

"I understand. Straight to our rooms," I responded seriously, wanting him to know he could trust me.

He clapped me on the shoulder before jogging to catch up with Natasha and Vision. I quickly made my way to the living quarters. When I arrived, I walked to the common room to see Pepper sitting at the kitchen table looking immensely stressed. Guilt caused my stomach to clench tightly.

"Hi Pepper," I greeted in a small voice, and her face looked to me in alarm. She got out of her seat and was over by me in seconds, looking me over, tears welling up in her eyes before she threw her arms around me.

"You reckless, stubborn, boy!" she cried as she hugged me tightly. "What were you thinking?! I was so worried, and god, I am so glad you're okay! Don't you _ever_ do something like this again, young man!"

"I'm sorry," I told her tearfully, "and I won't, I promise. I'm so sorry for worrying you so much."

Pepper broke apart, and cupped my face in her hands. "You can't do things like this, Peter, you just _can't_! I love you so much, honey, and I don't know what I'd do if you died." Now, I was the one crying at her heartfelt words. I apologized for the hundredth time before telling her that I loved her too. She hugged me again, kissing me on top of the head twice.

"Is Tony at a debriefing?" she asked when we finally broke apart, and I shrugged. "I think so. He just told me that we had to keep secret that I went along before he sent me here."

"Have you two talked about what happened?" she then questioned, and I shook my head.

"Not yet," I answered, looking down at the floor. "He did tell me, though, that he was going to spank me once or maybe even twice, and that it'd be the worst spanking of my life."

Pepper let out a sad sigh, but told me that she was in agreement with Tony. "You really messed up, Peter," she told me, "and even without knowing your reasons or all the details, you have more than earned yourself a spanking."

My shoulders dropped, and I gave her my puppy-dog eyes. "His spankings really hurt, though," I pouted, knowing that I deserved the spanking, but still unable to help trying to argue against it.

My adoptive mom eyed me sternly as she replied, "And they should, young man. They're meant to teach you the error of your ways, and to get you to think before you pull a reckless stunt like this again."

"But I already know that," I argued, and Pepper responded with a disbelieving raised eyebrow before just shaking her head.

"Tony has said this to you before, but if you don't want a spanking, then don't misbehave so badly," she stated. "There will be no reconsideration or discussion about this punishment, honey. What you did isn't something that can be justified. You went too far, and you have more than earned a hard spanking."

I pouted, gracing her with a mournful look, and while her expression softened, she still shook her head at me.

"Get on to your room and take a shower," she ordered, turning me around and moving me forward with a light swat. I frowned back at her, and she only gave me a pointed look. It was her 'mom' look, so I knew I'd lost the battle. Sighing in defeat, I made my way to my room.

 **Tony's POV:**

The meeting, thankfully ended quickly, and I rushed back towards the living quarters. Upon arrival, I passed Peter's closed door and walked up to Pepper. Her expression was apologetic and understanding as she walked into my open arms. Neither one of us spoke, just enjoying the feel of our arms around each other. Such was our relationship, that we could communicate nonverbally.

"Peter is in his room," she informed me when we finally broke apart. I sighed heavily at her words, feeling suddenly exhausted as I took a seat on the kitchen table.

"I lost my temper with him, and nearly said some awful things," I confessed to her, guilt gnawing at me. I would be forever horrified by what I'd almost done, and forever grateful to Natasha for stepping in when she did.

Pepper frowned as she placed herself right in front of me. "I was only stopped by Natasha stepping in and slapping me," I added, and her eyebrows rose in surprise.

"She slapped you," she questioned, sounding quite appalled on my account.

"I deserved it," I said firmly, taking both her hands in mine. "I snapped at him harshly, reducing him to tears and making him think I no longer loved him. If Natasha hadn't stopped me, I would've started to berate him just for crying, and probably worse. It was like I was channeling my father, and that makes me sick," I admitted, my tone and face full of shame.

"Oh, Tony," Pepper sighed as she took my head into her arms. "I'm so sorry you went through that, but I'm sure you reassured Peter afterwards, didn't you?"

"Yeah, of course," I immediately assured her, "but not until I saw how inconsolable he was. I honestly didn't think he'd want me anywhere near him, but god, Pepper, you should've heard him. He started crying for me. _Me_. He told Natasha that he just wanted me, and that he just wanted his _dad_." I looked at her with wide eyes, unable to understand or comprehend how much this kid loved and needed me. I'll admit, it scared me. I was more terrified than ever that I'd do something to screw -up and hurt him. I almost did today.

Pepper smiled warmly at me, her hands coming back down towards mine. "I told you he loves you, Tony. You mean everything to him."

"And that terrifies me, Pep," I told her. "You know who I am and how I am constantly screwing up. I can't afford to do that with him. I can't hurt him, and I'm terrified that I will."

"I do know how you are, and I do know what you've done, but you haven't seemed to have realized how you've been recently," she stated, looking at me with loving eyes. "You've changed so much since Peter came into your life. You're still you, but when it comes to Peter, you have been everything he has needed. You always seem to know what he needs and how to help him. You've dropped your insecurities and doubts, and have completely let him into your heart faster than you have anyone. You are a wonderful father, and you need to give yourself credit. No parent is perfect, and we have and will make mistakes; but what matters most is that we realize those mistakes, and that we correct them. Don't be so hard on yourself."

Her words soothed me, pushing away my fears and doubts and filling me with confidence. Why did it take me so long to realize how much this woman meant to me? Why did I allow so many years be wasted?

"I really love you," I said softly, but with conviction.

Pepper's eyes brightened and she smiled widely before responding, "I love you too, Tony." I wished that I could spend the rest of the day in her company, but I had a disobedient little spider to deal with.

"I should probably go deal with the kid before he works himself up too much," I spoke reluctantly, and Pepper nodded in agreement.

"He knows he's getting a spanking, and he tried to talk me out of it," she informed me with a small smile, and I snorted, shaking my head. "He complained about how much it hurts, and how he already understood the lesson you want to teach me," she added with a good amount of amusement.

I rolled my eyes dramatically before responding, "Good, he should dread it. That little daredevil is gonna get the worst spanking I've ever given him, which will hopefully work as a deterrent for any future instances where he gets the desire to go rogue."

Pepper's expression turned heartbreaking, but she remarked that she was in agreement. She then bent down to kiss my forehead before moving away to allow me to stand up.

"Good luck," she said, and I grimaced before walking to my boy's bedroom.

I took in a deep breath to calm myself before knocking on his door. I felt relief when I heard a quiet, "Come in", glad that he wasn't being stubborn or hiding. Opening the door, I felt my heart go out to the kid when I saw him sitting in a corner with red rimmed eyes, clutching his pillow tightly. Aww, this was so not fair that he could look so pitiful before I had to bring down the hammer with him. His eyes were full of anxiety, and with much difficulty I forced myself to ignore it and move forward with what needed to be done.

"Hey, Pete," I greeted softly, "come on and take a seat on your couch." I held out a hand to him, and he immediately grasped it, allowing me to pull him up and guide him over to the couch. He sat himself down, crossed his legs and continued to hug his pillow, using it as a barrier between he and I. I saw myself right next to him, and gave him a small smile.

"You know we need to talk about today," I stated, and he reluctantly gave a single nod. "And you know I'm going to spank you, regardless of what you tell me," and this time when he nodded once, his face turned miserable.

"Tony, I"—he started to complain, but I held up a hand and gave him a curt shake of my head.

"Tell me about today," I ordered, and he took in a shaky breath before recounting the events of the day. His eyes remained fixated the entire time on his pillow the entire time he spoke, but I didn't feel the need to force eye contact. As long as he was being honest with me, I didn't care where he looked.

I was disappointed that his disobedience started the moment I'd headed to the meeting. I filed away that I needed to have a serious discussion with Friday on what she was allowed to say to the kid, and when exactly she needed to inform me of his actions. He told me about watching our meeting from the vents, and I also filed away the fact that I needed to add a security measure to prevent not just him, but anybody from being able to travel around HQ through the vents. He explained that he went along because he wanted to help me, and he felt I needed all the help I can get. Realizing that we never discovered he was on the jet, I resolved to fix that issue as it could end disastrously if an enemy were to hide in our jet. He then informed me about the battle, Vision saving him, how he took down all those soldiers, how he avoided all those bullets, and how he ran into Natasha. He admitted that both Vision and Tasha ordered him back to the jet, but he felt anger that they wouldn't accept his help.

"I was already there, Tony, and I did well," he insisted, looking at me for the first time. "They should have just let me help."

I disagreed, but I remained silent, letting him continue his tale. He then told me about the explosions, which was where his injuries came from; and finally ended with me rescuing him. I'll admit, I felt that flash of fury again course through my entire body, and I had to fight the urge to throttle the boy. Looking anywhere but at him, I took in several deep breaths in order to calm myself. The kid had no idea how lucky he was that he had such tough skin, because if he hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to stop myself from taking my belt to his reckless backside when we first got back on that jet. Natasha would've probably stopped me, but the fact remained that I had come very close to punishing my little spider in anger. That scared me. Taking some more deep breaths, I finally turned back to Peter when I felt I had calmed down enough.

"Kiddo, there are several things I need to say to you, and that I need you to hear," I finally spoke, reaching out to lift his chin so that he was now looking at him.

"To be frank, you scared the devil out of me today," I told him. "When I found out from Vision that you were in Afghanistan with us, my heart nearly stopped, and I had to fight from immediately going to find you. Vision told me he'd ordered you back to the jet, and I had to tell myself that you'd listened, because I couldn't stomach the thought of you out there fighting on your own. You will _never_ do this again," I stated firmly. "You could've _died_ and we might've never known. You cannot put yourself in situations like that, especially when nobody knows. You're so damn lucky that Vision stopped that missile that was headed to you. You don't seem to realize how close you came to dying in that moment, let alone the entire battle."

Peter squirmed in his seat, looking away uncomfortably before looking back at me.

"When I tell you, no, I'm not trying to be a jerk," I explained seriously. "You are not an Avenger, kid, so you are not authorized to be on any mission with the Avengers. If somebody besides Nat or Vision realized you were on this mission, it would spell huge trouble for the both of us. You are not authorized by the UN to participate in any foreign mission. So, not only did you risk your life physically, you risked legal ramifications for the both of us. I will always protect you, and I'd keep you from being arrested, but I doubt I'd be able to keep your identity from being exposed. If the UN knew you had gone on this mission, they would demand that you be taken into custody, and/or that you sign the accords, or worse."

"I-I didn't know that," the kid said, his eyes looking shocked and his face even paling.

"Yeah, and I know, which is why you have got to start _listening_ to me, especially when it comes to superhero business. I know what I'm talking about," I replied. "You were arrogant, stubborn, reckless, and downright dumb today, and you're lucky that you weren't hurt worse. You think you did well, and that Vis and Nat shouldn't have ordered you back to the jet, but I am in complete agreement with them, not you. I don't think you did well at all."

"But, Tony, I took down all those bad guys. I stole their guns, and-and I did what the three of you were doing," he defended, looking offended by what I'd said.

I frowned in response, unhappy with his denial. "Listen, kid, you did what you wanted out there, not what was needed," I scolded, my voice now stern. "The Avengers are a team, and everyone knows what they're supposed to do; and everyone has ways of contacting each other when they need to. We don't just go off and do whatever we want to when we want to. That is what you did. Forget those soldiers killing you, because it could have just as easily been _us_ that killed you! I had no idea you were there, and I was blowing everything to kingdom come. It was us that blew up that factory, where you were injured! Do you get what I'm saying, Peter?" I asked, hoping that he was understanding how badly he screwed up.

"I'm not just mad just because you disobeyed me and endangered yourself," I said, "I'm also mad because you refused to return to safety when ordered by both Vision and Nat, and I'm mad that you seemed to think you did great out there. You nearly died several times, you broke the law, and you disobeyed me, Vis, and Nat," I listed off, narrowing my eyes at the now somber looking boy. He'd long since focused his eyesight anywhere but at me, his cheeks burning in shame.

"Look at me," I ordered, and he gave me a timid look. "I can't even begin to describe how disappointed I am in you. I've said it before, and I'm saying it again, but _this can never happen again_."

My little spider's eyes filled with tears, and he sniffed loudly as he nodded his head multiple ties in understanding.

"It won't happen again, I swear," he assured me, and I hoped to god he'd keep that promise.

Feeling we'd talked enough, I transformed my watch into the Iron Man glove. My heart grew heavy, and my stomach twisted painfully, especially when I heard the whine coming from Peter.

"Stand up," I told him, and he just shook his head at me, looking at me with pleading eyes. Come on, kiddo, don't make me force you.

"Tony, please, I'm sorry, I swear I am, and it won't happen again," he told me, sliding himself away from me. My heart clenched at the pitiful sight he presented.

"Come here, Peter," I ordered more firmly. "You've earned this twelve times over, so just be glad I'm letting this end with just one spanking."

"But I don't want one, Tony, please, please, please just give me another chance," he begged, and I abruptly stood up, realizing that I was going to have to grab this kid before he tried to run. With every word he was speaking he was working himself up more and more, and he was breaking my heart more and more. Did he really think I _wanted_ to do this? Did he really think this was easy for me?

I walked over to my spiderling, ignoring his panicked eyes, reached down and stood him up, making sure I was holding on to him with my Iron Man glove. He continued to plead to me, but I turned a deaf ear as I sat myself on the middle of the couch, unbuttoned the boy's jeans, and pulled him over my knees. In one motion, I yanked down his jeans and boxers down to his knees. Taking in a deep breath, I resolved to make sure this was a lesson that I wouldn't ever have to repeat. I raised my hand and brought it crashing down on the kid's backside. He jerked, letting out a yelp that caused me to wince, but I didn't let up. I wasn't going to give him a warm up. I just brought my hand down again and again, peppering his entire backside, quickly turning it red. He was in tears from the get go, fluctuating between apologizing and pleading with me. At one point, he actually put his left hand back to cover himself. I sighed before grabbing hold of it with my left hand and pinning it to his back. I hoped he'd leave it there. I then continued to punish him, heart shattering the more he sobbed and pleaded with me. I felt as he grabbed onto my left leg tightly, and was shocked that he was actually seeking comfort from me as I was blistering his backside. It wasn't until he went limp, though, his bottom an angry, red color that I stopped.

Peter sobbed his little heart out as I gently pulled up his jeans. I took in shaky breaths, fighting back my own tears at the state I'd left him in. I rubbed his back comfortingly before helping him up to his feet. He legs buckled, though when I let go, so I immediately wrapped him into my arms, holding him up all on my own. He gripped me tightly, but I didn't even consider asking him to loosen his grasp. He cried into my shoulder, soaking my shirt, and when his cries began to lessen, he began apologizing once more. I shushed him, telling him that all was forgiven, and that everything was just fine between us.

It took several minutes for my little spider to finally calm himself down and to be able to stand on his own two feet. When he finally broke free of my hug, there were still tears streaming down his cheeks, and his breathing was shaky. I cupped his face and wiped away his tears before smoothing his messy hair back.

"You're alright, pal, you're alright," I murmured to him. Eventually, his tears completely stopped, and he wiped his face before looking at me with a mournful look.

"You okay?" I asked, and he nodded.

"Yeah," he answered tearfully, "but that really, really hurt, Tony."

"I know, little spider, it was supposed to," I responded softly, squeezing his shoulder gently. He reached out and hugged me again as he told me, "No more spankings, _ever_ , okay? I'll never sit again."

I couldn't help the chuckle I gave as I hugged him back. "Sorry, but no promises. I guarantee you'll be sitting just fine in a few hours, by the way," I added with a smile.

"Nuh uh," he disagreed, "never again."

I laughed even louder at his childish words. He pulled apart and glared at me, but I just grinned. "Let's go let everybody know you're still in once piece," I said, pointing towards the door. "And when you see Vision and Natasha, apologize for not doing as they told you to, understand?"

"Yes," he replied, his cheeks reddening from embarrassment, no doubt.

"Nobody is going to make fun of you," I said, knowing what he was worrying about. "Come on, you've gotta be hungry again, and I can smell something good."

Peter actually smiled at the mention of food, and made his way to his door. I shook my head fondly before following him out.

 **A/N: I've completed chapter 22 and am brainstorming chapter 23**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: finally reached summer vacation. I'm still working on chapter 23 so we might come to moments now where you'll have to wait for chapters. I honestly don't know where I plan on stopping this story.**

 **Chapter 19: Panic Attack**

 **Tony's POV:**

Peter's summer vacation started a couple days after his sixteenth birthday, and as a surprise, we decided to take him to our house in Malibu, California. Figuring my fellow Avengers needed a small break, I invited (dragged) Nat, Rhodey, and Vision along with us. Pepper and Happy were already a given.

To say the kid was ecstatic was an understatement. He was literally jumping off the walls, leaving his dirty shoe prints all over the place. I thought it added charm to the place, but Pepper wasn't as amused. She demanded Peter get down, but when he only laughed, my loving fiancé got a broom and kept swiping at the overexcited teen until he joined us normal humans on the floor. Yes, I had Friday record it and send pictures to my phone. Definitely getting these photos framed and added to our wall right next to the honey-feathered

We had all climbed into a Stark plane and flew to the beautiful west coast. Once we walked out of the plane, I couldn't help but smile. I did love California, which is why I'd originally made it my main home. My home now, however, was where Pepper and the kid were.

"Can I drive, can I drive, can I drive?" Peter asked repeatedly, hopping up and down as we headed to the cars.

"Nope," I replied, and he only began to hop even faster.

"Come on! I have a license now! Please, Tony, please, please, please, please!" he begged, throwing me those puppy-dog eyes of his.

"You don't even know where we're going," I argued, but when the downtrodden dog look remained I just gave in and tossed him the keys.

"YES!" He exclaimed with a whoop of delight before heading off towards the cars. I had to laugh when he hopped into the wrong car.

"Wrong car, Underoos!" I called, out, and he didn't let it bother him as he just responded, "I knew that!" He chose the right car the second time around, but I still gave him a smirk, that he completely ignored. Pepper and I were going to ride with Peter while the others rode with Happy.

"Gimme!" the teen demanded, using his web to sling my glasses off my face.

"Hey!" I protested, gracing the brat with a glare.

"I'm Tony Stark now," he declared, his tone and expression overly cocky.

I huffed while Pepper laughed heartily. "As long as you don't drive like him," she remarked, shoving me towards the back seat.

"Really?" I gasped in pretend outrage.

"I can give directions just as well as you can," she replied with a smirk.

"You're both lucky I love you," I grumbled.

As any boy who'd just gotten his license and was in a fast car, Peter gunned it out of the private airport, the tires screeching loudly. I smothered a large grin as Pepper whirled on the teen and ordered him to slow down and stop driving like me. Peter slowed down a little, throwing her a sheepish look, but when I saw Happy quickly catching up, I leaned forward and whispered directions to Peter. Pepper had been withholding directions in order to keep him going at a slower pace, but right after giving him more, he sped up, clearly noting what I had.

Pepper screamed at the sudden jolt in speed, while I just grabbed on to the front headrests to keep from flying back.

"Peter Parker, slow down this instant!" Pepper yelled sharply, before turning to me and yelling, "And you, stop egging him on!" Peter, being the good boy that he was immediately followed Pepper's directions, and I let out a sigh. I would've pushed it more, but I knew Pepper better, and I could tell when she was really pissed or just somewhat annoyed.

Due to our slow down, we arrived second to the house. Happy smirked at me while Rhodes, the jerk, make a whipping sound. I ignored them both, just staring up at my renovated home. Well, I guess it wasn't renovated if it wasn't even in the same location. It was built nearly exactly the same way with just some modern upgrades and better stability. I smiled happily before following behind Pepper.

"Rhodes, Hap, Nat," I called out, "your guys' rooms are in the same spots as my last house. Vis, you're going to be right across from Rhodes, and Pete, follow me." Guest rooms had always been in a separate area of the house from the master bedroom, but for Peter, I didn't want him that far away, so I'd recently had a room made for him that was right across the hall from ours."

"Here you are," I stated, opening the door to his room. "Pepper and I are right across from you."

"Wow, thanks Tony," the kid responded, and I felt satisfied that he liked his room.

"There's a hatch up there," I gestured, pointing to the wall, "that'll lead to the roof. It's good for just hanging out or if you're going out as Spiderman. I figured even on vacation you might want to go out."

Peter's eyes were full of delight as he stared up at the hatch. "Can I get one of those in all my rooms?"

"Sure," I responded with a shrug. "Anyways, I left the decorating decisions up to you considering how much input I had on your last two rooms. Pepper seems to think I'm being overbearing, but that doesn't sound like me at all, right?" he asked with an amused grin.

"No, of course not," I replied sarcastically.

I patted his shoulder once before saying, "Wanna check out the pool?" He immediately nodded and I took him through the living area and out the backdoor. The pool wasn't something I used, but I had it rebuilt just in case I ever got over my little fear. I'd added some additions to it recently, like a waterfall, two slides, and even a small cave area. Peter's eyes widened when he took all this in.

"Oh my god, this is so awesome!" he cried out, his face lighting up with a huge grin. "I've never seen such an awesome looking pool!" I just smiled at his excitement, glad that he seemed so happy.

"You can see the ocean, but the beach is like a half hour walk from here, or a quick drive," I then informed him, and his eyes, if possible, widened even more.

"This is awesome, this is awesome, this is awesome! Thank you so much for bringing me here, Tony!" he shouted, vibrating with energy. "Can I invite Ned over at some point?"

"Sure thing," I replied, already having anticipated this.

"So, the plan for tonight is to have a little bbq/pool party shindig, you cool with that?" I questioned, grinning when then teen's head went up and down repeatedly.

"Are you cooking?" he asked, and I just rolled my eyes. "I should be offended that after all this time you still think I can't cook," I grumbled. "Rhodey is doing the grilling. That guy knows how to grill a mean steak. Mmmm, can't wait," I said happily.

Walking back into the house I found myself immediately shoved to the side as a knife went sailing past us. Looking up in surprise at Nat, I asked, "Really, Natashalie? You nearly hit us!"

"Spiderboy overreacted," she responded smugly. "It never would've hit you."

"You're throwing knives in a house?" the aforementioned spiderboy asked in bewilderment. Poor kid hadn't been around our assassin long enough to realize that this was normal behavior.

"I see Natasha's decorating," Pepper remarked drily as she walked into the common room.

"Your home needed a little more character," Natasha stated. "It didn't feel lived-in enough."

Pepper just shook her head in amusement before catching Peter's stunned expression. "Peter, relax, honey, this is normal. You should've seen it when all the Avengers lived together. If something didn't catch on fire at least once a week, then I knew there must've been a mission," she recalled with a smile.

Natasha and I exchanged huge grins, reminiscing about the chaos that was our Avenger family.

"Clint falling out of the air vents," Nat said, "Or being pushed out," I amended, which caused her expression to turn mischievous.

"The Poptart famine," I mentioned, and she laughed before asking, "The first, second, or third?"

"The talking toaster," Pepper spoke up, and Natasha burst out laughing as I groaned. "I've apologized for that already!" I exclaimed, "Let it go!"

"Bruce and his tea," Nat brought up with a shudder, that I immediately seconded. "Never run out of his tea," we both chorused in mock horror. "To be honest, I always have his tea on hand just in case," I said, and she nodded, indicating she did the same.

"Do you remember when Steve tried to ban weapons from the common area?" I asked, and Natasha and I both were nearly rolling in laughter.

"Why's that so funny?" Peter asked, and it was Natasha who responded. "Weapons is kind of ambiguous. He meant knives and guns, but to us Avengers, especially Clint and I, _anything_ can be considered a weapon. Wanting to follow our dear captains orders we got rid of every little thing from the common area, even removing the glass from the windows."

"This was in the beginning when Steve still had a bit of a stick up his ass, so he tried to be stern and everything, but as all of us explained what everything from a spoon to a couch to a milk jug could be used as a weapon, he eventually threw his hands up in defeat and rescinded the rule," I explained. "Good times."

Rhodey had hobbled in at this time, Vision close behind, and then Happy showed up fifteen minutes later. Natasha and I told a few more Avenger stories before Rhodey decided to tell some of his time with the Avengers. Even Vision got involved at the end, talking about how he became an unknowing accomplice on a prank on Sam Wilson.

"I've never heard a man's pitch reach such a high note," Vision recounted in his normal, calm, British tone, which somehow made it all the funnier.

"So, basically the Avengers are a bunch of overgrown children," Pepper decided to remark, and the current Avengers ranged from shrugging (Rhodey) to smiling proudly (Nat and I).

"You'll fit right in, kid," Happy stated drily, and when I puffed my chest out in pride, Happy then said, "That wasn't a compliment."

"Yes, it was," I argued, throwing an arm around the younger man. "Now, let's head out to the pool, have some fun, and chow down," I declared, some of us going out while others went to go get their suits on. I didn't bother with a suit as I wasn't going to go in, and I was comfortable enough in my shorts and tank top. Instead, I just got out the meat and carried it over towards the grill for Rhodey.

"You getting into the water?" I asked him, noting he had on swim trunks.

"Yeah, I figured I'd stick to the shallow area, and if it's too hard I'll try out the jacuzzi," he responded with a shrug. "What about you? Where's your suit?"

"I'm not feeling it tonight," I answered, and his eyes narrowed in confusion. I forgot that the only people aware of my issue with water were Pepper and Natasha, and only because they'd witnessed what happens when I'm immersed in water. Pepper saw the worst of it right after I got back from Afghanistan, when it was even difficult for me to shower. Natasha saw it on a mission once, thankfully keeping it a secret from the rest of the team. I wasn't in the mood for anybody else to know. Deciding to avoid Rhodey's questions, I patted him on the back and walked away until I was at one of the tables. Peter, Natasha, and Happy were already in the water with Vision just standing at the edge, watching them with curiosity. He actually had on swim trunks, and was being coaxed in to the water by the others.

Pepper came out in a beautiful two-piece suit, and I gave her a flirtatious wink. She flashed me a smile as she walked over, leaning down to give me a kiss before diving in to the pool. Her brief kiss left me more flustered that I'd like to admit, so I sported a lop-sided smile for several minutes as I watched her join the others in slowly coaxing Vision into the water. The android eventually gave in, hesitantly stepping into the water in the shallow end. When he was up to his waist, he touched the water and looked at it in wonder.

A wave of water suddenly hit Vision, and he was left sputtering in shock, his eyes wider than I'd ever seen them. Peter was clearly the culprit as he was laughing loudly.

"Peter! Take it easy on him, it's his first time," Pepper scolded mildly as she went over to check on Vision. The android recovered quickly, shaking his head before dunking his whole body into the water. When he emerged, he sported a large grin, that immediately turned mischievous when he looked Peter's way. Using all the strength he had, Vision splashed not only Peter, but everyone else in the pool with a huge wave. The water even went over the pool, wetting both mine and Rhodey's feet.

A few curses were given, but it was Peter's loud whoop of delight that caused me to laugh as he launched himself at Vision. I marveled at the way Vision was playing with Peter as I'd never seen him so relaxed and carefree. The roughhousing between those two went on a couple minutes before Natasha smacked them both with a pool noodle. Peter attacked back with another pool noodle, while Vision became entranced with how the pool noodle aided him in floating in the water.

"Alright animals, its feeding time!" Rhodes called out. "Get your butts over here this instant or you won't get a single bite!"

"Sir yes sir!" I responded, standing at attention with a mocking salute.

"Yes, sir, Colonel!" Peter returned, easily jumping out of the water in one swift leap. He too gave my old friend a mock salute, which just caused Rhodes to groan before mumbling, "Tony, you're rubbing off on the kid. Make him spend more time with Pepper before you totally corrupt him."

Laughs were given as I just graced my young protégé with a look of pride. "I am an excellent role model," I quipped, only able to maintain a serious façade for two seconds before letting out a giggle.

Dinner was fun, everyone trying to grab some food quickly before Peter ate it all.

"Quick!" I yelled in fake panic, "hide the pie before the kid inhales it, Pepper!"

The pie was quickly passed around to keep it away from Peter, who was arguing that he wasn't a glutton. It was Nat, of all people, who came to the boy's aide and gave him a slice of pie.

"Here go you, baby spider, eat it up," she cooed, and I couldn't hold in my laughter at his affronted expression. He glared at us all, but he still ate the piece of pie.

The rest of the meal passed without fuss, and everyone returned to the water. The sky was dark now, and all the lights turned on.

"You ready to go in, buddy?" I asked Rhodey, and he nodded. When I attempted to approach he gave me a firm shake of his head as he stated, "Let me do this on my own, Tony. You've helped enough with these legs."

I just smiled, completely understanding his need for independence.

"You should join in," he remarked as he used the crutches to take him to the stairs of the pool. "It's still hot outside, and I can see you sweating."

I shrugged, giving him a shake of my head. "Don't feel like it," I said, and while he still had questions, he knew me well enough to not continue the questioning. He just shrugged back at me before setting his crutches down, removing the braces, and then sliding on in to the pool.

"That feels great," he sighed, and I smiled, happy for my friend. Vision and Pepper came over to hang out with Rhodes, Happy and Natasha were conversing, and Peter was doing more and more extravagant flips off the waterfall. I retreated to my table, but before I knew it, Peter was at the edge, giving me a look of confusion.

"Why aren't you coming in, Tony?" he questioned. "It's freakin' hot out here, come on!"

"I'm not a fan of swimming," I answered, but he just frowned. "Then why do you have a pool?"

"Not sure," I replied with some honesty. "Just seems like a California house needs to have a pool. Besides, as you can see, my friends enjoy swimming."

"It's awkward just seeing you sitting there," he continued to speak, and I just smiled at him.

"Baby Stark!" Natasha called out to Peter, "get your butt over here and help me take out Vision and Happy." He immediately swam over, and I graced Nat with a grateful look. She gave a nod of acknowledgment before turning to the kid. Recalling how she referred to Peter as Baby Stark, I couldn't help the warm feeling that spread through me at the reminder that he was, for all intents and purposes, my son now. I had never referred to him as such or even thought about it in my thoughts as that concept scared me; but I couldn't deny that it filled me with a sense of happiness and contentment also.

Half an hour passed with me switching between working on my tablet and watching the antics of my crazy family. I'll admit, I wished I could join them. I wished I could swim again without the panic of dying. I'd have loved to be there roughhousing with the boys and Natasha, but the mere thought alone caused my lungs to feel restricted and my heart to pound. Shaking my head of those thoughts I got up and walked over to grab a bottle of water. It was hot, and a cold, water bottle sounded really good at this moment.

What happened next wasn't done maliciously. I knew that, even as it was happening, yet it still didn't stop the panic attack. Peter had apparently gotten out of the water as I was grabbing my drink. He quietly managed to sneak behind me as I walked back towards my table. All of a sudden, I felt arms wrap around me and my body pulled towards the pool. Natasha screamed, "Peter, don't!" before I hit the water hard.

The next moments were a blur of just terror and panic. I was no longer in Malibu, California, but back in the cave in Afghanistan. My head was dunked under water, and the wires attached to my chest sparked, both electrocuting and burning me.

Build the Jericho! Build the Jericho! Build the Jericho!

No, no, no, no! I won't! I refuse!

The torture continued, and I felt pain in my lungs as my need for oxygen urged me to take a breath. I resisted, though, knowing that I'd drown if I did that. Hands grabbed hold of me, and as I was hauled out of the water I gasped, trying to suck in air. I couldn't, though, because my lungs seemed to not work anymore. They burned, and my heart hammered too quickly. My hands went to my heart, and when I didn't feel the electromagnet I freaked out even more.

"Yinsen! Yinsen!" I called out in fear, needing the doctor's help. He was the only one who could save me now! He had to put the electromagnet back in.

"Yinsen, please!" I yelled, curling into a ball in a desperate attempt to protect my damaged heart. Hands continued to grab at me, and I heard voices, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. I began to fight back, all my strength being put into hurting my captors. I heard grunts and yells of pain, but still the hands returned to grabbing me. More yelling. Cursing.

God, I couldn't breathe anymore. I couldn't breathe, and without oxygen, my strength faded fast.

"I refuse!" I screamed harshly with my last bit of air, before settling with just curling up and doing everything I could to protect my damaged heart. Where's Yinsen, I couldn't help but think desperately. Please don't let him be dead. Please don't let him be dead.

Images suddenly flooded through me of Yinsen, his body bloody and filled with bullets. "Don't waste your life," he said with his last breaths.

"I'm sorry," I gasped, feeling now as one set of arms grabbed me and lifted me on shaky breaths. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I repeated over and over, feeling broken and lost. My fault. My fault. Always my fault. Blood. So much blood. Me. Me, me, me.

 **Peter's POV:**

I sat on the ground, staring at the chaos before me with horrified eyes. Rhodey was near me, similarly horrified, but also looking helpless. He was fighting to get his braces on so that he could help his friend. After too many minutes Pepper screamed at everyone to back off, and with strength I didn't know she possessed, she hauled the struggling Tony to his feet and miraculously guided him inside the house.

Rhodey finally managed to stand, and he looked at Natasha, who clearly knew this was going to happen as she'd been the one to scream at my to not drag Tony into the pool. The scream came too late, and this would be something I'd never forget; and I really didn't think I'd ever be able to forgive myself.

Happy was panting heavily, his face full of concern while Vision just stood still in shock.

"What the hell just happened, Natasha?!" Rhodey yelled in angry bewilderment. "What was that?!"

She frowned before answering, "A panic attack."

"Yeah, I get that, but _why_?" Rhodey pressed, hobbling closer to her. "I've known Tony longer than any of you, and he has _never_ reacted like that to being in water. We've gone swimming more times than I can remember, and _he has never panicked_!"

Natasha sighed, looking suddenly weary as she faced the colonel. "When's the last time you've seen Tony in a pool? Or in any body of water?" she asked, and Rhodey's mouth opened one moment and then closed the next, clearly not having a response to that. "Have you seen him in a pool since Afghanistan?" she asked next, and clearly that meant something to the man because he looked stricken, his face pale, as he muttered, "Shit."

"Wait, I still don't get this," Happy spoke up, and I was relieved he asked, because I still didn't understand either. I knew about his kidnapping in Afghanistan, but Tony hadn't gone into detail with me. I didn't understand what water had to do with it. Vision was frowning, and I couldn't tell if he did or didn't understand.

Nat pursed her lips, probably thinking about what she should or shouldn't say. In the end, she let out a sigh, her eyes closing as she quietly said one word. "Waterboarding."

Happy stiffened, Rhodes looked pissed, and Vision's frowned deepened. I still didn't understand, though as I had no idea what waterboarding was. Clearly it involved water, but what was it? I wanted so badly to ask, but my teeth seemed stuck together.

"Will he be alright?" Vision asked, and Natasha gave a half nod. "Pepper's dealt with this before, and she's the best one to help him through this. I'm pretty sure he'll be fine, but I don't know how long that will take. The one time I witnessed him panicking, it was nowhere near as bad as what we saw today."

Rhodey sat himself down in a chair, and buried his head in his hands. He looked really upset with himself, whispering, "I should have known. All the signs were there, but I just didn't want to believe it."

"Tony has had lots of years of experience in keeping things to himself," Natasha spoke gently as she gave his shoulder a light squeeze. "If we hadn't been around and witnessed his panic attacks, I doubt he would've ever willingly told Pepper and I."

Natasha suddenly turned to me, her comforting demeanor completely gone. Her eyes were hard as she stalked over to me, grabbed my bicep and pulled me to my feet. "You and I need to talk," she declared coldly, as she began to lead me towards the house.

Happy put himself in her way, holding up his hands as he said, "Natasha, come on, Peter had no idea. You can't blame him for what happened." I felt a wave of gratitude to the man for seemingly being so forgiving to me.

"I told him specifically to leave Tony alone because he didn't like the water, but he did the exact opposite," she informed the man, and I felt awful. She had told me, but I hadn't thought it was a big deal. I never in a million years would've anticipated Tony reacting like that.

Happy frowned minutely, and then said, "Go easy on him, okay? He still didn't mean anything. I never would've expected something like that to happen, so he wouldn't either."

Natasha just nodded before dragging me into the house and towards the right, away from mine and Tony and Pepper's room. We arrived in a room, which I immediately assumed was Natasha's. When we were both inside, she closed the door and pointed at a chair. Knowing what she wanted, I immediately sat myself in it, staring at her with increasingly nervous eyes. She was going to kill me.

I waited for her to start speaking, but she only stared down at me with cold, hard eyes. I shifted uneasily in the chair, clutching the sides of the armchair as I averted my gaze. What was she thinking? What did she want from me? What was she going to do?

A glance at her clock, and I saw that five minutes of this silence had already passed. I couldn't handle it anymore, so I decided to speak.

"I'm sorry," I told her. "I had no idea he would react like that, I swear! I'm sorry! It was a joke, and I'm so, so, so sorry! I have no idea what waterboarding is, and why he reacted like that, but I do know that I never meant for that to happen, and I'm sorry! Please understand, Natasha! I swear, I really swear that I'd never hurt him like that," I cried to her in desperation, wanting—no, _needing_ her to understand, because if she couldn't, then there was no way Tony or Pepper would. That mere thought, caused my chest to seize, tears welling up in seconds. Oh god, I'd ruined it. I'd gone and ruined everything. They were going to hate me.

Past embarrassment, I began to openly cry. "I'm sorry," I insisted. "They'll hate me now, I know it. I didn't mean it, but they'll hate me. I ruined everything! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" I sobbed, and that's when I felt Natasha pull me up and into a hug. I accepted her comfort full-heartedly, holding onto her with desperation as I sobbed out of guilt and fear. Natasha said some things to me in Russian, that despite not understanding, helped, and then she began to hum a quiet tune. It took several minutes for me to be able to calm down, and it was only when my tears had stopped completely that I pulled apart and was gently pushed down into the chair.

Natasha's eyes were no longer cold with anger, but sorrowful and disappointed. "I did tell you to leave Tony alone. I said he didn't like water," she reminded sternly, "and yet, you still went and pulled a stupid stunt like that. You've known me long enough, Peter, to know that I don't say things lightly. If I tell you to leave Tony alone, then you do as I say, am I clear?"

"Yes, very clear," I responded with earnest nods.

"Tony and Pepper will forgive you, I promise you that. In fact, knowing them, they won't feel there is anything worth forgiving," she informed me, and I couldn't believe that I'd get off that easy. Looking warily at Natasha now, I wondered if _she_ would forgive me so easily. Interpreting my expression, she just smiled as she said, "Contrary to popular belief, I'm not heartless. I brought you here to make sure you understood what happened, and that in the future you should just trust that I know what I'm talking about."

"So, you're not going to kill me?" I asked nervously, knowing she wouldn't _literally_ kill me, but _metaphorically_ was another matter entirely.

An evil smirk graced crossed her face now as she let me know, "Well, our next training session may or may not be a tad bit more brutal than usual." I winced internally, while she just continued to smile.

Wiping at my face once more, I gave her another apology, which she now waved away. "Water under the bridge, little spider. Lesson learned?" she asked, and I rapidly nodded my head up and down.

"Yes. Listen to you and do as told," I stated, and she smirked now as she gave a firm nod.

"Good boy, now run along," she spoke, opening her door. I threw her one more last thankful look before racing out of the room.

When passing through the living room, I had to assure Happy that I was fine multiple times before he let me go. I noted that Rhodey and Vision were still outside, and as I looked on in concern, Happy assured me that they'd be fine. Happy gave me a pat on the shoulder before letting me go.

I rushed through my shower, throwing on shorts and a shirt before walking to Tony and Pepper's room. Once there, I felt suddenly hesitant about knocking. What if they didn't want to see me? What if Tony was still in bad shape? What if Nat was wrong and they were mad at me? What if Pepper told me to go away? I stood outside, my nerves only increasing when the door suddenly opened, Pepper staring at me with mild amusement.

"Come on in," she said softly, and I didn't bother on asking how she knew I was out there. Friday was an interfering AI. Even though she said I should come in, I couldn't help but give Pepper a nervous look.

"I'm sorry," I whispered to her, and she immediately stepped out and pulled me into a tight hug.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, honey," she assured me, just as Nat had assumed she would. "It was an accident and we both know that. Tony isn't angry with you at all."

"H-How is he?" I asked worriedly.

"He's fine now, just tired," she answered softly, and looking at her face, I knew he wasn't the only one tired. "Now, go on in and see for yourself," she ordered, gesturing for me to go inside. "I need to go and reassure everybody." She walked away at that point, and I felt a moment of panic at being left alone with Tony.

Come on, Spiderman, I encouraged myself.

I walked fully into the room, quietly shutting the door behind me. The lights in the room were really dim, and as I approached the bed I saw Tony sleeping, bare-chested with one hand still covering his heart protectively. I felt sick as I caught a sight of all the scarring, and how red it was from when he'd been clawing at it. Guilt shot through me. He was like this because of me. How could he ever forgive me? How could he not hate me?

"Hey, kid, will you quit staring," Tony murmured, his eyes still mostly closed, "you're creeping me out."

I jumped, eyes widening, but still unable to look away. Sitting himself up and leaning against his headboard, Tony groaned as he rubbed at his face before fully opening his eyes. I couldn't help but notice how his hand never left his chest. He was still unconsciously protecting himself. My fault. All my fault.

"I stand by my previous statement, Pete, your staring is creeping me out," he remarked, sounding fully awake now. "I'm not sick or dying, so please stop looking at me like I'm about to fall apart."

"Sorry," I whispered, my gaze now settling on the floor. "I just—I wanted to know—I needed to see—I'm glad you're okay. Um, I-I'll just go now," I eventually stuttered before turning and quickly making my way out the door. I heard him call my name and tell me to stop, but I refused to listen and just kept going.

I couldn't stomach what my actions had caused. I couldn't stand to see how he didn't look okay at all. I couldn't stomach that it was _me_ that had caused that. Rushing into my room and locking the door, I leapt up to my hatch and crawled up onto the roof. I needed the fresh air, because now I was the one that felt like panicking. Looking around helplessly, I knew I didn't want to talk to anyone, so I jumped off the roof and just ran.

 **A/N: loving all reviews so please keep them coming!! So glad people are enjoying my portrayal of these characters even if Peter can come off as childish at times. I just figured with everything that he's gone through he will be feeling more vulnerable and needy**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: sorry for the cliffhanger. Didn't realize I'd done that. Anyways, enjoy!**

 **Chapter 20: I Love You**

 **Tony's POV:**

The panic attack ended with me on the floor of my bedroom. I was face down on the ground, both my hands covering my chest as Pepper knelt by my side and ran her hand through my hair.

"You're safe, Tony, you're safe," she spoke soothingly. "You're in your home in Malibu, California, and we are in our bedroom. You're with me, Pepper, and you are very safe," she continued to speak, and I couldn't help the sob of relief I gave.

"Oh, Tony," Pepper spoke lovingly, and I placed my head in her lap as she reached down to hug me. I wanted to hug her back, but I was still so frazzled that I couldn't move my hands away from my chest. Pepper's grasp on me was strong and steadying, which worked to help me relax. My shuddering breaths began to go back to normal, and I eventually looked up at her.

"Hey, handsome," she greeted with a beautiful smile, leaning down to place a kiss on my forehead. We nuzzled each other before she whispered that we should get into dry clothes. I made an unintelligible noise, which she took as confirmation, and she forced me to get up. My legs felt weak and shaky, so I allowed Pepper to keep an arm on me as we entered our closet. We threw off our soaking clothes, and just toweled off. I currently couldn't stomach the thought of even taking a shower, so I settled with smelling like chlorine as I pulled on shorts. I still had one arm covering where my arc reactor used to be, and I couldn't stand not seeing that I was okay; so, I refrained from putting on a shirt.

I was exhausted, so without being prompted or led I walked to my bed and just collapsed onto it. Making myself comfortable, I smiled when Pepper settled herself next to me, once more running her hands gently through my hair. I was glad she didn't push me to talk or explain anything. She just knew. She just understood, and I loved her even more for that. I was in between sleep and wakefulness when Friday quietly informed us that the kid was awkwardly standing outside our door. Pepper immediately stood up and rushed over to the door. I didn't hear much after that. I did get the sense of being watched, and so I murmured, "Hey, kid, will you quit staring, you're creeping me out."

I didn't get a response at all, so continuing to feel his eyes on me I forced myself to get up, groaning wearily as I rubbed a hand over my face. Opening my eyes, I looked at the boy's petrified, overly concerned eyes and had to say, "I stand by my previous statement, Pete, your staring is creeping me out. I'm not sick or dying, so please stop looking at me like I'm about to fall apart." Have a little faith, I wanted to say. I'm not made of glass.

My words just seemed to upset him, because he just looked at the floor before stuttering, "Sorry. I just—I wanted to know—I'm glad you're okay. Um, I-I'll just go now," he said quickly, before turning and heading towards the door.

"Hey!" I called out, "Kid, hold up, don't leave!" I told him, but he was gone before I'd even finished calling out. Dammit, Stark, I scolded myself, nice going. I rolled out of the bed and ignored my sore muscles as I rushed out of my room. Seeing Peter's door closed, I immediately knocked, asking to come in, but I received no response. I tried to open the door, but it was locked. Cursing, I asked Friday if he was still here, but she informed me that he'd left using the hatch in his ceiling. I let out a sigh of frustration as I gripped my hair tightly.

What do I do? Should I go after him? Should I give him some time? He had to be feeling guilty for what happened; but I knew he hadn't meant anything. He was just a kid who'd been trying to have some fun. He had no idea how I would react. I had to tell him I wasn't mad, but should I go after him?

"Friday, does he have him phone?" I asked, and she told me he did. I felt some of my worry leave me, and I went back into my room for my phone.

 _Peter, I am fine. I don't blame you for what happened. It was an accident, so don't beat yourself up. I know you're out, so just be careful, and please come home in a few hours._

I sent the text, and just sighed heavily at how my stupid panic attack had ruined what had been an amazing day. God, I couldn't help but feel so embarrassed. Afghanistan had been _so_ long ago, and yet it still affected me this badly. Admittedly, it's not as though I'd done anything to deal with it, but I'd figured I'd dealt with worse shit since then. Flying into a wormhole with a nuke hadn't exactly been a cake walk.

My phone pinged, and while it wasn't a text from the kid, it was at least a notification that he'd read the text. I would just have faith that he'd come back on his own in a few hours. If he wasn't back by morning, then I'd go after him; but I did understand the need for alone time. I just hoped his alone time wouldn't lead to self-destructive tendencies like me.

Pepper returned to the bedroom, looking relieved that I was up, but concerned when she saw my expression. I filled her in on what happened with Peter, and she looked worried; but I reassured her that he'd be fine.

"Give him a couple hours, and he'll be back," I assured her, and she just nodded.

"The others are really concerned about you, so if you're up to it, are you willing to face them tonight, or will you wait until tomorrow?" she asked, and I groaned as I leaned back onto the bed.

"Can't they just pretend this never happened?" I asked rhetorically. Letting out a heavy sigh, I just got up and marched out of the room with purpose, Pepper at my heels. Arriving into the common area with my head held up high, I was pleased that everyone was here, so that I wouldn't have to repeat myself.

"Listen up ladies," I called out, narrowing my eyes at all their concerned expressions. "Not a big fan of water. I panicked, and it's over with. Everything's good, so don't you dare walk on egg shells around me, or I'll make you regret it."

Natasha immediately stalked up to me, an expression of exasperation on her face. I watched her warily, wincing when she slapped me upside the head harder than I thought I deserved. "Don't scare me like that again," she ordered, and when I gave her a nod, she ruffled my hair and walked away towards her room, seemingly satisfied that I was fine.

Vision said nothing, just nodding his head after I spoke, satisfied by my words alone that I was okay. "It's good to see you feeling better, Mr. Stark," he said warmly, and I smiled at him.

Rhodey hobbled on over, his face a mask of anger as he punched me in the shoulder.

"Ow!" I complained, rubbing it as he said, "You deserve more than that for scaring the shit out of me, idiot! Next time, talk to me before you give me a heart attack, alright?"

"Got it," I responded with a sheepish grin. He shook his head, muttering "goddamn idiot" as he too headed towards his room.

Happy was the only one left, and he just looked at me with relief and frustration. "You gave us quite a scare. I agree with Rhodes. You've got to tell us about this kind of stuff, so it doesn't happen again. The kids really beating himself up because of what happened."I nodded my head before letting him know that Peter had run off. He simply sighed before asking if he needed to go pick him up or start searching for him. I shook my head, telling him to get some sleep. "If he's not back by daylight, I'll go get him myself. He's got his phone on him, so I'll be able to find him."

"If he hasn't chucked it," Happy remarked negatively, and I shook my head.

"He won't do that, trust me," I responded, and he just shook his head once more before bidding us goodnight.

Looking at Pepper with a bright smile, I widened my arms and said, "Ta da!"

A light giggle escaped her, but I could tell she was still worried about Peter.

"Why don't you just go after him now?" she pressed, and answered, "I want to give him some space. He can take care of himself, and I don't want him to feel like we don't trust him."

"But he's clearly upset, and when he gets like that, he makes rash decisions," she argued earnestly, and I acknowledged she had a point.

"Friday, keep me up to date on the kid's location, alright?" I ordered, and she gave me the affirmative. My phone pinged, and I noticed his current location was on the beach, ten miles from here.

"Looking at location history," Friday informed us, "Mr. Parker has been wandering around the beach area."

I thanked her before looking at Pepper. She still didn't look satisfied, so I sighed, deciding to compromise. "Okay, I'll go out and keep an eye on him from a distance."

"Are you up for that?" Pepper questioned, and I smiled. "I'm fine, Pep, I mean it. You really helped me."

She wrapped her arms around my neck and leaned her head on my shoulder. I returned the embrace, kissing her neck before breaking apart. I threw on some shoes and went out to my car, intent on following the kid around in it rather than in my suit. I knew he'd be fine, but it didn't hurt to be sure.

Loading the kid's directions onto my phone I drove towards the beach, parking and walking until I was close enough to just see him without him being able to see me. It looked like he was lying down on the sand, just staring up at the sky. I shivered, realizing that I'd left home without a shirt on. Hand automatically going to my heart, I sat myself on the ground and sighed as my mind recalled what I'd experienced during the panic attack. God, it'd been years since I'd had a panic attack triggered by water; and this time had been the worst, for some reason. Memories of Yinsen hit me hard, and I my heart ached terribly with guilt and sorrow.

He'd told me not to waste my life, and as I thought back over all I'd done, mistakes included, I found myself feeling that I'd satisfied his request. I would've given anything to be able to talk to that man today. He'd saved my life in more ways than one, and I owed him so much.

I sat on the rocky out cove, my mind running as I gave Peter whatever time he needed. Due to how cold it was, I didn't fall asleep, even though I felt exhausted. It was a good thing, though, because I would've hated to fall asleep and not notice the spiderling had moved on. When 3AM hit, I finally stood up, the moonlight, thankfully bright enough to show me Peter was still there. I decided to just make the trek down there and see how he was doing. As I neared him, he didn't turn to look at me, so I wondered if he was asleep.

Sure is, I realized as I sat myself down next to him.

"Hey spiderling," I greeted, giving the teen a light bop on the forehead. His hand flew up, and he ended up smacking himself in the face, much to his chagrin and my amusement. I stifled the laugh as I noticed he was glaring at me.

"You'd probably sleep more comfortably at home," I remarked casually. He rubbed at his forehead absentmindedly, waking up, and it was when he stiffened and let out a groan that I knew his memories had caught up to him.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god," he murmured over and over into his hands.

Aww, kiddo, I thought in partial sadness and partial exasperation, you're really beating yourself up. I'd best intervene before he freaks out anymore and/or starts to apologize profusely.

"Tony, I'm so sorry," Peter began to say, and I just rolled my eyes. There he goes again. Really not in the mood to deal with any hysterics at the moment, I smacked the boy upside the head, much like Natasha had done to me earlier.

The teen immediately went silent, rubbing the back of his head (even though I knew I didn't hurt him) and looking at me in confusion.

"I had a panic attack, kiddo," I told him frankly, "and it wasn't the end of the world. Yeah, it was a pretty bad one, and I'm sorry you had to see that, but _I do not blame you_ ," I stated firmly, my hand now wrapped gently around the back of his neck.

"You don't?" he whispered, and my heart ached at how pitiful he sounded.

"No, spiderling, not at all," I answered kindly. "Is this what you've been telling yourself all these hours?" I asked exasperatedly. "You've been thinking that I blame you, or that I'm mad at you?"

Peter nodded his head slowly, and I withheld a sigh as I put my arm around him and pulled him towards me, his head no lying on my shoulder.

"You did nothing wrong, Peter," I told him. "It as an accident, and one you had no idea would happen. If you insist on being forgiven, then yeah, kid, I forgive you. I'm really alright, okay?"

"M'kay," he murmured, scooching over until his entire body was next to mine.

"Next time you're feeling this miserable, please don't just wallow in misery because it won't help at all," I advised, feeling extremely hypocritical as I did that all the time. One could say, though, that I was the voice of experience. "You've got several people who are there for you, so before isolating yourself, think about talking to one of us," I continued, rubbing my hand up and down his shoulder in comfort.

He didn't say anything in response, but I knew from his shaky breaths that he was hearing me.

"You're really not mad?" he questioned, and I withheld a heavy sigh as I simply said, "No." I saw then as his lips twitched, a smile forming on his face.

We sat in companionable silence, watching and listening to the ocean waves. I did enjoy the scent and the feeling of ocean spray.

"What's waterboarding?" Peter asked suddenly, his voice extremely hesitant and nervous. I couldn't help the flinch I gave at his question, being caught completely off guard.

"Where did you hear that word?" I snapped, unable to keep defensive anger out of my tone. Peter was the one to flinch this time before quickly responding, "Natasha mentioned it when she explained that you had panic attacks, and everybody but me seemed to know what it meant, and I'm sorry, you don't have to answer me."

 _Natasha_ , I thought somewhat angrily. I knew she was trying to help, but there were details that didn't need to be shared, especially with the kid!

"Relax, Peter," I said, my tone softer as I tried to calm him. "I'm not angry with you. I was just caught off guard, and honestly, I wish that was a word you'd never hear in your life."

"You don't have to tell me anything," he responded, but I just shook my head. Now that he knew that much, I couldn't just not tell him, especially when he could just go google the damn word.

"I'll…just listen, little spider," I told him, bringing him back towards me. "You know about me being kidnapped in Afghanistan, and how they wanted me to build a missile for them, right," I stated, and Peter nodded his head. "Well, when they originally asked me, I told them, no; and well, they didn't take too kindly to that."

"You were tortured?" he questioned, turning his head to look at me with horrified eyes. Aww, kiddo, I sighed internally, I haven't even described anything, and you're already this horrified. You shouldn't have to know these types of things. You shouldn't _ever_ have to know what torture is like; but you live in a cruel, world. You are a super hero, and you will be exposed to horrible things as you grow. I wish I could protect you, but I can only do so much.

"Yeah, I was," I eventually responded. "Waterboarding—or, really it was something similar to waterboarding, not exact—anyways, it was their favorite form. It basically involves making the person feel like they're drowning over and over and over again." Peter's muscles tensed as he sucked in a quick breath of air, but he thankfully didn't say anything.

"I was pretty screwed up after Afghanistan—well, I guess I'm still pretty messed up, but I used to have troubles with even showering," I admitted grimly. "I usually don't react as badly as I did today." I grimaced now, having nothing else to add.

"I'm sorry that happened to you, Tony," Peter spoke honestly. "I can't even begin to imagine what you must've gone through, and I'm sorry I had any part in bringing up these bad memories."

Feeling more affectionate than usual, I turned my face towards the kid and kissed the side of his head. "I forgive you. Now, let's go home, I'm freezing my butt off." He laughed lightly, getting up far too easily, and pulling me up with him. He gave me a grin, and looked at me with eyes that held too much adoration. I was still his hero, I thought in amazement. This young man was something else. He was one of a kind, and I couldn't believe he was a part of my life.

I led the way back to the car, and I pointed to the passenger seat to make the kid know he wasn't driving _this_ car. He huffed good naturedly as he got in. I turned up the heat as I rubbed my hands together. I hadn't realized how cold I really was until now.

"How long have you been out here?" Peter asked, looking at me in concern.

"A few hours," I replied with a small smile. "I was willing to give you more time, but Pepper wanted me to check up on you. I was waiting for you to head home, but I eventually got tired of waiting, which is when I came down to you."

I was glad he didn't look angry, but amused by what I'd said. I wouldn't have taken that sort of information as kindly. So glad this kid didn't have my DNA.

Once I felt warm enough I began to drive home. The kid kept giving me curious glances before asking me why I wasn't wearing a shirt.

I bit the side of my cheek before deciding to just give him the answer. "When I was panicking, I thought my heart was still injured and that the electromagnet keeping the shrapnel out of my heart was gone," I informed him, pausing, before adding, "And it's kind of a habit I haven't been able to kick when I get really vulnerable. The arc reactor used to be what kept me alive, so my first instinct was always to protect it. I didn't want to put on a shirt because I wanted to be able to look at my chest and see that it wasn't there anymore, and that I didn't need it."

Peter looked at me with an unreadable expression for nearly a minute before nodding thoughtfully. I'll admit, his look unnerved me as I had no idea what he'd been thinking.

"What were you just thinking?" I pressed, feeling no need to hide my curiosity.

"You'll laugh," he muttered back, looking shy. I smiled in amusement before assuring him that I wouldn't.

"Promise?" he responded just like a small child, so I repeated once more that I wouldn't laugh at what he told me.

"So, you've been, like, Iron Man since I was a kid," he began, and I raised an eyebrow, which caused him to roll his eyes and slightly amend his previous statement. "Like a _kid_ kid. Anyhow, I used to watch you on the news and stuff, and I always thought you were really cool," he admitted, looking down at his hands now in embarrassment. "You were like my favorite super hero ever, and so I begged my aunt and uncle to take me to your Stark Expo way back. We, uh, we were there when War Machine was introduced, and you showed up, and then all those robots went out of control. Remember?"

I groaned quietly, but refrained from talking. Of course this kid would end up going the _one_ day where the shit hit the fan. I gave Peter a nod in response to his last question, so he continued speaking.

"Well, in all the chaos and stuff, I got separated from my aunt and uncle," he recounted. "I was running around looking for them, and those robots were shooting things and people, and then all of a sudden one landed right in front of me!" He looked at me briefly, but I could see his expression was expectant. I wasn't sure what he was expecting, though.

"I had one on of those dinky little Iron man masks and the glove and all," he laughed sheepishly, "and when this thing dropped in front of me, instead of running I just stood there and raised my hand." He laughed again, and I frowned, a sudden memory starting to come to me. "I was scared, and then I told myself to be brave like Iron Man, so I held that hand up like an idiot, somehow thinking I was gonna blast him like you could. The robot then held up one of its own arms, and I thought for sure it was going to blast me when you showed up and blew it into smithereens!"

Son of a bitch, I thought, screeching to a halt on the side of the road. Peter looked at me in surprise as I loudly asked, "That was you?!" I remembered the moment very clearly now.

"Yeah," he admitted with an embarrassed grin. "You destroyed the robot, told me, "Nice job, kid", and then flew off."

I leaned my head down onto the steering wheel, wondering if I was the reason this kid was such a daredevil.

"It was one of the coolest moments in my entire life," Peter exclaimed in excitement. "I was on the moon because Iron Man himself had told me I'd done a nice job. I felt like a super hero, and wished for real that I could be like you, out saving people."

With my head still on the steering wheel, I turned to stare at the spiderling.

"Then, when I was fourteen, and I got these abilities," he continued, his voice getting quieter, "I was afraid. I had no idea why this had happened to me, and what I as supposed to do; but then I remembered you and that night at the Stark Expo. I remembered that childish dream of being a super hero, and I realized that I could really be like you. It wasn't just a dream, but a reality. With some impactful words from my uncle, and nearly a lifetime of hero worshipping you, I gained the courage to go out there and help people."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing, and I really didn't know how to respond. My attention was fixed entirely on him, while his was once more focused away from me.

"Then, I go home one day, and bam! You're in my house! You're in my house, you know who I am, and you're asking _me_ to help you out!" He outright yelled in disbelief. "It was so crazy, so unreal, yet so freakin exciting! I know I sound like a fanboy, but you've been my hero for so many years, and then there you are, asking me for help and building me this super cool suit, and-and-and, my mind was just blown. My whole world was turned upside down."

I was fascinated by his perspective on what had happened. I knew people looked up to me. I knew kids hero-worshipped me, but I never would've imagined the impact I'd have on their lives, more specifically, the impact I'd had on _this boy's life_.

"We came back from Germany, and then that fiasco with Toomes happened, and you took the suit, and my heart broke because I thought I'd let you down and that you hated me and that you'd never trust me again," he told me. "Then, I kicked ass and you asked me to join the Avengers, and it was like a dream come true! But I turned you down because I'd realized by then that I wasn't quite ready for the big leagues. I figured at that point that you'd wash your hands of me, but I was kinda okay with that. Well, I mean, yeah, I'd be disappointed, but I was grateful for all the help you'd given me. You'd showed that you believed in me and what I was doing, and that was the coolest thing that could've ever happened to me." He paused, running a hand through his hair before finally turning to look back at me.

"Then these past few months, things have changed even more. You're still my hero, but you're also so much more," he confessed, and now I looked away, not sure if I wanted to hear what else he wanted to say.

"You became my mentor and a-a-a _father_ ," he said in awe. "I mean, hell, you actually _adopted_ me! We've been through a lot in this last year, and you've helped me through so much. I know you're not the best with affection and talking about emotions—you've gotten better, by the way—anyways, I have to tell you, that I love you, Tony. Every day, every time I learn something more about you, I just care about you even more. I look up to you even more! I'm not naïve or blind. I've seen and read what the media has said about you, and lots of times they bash you, but I've never cared. I sometimes used to think I was biased because of how much I cared about you; but it's not bias. The media is wrong about you. You're a great man and the best kind of super hero."

There were several moments of silence before he finally said, "I'm done talking now. Sorry about all the emotional stuff. Like I said, I know you're not that comfortable with"—

I cut off the boy's nervous ramblings by turning and pulling the boy into my arms. He was clearly caught off guard, but unlike me, he immediately responded by hugging me back. I felt embarrassed by how emotional I suddenly felt; but his words affected me more than I ever thought they would. I loved this kid. I really, really loved this kid; and it was high time I manned up and told him.

"I love you, Peter," I told him emotionally. "Thank you," I then added, giving him another uncharacteristic kiss to the side of his head before breaking apart. Peter's face was lit up, and he looked absolutely delighted as he smiled brightly at me.

"Let's get home, my daredevil spider, I'm beat," I stated, driving back onto the road. The rest of the ride was silent, but a comfortable silence.

We arrived home, the house silent as everybody was asleep. Turning toward our wing, I was unsurprised to see Pepper come out of her room and look at the both of us in concern before running to give Peter the first hug. Breaking apart, she then wrapped her arms around me.

"You two okay?" she asked, and we both graced her with reassuring smiles. She looked so relieved that I felt guilty for not having texted her updates. I graced her with an apologetic look that caused her to just roll her eyes.

"Get some sleep, honey," Pepper told the little spider, "I'll make sure nobody bothers you. Sleep as long as you need." He nodded, snuck in one more hug with me without me anticipating it and then rushed into his room, accidentally breaking the doorknob as he'd forgotten he'd locked the door.

"Oops," he murmured, turning to give us apologetic looks. My shoulders just shook with silent laughter as I rested my head on Pepper's shoulder.

"We'll fix it tomorrow," she assured him, and he gave one last apologetic smile before shutting his door.

"You, mister, need to go to sleep as well," Pepper declared, and I didn't bother arguing, feeling wearier than I had in a long time. However, I also felt happier and more content than I had in a long time. I wanted to tell Pepper right away what Peter had told me, but she continuously shushed me, literally putting me to bed and tucking me in. I smiled at her as she got in next to me, wrapping her arms around me before telling me to close my eyes. I obeyed, falling asleep in mere minutes.

 **A/N: I'm still working on chapter 23 but I should finish it by today. I've got no plans of finishing the story but updates will slow at some point as I'll be writing when I can. PLEASED REVIEW!!**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Title pretty much gives it away, so I hope you enjoy!**

 **Chapter 21: Science Bros**

 **Tony's POV:**

It'd been a couple days since the pool incident, and everyone finally seemed to be moving past it. I'd been accosted by both Rhodey and Happy at different points, demanding more of an explanation from me than I'd given them the day of, but after that, everything was good. Peter had been the last one to get over it, of course. It wasn't until Natasha smacked him upside the head while seriously telling him, "You know, if you keep staring at him like that, he probably _will_ keel over. I've seen it happen." She then walked away, much to Peter's horror and my amusement.

Nobody had dared get back into my pool since then, which miffed me. I didn't want people to stop swimming because _I_ had an issue with water; so, yesterday I had enough and picked up Peter from where he was seated reading a book, calmly walked outside and dropped him into the pool before walking away and asking the rest of my wayward family, "Whose next?" Natasha had smirked, holding out an arm to signify that she was game. I grinned, picking her up and then dropping her in the pool right next to my stunned spiderling. Walking back in, I then grabbed Pepper, who was giggling, stared at the guys, and said, "If I have to put on my Iron Man suit in order to carry and throw you in, I will. Otherwise, just get in yourselves." With those words, I carried my love and dropped her into the pool as well.

Needless to say, this pool party ended up with much less dramatics than our last one. I even sat at the edge and put my feet in, which was worth my increased anxiety when I saw how happy the webster looked.

I was currently sitting at the kitchen counter, drinking my coffee and reading the news on my tablet. I smiled proudly when I saw Spiderman had made front page news. Peter had gone out last night, and had apparently participated in a huge drug bust. He'd saved a lot of lives and the police department was very appreciative. That's my spiderboy.

Pepper was off at an SI meeting. She was taking advantage of being out here to take care of business so that when we returned to New York she wouldn't need to take any business trips here for a while. Rhodey was also taking care of business, and was at a military fort talking to new recruits. He took Vision along with him for company and to show off, I think. Happy was in the living room watching a football game and getting way too into it. He'd periodically yell, boo, shout, curse, and sometimes throw things at the TV. It seemed his team wasn't doing that great. Natasha was…well, I wasn't exactly sure where she was or if she was even in the house. I wasn't concerned, though. She'd show up at some point.

Looking up, I smothered a grin at seeing the kid crawling around the ceiling in his costume. He'd shot off his webbing all over, and it literally looked like he had a full-blown spider web across the ceiling. He was currently crawling all over it and looking down at both Happy and I with an unreadable expression, due to the mask. He was playing, and I couldn't help but find it adorable. Here was a kid who just fought off gang members last night like it was nothing, and now he was building himself a spider fort on the ceiling.

"When's Ned coming over?" I asked, smothering a grin when he used a strand of web to lower himself upside-down in front of me.

"That depends," he remarked, "on whether he's taking a commercial plane, or whether somebody who owns their own plane will allow that plane to pick up the aforementioned friend."  
"Huh," I replied with a shrug. "Too bad we don't know anybody like that."

Spiderman continued to stare at me, his arms now crossed. I marveled at how he could just hold himself like that with only his feet sticking to the webbing. From the movement of the mask, I could tell he was raising an eyebrow at me. "Something you want to say, spiderboy?"

" _Spiderman_ ," he corrected automatically before sighing. "Would you mind sending your plane for Ned, please? He'd get here quicker, and it'd be easier to pick him up at the private airport than LAX. Besides, Ned can't really, um," he paused, looking suddenly uncomfortable. "Ned's family can't really afford a plane ticket, and I know it'd be cheaper for you just to buy him a ticket than to send your own plane, but I don't think his family would appreciate that. See, if you send the plane and I'm in it, it'll be like _I'm_ the one doing something for Ned, not you. Um, not sure that makes sense, but that's just the way it is, so can you please send your plane for him?"

I understood somewhat, but my understanding didn't really matter at this moment. If he wanted to take the plane to pick up his friend, then I was fine with that. I had been planning on recommending the same thing to him. I did feel happiness, though, at how he assumed I would have no problems paying for Ned's flight, and that he was comfortable at asking me for my plane. This definitely showed progress in terms of how comfortable he was with me, and how comfortable he felt being a member of my family. Not too long ago, he would've been too shy to ask me for something like this, and he would've balked at me even suggesting paying for this.

"No problem, kiddo. Just let me know what time you want to pick him up, and I'll make the arrangements," I informed him, and even with the mask on, I could tell he was grinning.

"Thanks Tony, you're the best," he responded, and I smirked as I said, "I know."

"Can we have the plane pick him up at 3PM tomorrow?" he asked excitedly, and I nodded my head.

"Do you need me to go along?" I asked back, wondering if Ned's parents would want to meet with me.

"Oh, uh, I don't know," he replied, sounding unsure. "I'll call Ned and ask him." And with those words, he climbed back up his webbing and back into his spider fort to, no doubt, make the phone call.

Natasha suddenly walked into the kitchen looking sweaty, meaning she'd probably been working out. On closer inspection, I noticed the dark rings under her eyes. I frowned internally, keeping my eyes fixated firmly on my tablet. Natasha was not one to be looked at with sympathy. I was upset, though, that she'd clearly had a rough night, and she'd dealt with it by herself.

She opened the fridge, pulled out a cold slice of pizza and then sat herself next to me in one of the bar stools at the counter. Our arms were touching as she reached over and took my coffee, which I took as permission to ask how she was doing. I responded with a raised eyebrow to which she smiled weakly. I put a hesitant arm around her shoulders, allowing her time to pull away or stop me if she wanted. Surprisingly, she actually relaxed at my touch, and lay her head on my shoulder. Neither one of us said anything, not feeling the need to. It had to have been one of the really bad nightmares for her to seek comfort so openly. I was just relieved that she was accepting mine, and that I was able to provide it. The kid had done wonders for me in terms of providing physical affection and comfort.

I absentmindedly rubbed Nat's arm comfortingly as I showed her the article about Peter. She smiled genuinely as she read it before looking up at the ceiling. The smile widened, and I noticed as she seemed to relax even more, her features even softening. Just seeing the spiderling seemed to have worked like a soothing balm for her, just as it did for me.

"His friend Ned is going to be coming tomorrow evening. He'll be here for a week, I think," I informed her, just in case she'd want to leave.

"He's a funny kid," she remarked quietly, and I smiled softly, glad that she was going to stick around.

"You and I are due for a training session," Nat then remarked, and I groaned, which caused her to smirk.

"Don't know why you call them training sessions," I grumbled. "They're more like, beat up Tony sessions."

"Baby," Nat responded, breaking apart from me and standing back up.

I pouted, and she ruffled my hair affectionately before walking down the hallway towards her room.

"Did I hear something about you and Nat training?" Peter asked, suddenly appearing in front of me again.

"Yup, and before you ask, no, you cannot watch," I told him firmly.

"Aww, come on Tony, I could probably learn something from it," he protested, but I could hear the smile in his voice.

"You just want to watch me get beat up," I replied drily, and when he said nothing, I knew I was right.

"You mind coming with me to pick Ned up?" he then asked. "His parents are wary about letting him go so far, and they still don't really, uh, well…they don't…"

"Trust me," I finished, withholding a knowing sigh. This really shouldn't bother me, but it did. I knew what I was like, and I knew what I used to be like. I understood that people only saw the Tony Stark the media portrayed, and it never bothered me, except for when it involved Peter. I didn't like people doubting my ability to take care of him. I understood, yeah, but I was actually embarrassed and a little hurt at the mistrust. I shouldn't be. I knew who I was, but the kid shouldn't have to deal with that.

Peter said nothing, and I could tell he was uncomfortable. He took his mask off and looked at me seriously before saying, "It bothers me when people don't trust you. They don't know you, yet they act like they do, and I'm sorry, Tony. Ned's parents are good people, and they're just being over protective. I'm sure once they talk with you everything will be fine," he assured me, and I had to smile.

"I know, pal," I said, giving him an appreciative smile. "I'm used to it, though, and I understand, so no need to apologize."

"Just because you're used to it and you understand doesn't make it right," he said unhappily, and I found myself touched by the fact that he was upset on my behalf. He was being protective of me. "When we had that meeting at school, and my principal was accusing you of being an alcoholic I almost punched him. He had no right to say those things to you."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise before shaking my head. "I'm glad you didn't punch him. That wouldn't really have helped my case, and they would've just blamed me."

"Oh," he replied sheepishly, "I hadn't thought of that. I just didn't do it because I knew you'd probably spank me."

I snorted in amusement before giving him a nod. "There's no probably about that, kiddo. I would have busted your butt good for that."

Peter's cheeks reddened, and he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment before putting his mask back on and climbing back to his fort. I smirked. He was so easy to embarrass.

I watched the spiderboy crawl around his web, grinning when I saw him sprawl out and begin watching something on his tablet that he'd stuck right to the ceiling. He lifted his mask enough so that he could munch of chips, and I laughed lightly.

My attention was ripped away suddenly when the doorbell rang. I looked at the front door curiously before looking to Happy who was looking at me. Neither of us could think of who would be knocking on our door. I was about to ask Friday who was at the door when Peter decided to check himself. He used a strand of web to lower himself upside down before reaching out and opening the door. I stood up, rolling my eyes. He was going to give whoever was there a heart attack.

Contrary to my beliefs, though, it wasn't the guest who was shocked, but Peter. I heard him whisper, "Holy shit," before he fell onto the floor unceremoniously.

Bruce Banner stared down at him in amused confusion before looking at me. "I see you still have people falling off the ceiling," he remarked, giving me a small smile.

I smiled widely, rushing the man and giving him a tight hug. "Brucie, my science bro!" I cried out ecstatically, twirling him around like a rag doll. I heard him chuckle softly, awkwardly patting my back before I let him down. I looked him over critically, taking in that he'd lost weight and looked like he hadn't been sleeping well lately. His clothes were well worn, and he was in need of a shower.

"Good to see you too, Tony," he greeted, giving me his characteristic shy smile.

"Hey, Bruce, long time no see," Happy greeted, reaching out a hand to shake Bruce's.

"Hi, Happy, glad to see Tony hasn't driven you mad yet," Bruce returned with a small smirk, and Happy laughed.

"Well, he's finally moved passed his terrible twos, and the teenage rebellion has started to settle down," Happy responded, and I frowned at both men.

"Yeah, I'm standing right here," I interjected blandly, and they both grinned at me.

I looked towards Peter now to see him still on the floor, staring up at Bruce. With his mask on, I wasn't sure what his expression was, but I'm sure it was awed.

"Mask off, Spiderman," I told him, holding out a hand to pull him up. He accepted my hand and pulled his mask off, staring at Bruce with wide eyes. I smiled.

"Bruce, meet Peter AKA Spiderman," I introduced before looking at the kid and saying, "Peter meet Bruce AKA The Hulk and your new uncle. Congrats, Bruce!" I stated, looking at Bruce with a cheerful grin. He raised an eyebrow at me in confusion before holding out a hand to Peter.

"Nice to meet you, Peter," he greeted kindly, and while Peter managed to shake his hand, he seemed unable to speak properly.

"N-nice to, uh, meet…yeah," he muttered incoherently. "You're Bruce Banner," he eventually got out, and I rolled my eyes before slapping his back.

"I think he knows that, kiddo," I whispered loudly, and he just nodded his head, seemingly awe-struck.

"Sorry, Bruce, it seems like he's a little star-struck," I informed him. "He's a real big fan of yours, and, well, I'm sure he'll get past this stage soon enough."

Bruce nodded, looking at the kid with a bemused expression. "Spiderman, huh?" he questioned, looking up at the ceiling. "That's some cool work you did up there. Does this stuff come out of you or"—

"He makes it himself," I stated proudly, and Bruce's eyebrows rose in surprise before he nodded.

"Really," he murmured as he looked at the web strand Peter had been hanging on. "You'll have to show me how you do that later," he told Peter, and I didn't think it was possible, but the kid's eyes widened even more.

"Y-y-yes, of course!" he got out, nodding his head up and down. "Yes, sir, I'll show you right now if you want!" he declared, looking ready to charge to my lab.

"Hold it, little spider," I called out, grabbing my charge before he disappeared into my lab. "A couple of things before you go fan crazy with my science bro. One, give the guy a moment to breathe. He just got here and might want to rest. Two, relax. He's a regular guy, and there's no need to be so tense around him. He's almost as cool as me," I told him, and I heard Bruce snort. "Third," I added, my voice now turning stern, "you are _not_ allowed in my lab unsupervised, remember? You go down there without my permission, and you and I will have a conversation you won't enjoy, okay?"

The boy blushed, shoulders hunching in clear embarrassment at my words. I felt bad, but I had to stand firm with him no matter how ecstatic he was about our new arrival. I didn't trust him down there on his own anymore, not after what happened last time.

"Yeah, okay," he mumbled moodily, shooting me a glare, no doubt for having embarrassed him in front of Bruce.

I squeezed his shoulder, smiling as I said, "Wonderful! Now, head back to your spider fort, and I'll make sure Bruce is around later so that you can show off your skills."

He seemed to perk up at that thought for he smiled, looked back at Bruce once, and then climbed back up on the same web he came down.

Looking back towards Bruce and Happy, I noticed Bruce's confused and calculating expression while Happy just looked amused. Happy shook his head before heading back to his game, and Bruce looked back at me and remarked with a raised eyebrow, "I know I've been gone for a while, but I feel like I've missed a lot."

I smirked, wrapping an arm around his shoulders before guiding him into the house. "Bruce, my big hulking friend, there's so much that I've got to tell you; but first, let's get some food in you." It was a testament to how hungry he had to be that he didn't argue against me cooking for him. He just sat himself at the counter, and we chatted amiably before I set his food down. He wolfed it down, giving me a sheepish look when he finished.

"How have things been, Tony, really?" he finally asked, looking at me in concern before his eyes flashed to the kid.

"I'm getting better," I replied honestly, wondering how much he knew about the Sokovian accords and all the drama that had followed. Lowering my voice, I then said, "I adopted Peter back in March when his aunt died. She was his last living relative."

Sympathy shown in his eyes as he once more looked up at my boy.

"Look, Bruce," I spoke in complete seriousness, "there's a lot that's happened since I last saw you, and I don't know how much you know. I'll tell you everything, I swear, but you look wiped out, so I think you should take a shower and get some sleep. Did you bring anything? You know what, doesn't matter. I'll just give you some of my clothes," I stated, making my away around the counter and to Bruce.

He just looked at me, and I stared back, allowing him to assess me as I had done him earlier. Eventually, he nodded and smiled. "Yeah, I am pretty tired," he admitted. "I've been travelling non-stop the past week or so, and uh, yeah, I don't really have anything," he added with a light blush.

"I've got ya, bro," I responded, giving him a clap on the shoulder. "What's mine is yours."

He just shook his head ruefully before I directed him towards a guest bedroom. "I didn't know you were coming, or I would've had it customized for you; but we can do that another time. I'll be by in a couple minutes with some clothes, and we can get you your own clothes tomorrow."

He walked towards his bedroom as I hurried towards mine. I felt downright giddy having Bruce back in the house. I didn't know why he was here or how long he was planning on staying, but it was like another piece of my heart had just walked back into my life. I'd really, really missed this man, and I hoped he was planning on staying. I dimly wondered how Natasha would react to seeing him. I'd known those two had been getting really close before I'd screwed everything up with Ultron. I hoped things wouldn't be awkward. Yikes, I should probably warn Nat.

I walked into my closet and just grabbed a couple sets of clothes before heading out of my room and towards Bruce's. I knocked before opening the door, and saw Bruce just sitting on his bed staring off into space.

"You okay, big guy?" I asked in concern, and he blinked before nodding his head.

"Yeah, Tony, I am," he replied, giving me a grin. "It's really good to see you," he then spoke, and I had to smile at how genuine his words were.

"Well, here are some clothes, and I'll leave you to it," I stated. "You need anything, come on out or ask Friday." He looked confused at the name, and I realized he didn't know her. "She's Jarvis's replacement," I informed him, and he nodded in understanding.

"By the way," I felt the need to say, "you're not the only guest here. Besides the kid and Happy, Pepper, Rhodey, Vision, and Nat are all here." Bruce nodded his head at each name until I got to Natasha's. He seemed to freeze at hearing that, looking extremely conflicted suddenly. I wondered if he was going to bolt, but when he stood up, he just looked through the clothes I brought him before asking with forced casualness, "How's she doing?"

"She's good," I responded. "I'll make sure to let her know you're here, so there's no surprise." He threw me a small look of relief, and I decided to leave him be. When I walked out his room I was unsurprised to see Natasha leaning against the wall. Her arms were crossed, and she looked as conflicted as Bruce. I felt rather lost at what to do. I didn't know everything that had gone on between these two, but clearly something had. I wished Pepper was here to help out with this, as I had no idea what to even say.

"You okay with this?" I decided to just ask, and she frowned minutely before giving me a slow nod. If it'd been a year ago, or even six months ago, I would've let the conversation end there. However, things were different now, and I was tired of losing people. Forcing down my nervousness, I decided to take a single step towards my spider sister. She looked at me warily.

"Don't leave," I told her, putting my hands in my pockets and looking down the hall. "I…I'm tired of losing people, Nat," I admitted in a quiet whisper. "I'll understand if you can't stay, but just don't make it forever." I bit my cheek uncomfortably before turning to walk away. Before I took a step, I added, "We're family, okay? You'll always have a home with me." With those words, I walked away, not having expected any sort of response from her; which, is why I was surprised when only after a couple steps, she called out my name.

"Tony," she said, emotionlessly, and I stood still, not turning to look at her. I heard her walk towards me, and I tensed in surprise when she hugged me from behind.

"I'm not going anywhere," she said before breaking apart and heading back into her room. I smiled as I walked back towards the living room.

It wasn't until late that night that I saw Bruce again. I had woken from a nightmare half an hour before and was just sitting at the bar in the backyard. I had a drink in front of me, but it was still full. I listened to the sounds around me, and enjoyed the cool air on my sweaty skin. The dream had been of the vision Wanda had shown me. Everyone dead because of me. Space. Aliens. My worst fear come alive.

I remembered back to the battle of New York with Loki. I remembered flying that nuke through the wormhole into space. I remembered looking at the biggest warship I'd ever seen full of aliens ready to destroy planet Earth. I remembered the nuke hitting their ship and the explosion. I remembered not being able to breathe and then passing out.

I've always figured that aliens would come back. That had been a warship. It had to have come from somewhere, and there had to be others who would want revenge for what the Avengers had done…or for what I had done. I'd taken the nuke to them. I'd been responsible for destroying the mother ship. I'd seen it all, and I'd been fearing their return ever since.

If not them, then some other alien form would come to fight. Threat was imminent. Wanda had shown me my worst fear in ways that even my own mind couldn't have come up with. And that vision had given me nightmares ever since. Nobody but Fury had any idea of what I'd seen. I should probably talk to someone about this, like Pepper, but I still couldn't bring myself to say it out loud. I still couldn't bring myself to confess what I'd seen and how I'd felt.

I was being hypocritical. I forced Peter to talk about his nightmares because it would help him, but I didn't do the same.

I heard the backdoor slide open, and smiled softly when I saw Bruce walk out with two mugs of hot chocolate. He silently handed one to me before sitting himself down. We both drank from our mugs, savoring the flavor and warmth. When I'd finished my cup, I looked to Bruce and gave him my thanks. He nodded, and I looked at him as best I could in the dim light. He was clean shaven now, and seemed more alert. Good.

"The usual?" Bruce questioned, and I shook my head negatively.

"Worse," I said, and he frowned unhappily as he set down his own empty mug. He didn't ask me to explain, for which I was grateful. It was an unspoken rule amongst us Avengers that we never asked each other about the specifics of our nightmares. If we chose to share, then so be it, but we were never to pry unnecessarily.

"I know about the Sokovian accords," Bruce finally spoke, staring out at my pool. "I read about the battle in Germany." The tension suddenly rose, and I looked to my friend, feeling suddenly nervous.

"You're working together with _General Ross_?" he questioned, and I stiffened at the anger, no, the hatred I heard in his voice. I knew about his history with Ross, yet I hadn't allowed myself to dwell on that fact as I'd only been trying to stave off something worse from happening to us.

"I'm not working for him, I'm working for the UN," I corrected calmly. "Yes, General Ross was involved, but he's an asshole who I'm very close to outing permanently." I wished there was more lighting so that I could better read Bruce's expression. He said nothing, so I decided to keep speaking.

"I know what he did to you," I spoke softly, "and I never wanted to work _with_ him or _for_ him, but I was left with little choice. I either gave in and worked for the UN, or I quit…or, I pulled a Cap and became a fugitive."

Bruce sighed heavily, sinking into his chair more. "What happened, Tony?" he now asked, sounding weary.

I was the one to stare at the pool now as I wondered where to start. This wasn't exactly easy for me to talk about, and I also wondered how much to tell him. Should I get into Siberia or leave that for another time?

"Just tell me what you can," Bruce told me softly, seeming to understand my hesitation. God, I'd missed this man. I missed all the Avengers. In our years together, we seemed to understand each other _so freakin' well_.

"Turn up the lights a little, Friday, will ya," I ordered before starting to speak. I wanted to be able to see Bruce's expression, and I wanted him to be able to see mine.

"Things are a mess," I began quietly, running a hand through my hair. "I did what I felt in my _heart_ was the right thing to do, and I still stand by my decision…however, the way things turned out, well, it shouldn't have happened that way." I looked down at my hands before recounting everything from the disaster in Lagos to the battle in Germany. Bruce remained silent, looking at me with his kind brown eyes. There was no judgment, and that was the only reason I was able to continue speaking. I then recounted how I'd found out Bucky had been set up, how I'd gone to Siberia to help, and how we'd found all the super soldiers dead upon arrival.

Bruce's eyes furrowed in confusion at that part, and my heart pounded as we'd reached the worst part of it all. I was embarrassed to feel tears welling up in my eyes, so I avoided looking at Bruce as I continued speaking. I told him of the video I saw, and then I confessed how I'd tried to kill Bucky, which had ended with me fighting both Buck and Rogers. I fell silent then, leaning forward on the table to rest my head in my hands.

"They're all in Wakanda now with T'Challa," I informed him after a minute of silence. "I'm now in charge of the Avengers," I said with a humorless laugh. "Me. Can you believe it? I was retired, but now I'm all in again. It was just me and Vision at first, and then Nat showed up. I'm still working on getting Rhodey back in the game, but it's taking time. I'm also working with the UN to amend the accords and get rid of Ross. We've nearly succeeded with Ross. Hill is getting all the evidence together and ready to present, and then he'll be out of our lives. The next thing I plan on doing is"—

"Tony, stop," Bruce ordered firmly, leaning forward on the table to get my attention. I looked at him with guilty, desperate eyes.

"You haven't done anything wrong," he declared, looking me straight in the eyes. "You were between a rock and a hard place, and you did what you thought was best, and that's all that anyone can ask." I grimaced as he unintentionally echoed Roger's words.

"I understand why you signed the accords, and I understand why Steve didn't. I think Zemo's revenge came at the worst time imaginable, and that he involved Bucky and then your parent's death…I could never judge you for what you did," he said compassionately.

"Rogers said I'm the reason the Avengers fell apart," I confessed, "and everything I did was so that I could _keep_ us together. Is this my fault, Bruce?" I asked in distress, acknowledging a fear I'd had for the past year.

Bruce remained silent for several moments before answering, "No, you're not, and neither is Steve. Each one of you did what you thought was right, and I can't fault either one of you for what happened. I am angry with Steve for what he said to you, though. He had no right to accuse you of that, and I'm disappointed. A part of me wishes I'd been here, but another part of me is glad I wasn't," he admitted, looking at me with guilty eyes.

"I'm glad you weren't," I said before he could give excuses. "Ross would have arrested you on sight, and I wouldn't have stood for that. No doubt we'd both be fugitives along with Rogers if you'd been here."

"Well, I'm here now, if you'll have me, that is," he remarked, his characteristic shy smile back in place. "I ran away like a coward after the battle with Ultron, and I should've come back sooner. I finally grew tired of allowing my fear to dictate my life, and I honestly missed you guys. If you'll have me, I'm ready to stick around."

My heart warmed, and I couldn't help the grin I gave as I replied, "Like I told Nat earlier, we're family, Bruce, and you'll always have a home with me. I'm so glad you're back."

Bruce seemed relieved and touched by my words, and he returned my grin with one of his own.

"So, Peter," he now prodded curiously, pausing as he didn't really know what to say or ask.

I took in a breath, feeling relieved with the change of subject. Peter was someone I could talk about all day. I began by recounting how I went to Peter to request his help in Germany. I then moved on to the fiasco with Toomes, May finding out he was Spiderman, and how my weekly dinners with him caused us to get to know each other better.

"I don't know how it happened," I remarked with a fond grin, "but as time went on, I just started to care more and more about that kid. I became protective of him, and I sort of started treating him like he was mine, I guess. I didn't really realize what I was doing, but I did know that he looked at me like a father-figure. He's just a kid, and he makes mistakes, so I've had to rein him in every once in a while. Crazy, huh?" I asked him with a wry look. "Who'd have ever thought I could be responsible for another human being, let alone a kid?"

"You judge yourself too harshly," Bruce replied. "It sounds like Peter's extremely lucky to have you, and it sounds like you really love him. Just watching you two earlier today, it certainly seemed like you were father and son. Admittedly, my first thought was that he was some long-lost son of yours," he added with an amused grin, and I just scoffed.

"I love him to death, Bruce," I then spoke with a sigh. "He's _my kid_ now, and I want to do right by him. He's a super hero, and I really wish he wasn't. He's great at it, and he'll be the best of us all," I added honestly, "but it's not the life I would've chosen for him. I don't want him in danger, and I don't want him having to face the horrors we do. He's so damn good and innocent. I mean, just last night he was assisting police with a drug bust, and you saw him when you arrived. He was _playing_ ," I stated with a disbelieving smile.

"You sound like a dad," Bruce assessed, "and I stand by what I said. Peter is lucky to have not just you, but Pepper as well. I'm sure you're both wonderful parents. He clearly loves you, and I know you love him. All parents worry for their kids and have fears about what they do, and yeah, I guess him being a super hero has got to terrify you, but you're doing the right thing."

"I know he won't ever stop," I told him, "and so I'm not going to try and stop him. I set rules for him, though, curfews and most importantly, not to go after any monsters without help. It won't be long, though, before I'll have to up his training, and start to loosen the reins a little. He'll be 18 in two years, and he'll be free to do as he pleases."

"Don't be so sure about that," Bruce remarked. "He'll be 18, but that doesn't exactly make him an adult. I have no doubt, form what little I've seen and heard of him that he'll still be leaning on you."

"I guess so," I agreed with a nod, "but I won't be able to spank him when he does something reckless."

Bruce chuckled lightly before asking, "That's how you punish him?"

"Uh, yeah," I responded somewhat sheepishly. "A little old fashioned, I know, but my mom used to spank me, and it proved effective. I figured if it worked with me, then it'd definitely have to work with him; and so far, it seems to have. I've had to do it a little more than I'd like to have, but he's still a great kid. It's really hard punishing him like that, though. He's got these puppy dog eyes that kill me, and when he starts pleading and crying, I want to about kill myself for being the cause of it. It's awful, Bruce, you have no idea."

"You're right, I don't have any idea," he responded, "but I do know that if you're doing it right, then that's exactly how you're supposed to feel. Who'd have thought, Tony Stark, a dad," he commented with a smile. "I've always known you're a good man, but it looks like that kid has helped you be even better."

I had to nod, acknowledging the truth behind his words. "He makes me want to be better," I admitted. "I don't want him to make my mistakes, so I sometimes come down harder on him that I probably should, but I don't want him to me like me. I want him to be better than me, and I tell him that, but he just doesn't get it. He knows who I am, but he just idolizes me, _still_ , even after all this time." I shook my head bemusedly. "He's one of a kind."

"I'm really happy for you, Tony," Bruce said. "After everything you've been through, you deserve something good in your life."

I smiled before remembering to say, "Oh, and Pepper agreed to marry me."

His eyebrows rose in surprise before he smiled widely. "It's about damn time, Tony."

I grinned widely before shrugging. "I was waiting for the right moment. Not sure when the wedding will be, though, or where, or…honestly, I don't know anything about the wedding. Pepper told me that she would take charge of everything, and that if I even thought of putting my own input, I'd be spending our first month as husband and wife sleeping on the couch."

Bruce laughed loudly. "She's got a point. Who knows what crazy things you'd try to do."

"I'm not that bad," I grumbled good naturedly.

Bruce just gave me a disbelieving look to which I rolled my eyes.

"So, Peter seemed a little star struck with me," he now stated. "You haven't been telling embellished stories about me to him, have you?"

"Truthfully, I haven't talked to him about you at all," I confessed sheepishly. "With everything that happened, I've kind of avoided talking about any of the other Avengers."

I saw Bruce's eyes turned sad, but he didn't say anything, just giving me an understanding look.

"He'll get over it eventually as he gets to know you more, and then you'll really get to know him," I informed him knowingly. "It took him a while before he felt comfortable being with me, and since you're much easier to get along with than I am, it shouldn't be too long."

"True, I am easy to get along with," he agreed with a smirk. I smiled, glad to see the Bruce I remembered coming out of whatever shell he'd been in.

I got the urge to ask what he'd been up to, but felt he'd tell me when he felt comfortable enough. He'd only just gotten here, so there was no need to force any more serious conversations, at least not tonight.

A sudden thought occurred to me, and I asked, "How did you know I was here in California?"

"I didn't, at least not at first," he answered. "I actually got in contact with Pepper first to see if I'd be welcomed, and she let me know where you guys were."

"You really didn't think I'd welcome you with open arms?" I questioned disbelievingly. "You're such a dork."

"How does that make me a dork?" he asked back, and I just shrugged.

"Takes one to know one," he then stated, and I had to laugh at the childish comeback.

The backdoor slid open for the second time, and I looked over to see Peter sticking his head out timidly. One look at his face and I knew he'd had a nightmare. My heart went out to him.

"Hey, little spider," I greeted warmly, and he looked between me and Bruce nervously.

"Tony, I, um…never mind, you're busy," he muttered tearfully, and I immediately stood up and went to him.

"Hey now, hey now," I called out, grabbing stopping him from closing the door. "I'm never too busy for you, okay?"

He looked up at me with tired, red-rimmed eyes, and nodded his head, shooting Bruce a nervous look. Bruce responded with a kind smile, standing up and grabbing our mugs. We all walked inside, and I wrapped an arm around the kid's shoulder. As Bruce busied himself with washing our dirty dishes, the teen turned and wrapped his arms around me tightly. I automatically returned the hug, one hand around his back while the other one cupped his head. I felt his tears soaking my shirt, and I just tightened my hold on him as I began to whisper comforting words.

"You want some hot chocolate?" I asked, and he just shook his head negatively. Bruce threw me a sympathetic look before signifying that he was going to leave us. I nodded my head before then asking Peter if he wanted to sleep in my room.

"I'm too old for that," he responded tearfully, and I took that to mean that he wanted to, but he felt he shouldn't. I wondered if I should push the issue, before deciding to just guide him back to his room. I was guiding him to his bed when he latched onto my shirt and shook his head rapidly, more tears coming out.

"P-please don't g-g-go," he cried, and I immediately went to reassure me.

"I'm not going anywhere, pal," I stated. "I'm spending the night in your room tonight."

"But I'm too old for that," he cried sadly, which broke my heart.

"You're never too old to be comforted," I stated firmly, "and let me tell you something. I _want_ to have a sleepover. _I_ had a bad nightmare tonight, so _I_ need a little comfort tonight. You willing to let me spend the night here?"

Peter broke away and looked at me in shock. "Y-you had a nightmare?" he asked in surprise, and I gave him a serious nod. "I did," I answered.

He paused momentarily before nodding and saying, "Well, if you need to sleep in my bed, you can."

I grinned, kissing the top of his head before lightly pushing him towards his bed. "Move over, spiderling, you're hogging the bed," I said, and he did so happily.

"You comfortable?" he asked, and I stifled a laugh as I told him I was.

"Okay, wake me up if you have another nightmare," he then told me in concern, and I fought hard to keep myself from laughing out loud as he echoed words I'd said to him several times before.

Instead, I just smiled at him before saying the same to him. I then ruffled his hair before telling him to go to sleep. I was suddenly feeling exhausted, but knowing that the kid still needed my comfort, I reached out a hand to run it through his hair. I waited until he fell asleep before letting myself fall asleep.

 **A/N: As always, I am really, really loving your reviews! They are the highlight of my day, just as my story seems to be the highlight of many of your guys' day. Please keep it up!**

 **Update: I'm currently working on chapter 25! Hoping to finish it tomorrow.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Update 3/29/2019: I have changed the ending of this chapter back to its original version. Thank you to all of you reviewers who encouraged me to not listen to the negative reviews.**

 **Chapter 22: Let's go for a Drive**

 **Peter's POV:**

It'd been a week since Bruce had arrived, and nearly as long since Ned had arrived, and I'd been having the time of my life. Tony had gone with me to pick Ned up, and after conversing with his parents I was glad to see them relax. They even agreed to let Ned spend two whole weeks with us, which overjoyed the both of us. I was worried for a sec that Tony wouldn't be happy with that, but he'd taken it in stride, saying having Ned over was no trouble at all.

On the plane trip back to California, I was glad to see Ned start to lose his nervousness around Tony. He gushed about never having been on a plane, like I had with Happy a year ago. I told him about how cool Tony's house was, and how amazing the pool was, and we started making plans on what we were going to do. Tony had joined in on our conversation, and I was happy when Ned didn't immediately shut down. He'd actually even joked around with Tony. He still fluctuated back and forth between calling him Mr. Stark and Tony, but I remembered being in that phase, and knew it would pass. I was just ecstatic that they were both getting along well.

Now, while he was growing comfortable with Tony, both Ned and I still hadn't overcome our awe of Bruce Banner. We called him Dr. Banner, despite his insistence that we call him Bruce. We were still fanboying over him, so it was difficult to separate the man from the hero we idolized. Tony, of course seemed to get a kick out of us stuttering and making fools of ourselves, and it'd led to endless teasing, at least until Pepper or Natasha got involved. He tended to save his teasing now for when they weren't around.

Ned and I had spent most our days in the backyard swimming and just hanging out. I'd driven us both to the beach a couple times, and we'd both had a blast building sand castles and trying to teach ourselves how to boogey board. The beach trips were always just us, which I found somewhat upsetting as I wished Tony and Pepper, at least could come with us.

Having a license allowed us some freedom, and we'd spent lots of time also driving around the city, going to movies, bowling, and checking out different arcades. An advantage to being the son of Tony Stark was that money wasn't an issue. I still felt guilty about accepting his money, but a talk several months ago with Pepper let me know that accepting Tony's money would make him happy.

At home when we weren't swimming, we played video games, built Legos, watched movies, and just chatted with the others. Yesterday had been a highlight for us when Tony had allowed us to go down into his lab with him. It was the first time I'd seen this lab, and I marveled at how awesome it looked. There were certainly more personal touches here, and my eyes widened even more when I saw his cars. Ned and I had immediately rushed over to them, checking them out before I asked Tony to let me drive one.

"Uh, no," he replied as he rummaged around one of his cluttered desks.

"Come on, Tony," Ned pleaded. "Peter and I both have our licenses, and we'd take really good care of your car, we swear!"

"Yeah, you know you can trust us," I added. "I haven't crashed the car you've let us drive around."

Tony looked at us in amusement before shaking his head. "Not happening, kiddos," he said more firmly. "Those cars are off limits to everybody except me and me alone. Besides, most of those are stick shift, and I know at least you Peter don't know how to drive standard."

I frowned in disappointment, knowing he was right.

"I know how to drive standard," Ned spoke up, and my eyes lit up as I looked back towards Tony.

He sighed now before fixing us both with his dad look. "No means no. Now, are you going to continue pleading, or do you want to help come with some upgrades for the spider suit."

Our disappointment was quickly washed away as we surrounded him, both throwing out ideas to him for the suit. Bruce strolled on in at this point, curious as to what was going on.

Forgetting my nerves, I excitedly told him we were coming up with upgrades for our suit. He looked interested, so he came over to listen in on our ideas.

"Could you make it so that my voice is masked, but still sounds real," I first asked. "I don't want people recognizing my voice or being able to tell how young I am; and I really don't want the same voice that interrogation mode gave me. That was ridiculous and embarrassing the one time I used it." Tony smirked while pressing for the story, but I adamantly refused to tell him. He then agreed to look into it.

"Is there a way of making the material tougher so bullets can't hurt him," Ned suggested, and I looked at him in surprise, noting his concern. Tony frowned while Bruce examined the material of my suit. "Making it bullet proof would slow him down and reduce his flexibility," Tony remarked unhappily. "His best bet is to just avoid being hit by bullets."

Now, while our first ideas were legitimate and doable, as time went on, our ideas became more and more ludicrous.

"What if I could fly," I wondered with a grin, and Ned nodded before saying, "And what if you could shoot out venom like a real spider."

"Or, what if I had like x-ray vision or heat sensors," I stated excitedly, and Ned grinned.

"What about adding repulsors like Iron Man has so that you can blast things," he suggested, and I nodded my head.

"Yeah, I thought about that already, but never asked," I responded, and we now both turned to look at Tony and Bruce with expectant looks. They both looked at us in amusement before Tony just rolled his eyes.

"I'll work on voice changer," he commented with a light laugh. "Why don't you show Bruce your webbing, spiderling," he suggested, and I vibrated with energy as I went and got my webbing.

Bruce seemed genuinely interested in how I made them, and what I could do with it.

"This is amazing, Peter, and you figured this out on our own?" he asked, and I proudly nodded my head.

"You sure he's not your biological kid, Tony?" Bruce asked with a teasing look, and Tony just laughed.

"Nope, that genius is all his," he replied, and I was warmed at the pride I heard in his tone.

Bruce then asked me to show him what I could do with my webs, and Tony quickly ordered me outside if I was going to do that. Blushing as I knew he was remembering what Ned and I did, I agreed without protest. Ned followed along happily and I showed Bruce the different things I could do, including informing him of all the types of webs I could do with Tony's help.

"It's incredibly light, but the tensile strength is amazing," he remarked, holding some webbing in his hand.

He then started to ask me what else I could do with my abilities, and I demonstrated a little. I informed him of how I'd become Spiderman, and he just looked at me in surprise.

"Would it be okay with you if I took a DNA sample?" he asked after my explanation. "I'm curious as to what the spider bite did to you."

"Yeah, sure," I responded, curious myself as to what my DNA must be like.

We went back down to the lab, and Bruce informed Tony of what he was going to do. He then paused, giving Tony a sheepish look before asking if he was okay with my DNA being studied.

"It's fine, Bruce," he responded, "I'm actually interested in that as well."

Bruce took a cheek swab, and said he'd let me know what he found out. Tony shooed us out afterwards, and I pouted, wanting to have spent more time with them.

"I wonder if they'll find anything weird in your DNA," Ned commented, and I just shrugged. "Like what if you're part spider now?"

"I think that ship sailed already, Ned," I responded wryly. "I mean, I _am_ Spiderman."

"Will you be bothered if your DNA is different?" he then asked, and I thought about it for a moment before shaking my head.

"No, not really," I answered honestly. "It doesn't change who I am right now. I mean, I'm still me, right?"

"Yeah, totally," he replied with a smile. We walked into my room, Ned throwing himself onto the second bed that had been moved in here for his stay. I jumped onto mine and we began to talk about all the cool things we'd seen in Tony's lab.

"But man, those cars are gorgeous," he gushed, and I nodded in agreement.

"You think he'd notice if we drove one while he was gone," Ned remarked casually, and I froze before giving him a look of shock. Usually _I_ was the one with the crazy ideas. Ned looked at me with a growing smile that I mimicked.

"Not if we clean it up and put it right back where it was," I responded, excitement building inside of me.

"You sure you can drive standard?" I pressed, and he nodded his head.

"Yeah, my dad wanted me to learn standard and automatic," he explained, and my grinned widened.

"Well, Tony, Pepper, Bruce and Nat are going out tonight to some gala or something," I recalled. "Rhodes is gone, Happy's having a Downtown Abbey marathon, and he's roped Vision into watching with him. We'll sneak into the lab and take off for a little bit."

"I saw the code Tony put in," Ned stated, and I looked at him with new eyes. Who'd known my friend could be so devious.

"So did I," I replied, and we both spent the rest of the afternoon planning what we were going to do. When it came down for Tony and the others to head out, he informed us that pizza had been ordered, and that they'd be home really late.

"Happy and Vision are here if you need anything, and of course, you're always welcome to call," he informed us, and I barely resisted rolling my eyes.

"Quit being a mother hen, Tony, and just go," I insisted. "We're sixteen, not six."

Tony just grinned, and would've no doubt responded with a teasing remark if Pepper hadn't stepped in and said goodbye.

"Behave!" was the last thing I heard from Tony, and while I knew he said it more in jest, I did feel a tiny bit of guilt that we were planning on doing the exact opposite.

When the pizza arrived, we both ate a good share before letting Happy know we'd be going out to a movie.

"Did Tony or Pepper say you're allowed to go out tonight?" he questioned, and I resisted narrowing my eyes as I shot back, "They didn't say we couldn't; and it's not like it's the first time we've gone out at night."

Happy seemed to think before nodding his head and telling us to be careful. "Make sure you're home by 10PM, you got it?"

"Got it," Ned and I both chimed before walking away. We quietly snuck down to Tony's lab, used his code to get in, and then looked at the five cars available to us.

"Which one?" I asked Ned, and he looked at each before pointing at a blue and black Bugatti Chiron. Honestly, I wasn't one that would know cars on sight, but Ned and Tony both were, so I'd learned a little from them. It was certainly a gorgeous car, and I was stoked.

We approached the car, opened it, and sat inside. The key was in the glove box, and I handed it over to Ned. We looked around the car's interior in awe, never having been in such a fancy car.

"This has got to be one of the fastest cars in the world," Ned explained to me, sounding out of breath from sheer excitement. He turned it on, and we both whistled at the purr it gave off. He put it in to drive and then slowly began to drive the car towards the exit. The door, thankfully opened automatically, and we continued to drive slowly until we were out on the main street.

"How fast does this car go?" I questioned curiously, and Ned grinned widely as he answered, "261 mph".

"Holy shit," I breathed in shock before motioning for Ned to drive. The area around Tony's house wasn't occupied, and there was a lot of road for us to test out what the car could do. Ned drove for half an hour, pushing the car up to 110, but refusing to go faster. Adrenaline coursing through me, I told him to pull over and switch spots with me.

Getting into the driver's seat I had him coach me through using stick. It was awkward but didn't take me long to get the hang of it. I slowly began to push the car faster and faster, and when I reached 150mph, my heart pounded as Ned suggested I slow down.

I considered it, before deciding to push the car even faster. I doubted we'd get another chance like this, and I wanted to make the most of it. Accelerating, I marveled at how quickly the car reached 200mph. With my enhanced eyesight, I was able to take everything in as we drove, but Ned said all he saw was blurs.

"Peter, slow down man, I really don't want to crash," he stated, sounding extremely nervous.

"We won't crash," I assured him, confident in my reflexes.

"You might walk away from a car crash, dude, but I won't," he shouted, and realizing that he was looking scared now, I began to slow down. I was nearing 120mph when sirens sounded, and I saw the red and blue lights of cops in my rear-view mirror.

"Oh no," Ned gasped. "Oh no, oh no, oh no," he muttered over and over, and I couldn't help but agree.

"Should I stop?" I asked, and Ned responded, "What else are you going to do, out drive him?"

I raised panicked eyebrows at him, and he paused before beginning to shake his head. "No, we can't," he stated firmly. "Peter, we're already going to be in enough trouble. If this turns into a car chase, I don't want to imagine what Tony will do to us."

At hearing Tony's name, and realizing that he was going to find out about this, my heart sank as I took Ned's advice and eventually pulled over. Groaning, I set my head on the steering wheel before putting down the window when the cop approached.

He shined his flashlight in on us, glaring before questioning, "Do you boys have any idea how fast you were going?"

I swallowed nervously before answering, "Uh, yes, sir."

The officer just stared, probably surprised by the response before saying, "I clocked you at 130mph, and not too long before that, another patrol clocked you at 200mph. What the hell are you doing driving like that? Have you been drinking? Is this even your car?" he questioned rapidly, and I didn't have time to respond before he then asked for my license and registration.

I shakily handed over my license while searching the car for registration. Thankfully, it was in the glove box, and I handed it over. The officer's eyebrows rose in surprise when he saw the registration.

"This car belongs to Tony Stark," he announced, as if we didn't know that.

"I know, he leant it to me," I answered, my heart hammering in my chest. Beside me, Ned look petrified, and I wished he'd stop looking so guilty. Realizing that this guy was thinking that we'd stolen this car, I suddenly wished I'd tacked on the Stark to my last name when I'd gotten my license.

"Tony Stark leant you this car?" the officer questioned skeptically, looking back at the registration. "Somehow, I find that hard to believe. Step out of the car boys, and keep your hands where I can see them," he then ordered, and I heard Ned groan loudly as we did as we were told. He had us both face the car, our arms wrapped around the back of our head. He spoke into his radio, letting somebody know that he'd caught two teens driving like maniacs, and that he figured we'd stolen Tony Stark's car. I resisted banging my head onto the car, cursing my rotten luck.

"What're we going to do, Peter?" Ned questioned fearfully. "They're going to _arrest_ us. Can't you just call Tony?"

That was honestly the last thing I wanted to do, but the thought of Tony having to bail me out of jail _again_ convinced me to bite the bullet.

"Sir," I called out hesitantly, "if you'd just let me make a phone call, please, I can prove that Tony Stark really did lend me the car. I'm his adopted son, you see, and I know that sounds crazy, but it's true, I swear."

"Who do you think you're going to call?" the man asked, and I could hear amusement and disbelief in his tone.

"Tony Stark," I answered. "Look, you can use my phone and call him yourself if you want, but I promise I'm telling you the truth."

"Look, Mr. Parker," the officer now said, "I don't know what your story is, but I think it's time we all take a little ride to the station. You can then explain how you came to be in possession of Mr. Stark's car."

I sighed exasperatedly, hating how this seemed to happen to me every time I admitted to knowing Tony. Was it really that unbelievable?

Well, yeah, I guess it was. I remembered how I felt I'd been living in a dream the first time I'd met Tony, and even the first time he'd come over to have dinner with Aunt May and me.

Catching Ned shaking his head at me, I kept from making a scene, and just allowed the cop to cuff us both and drive us away from Tony's car. I noticed another patrol car show up as we left, and assumed they were there to babysit the car. We arrived at the busy police station, and the officer led us towards a bench. Exchanging a worried look with Ned, I knew both our minds were going back to the last time we'd been arrested.

Another cop approached us now, this one looking scarier than the other. He stopped in front of us and just stared at us with narrowed, displeased eyes. Looking at his name tag, I saw his last name was Braxton.

"Where'd you get the car, gentlemen?" he asked, crossing his arms to come off more intimidating. It worked with Ned, but I'd been faced with worse, so I just answered that we didn't steal it.

"So, what you're telling me is that you two are friends with Tony Stark, such good friends, that he lent you his car to race around with?" Braxton asked, and I have to admit, when he said it, it did sound ridiculously unbelievable.

"I'm not his friend, I'm his adopted son," I corrected, and the man pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alright, give me your parent's contact information, and let's see what they think about this."

I gave him Tony's number, and let him know that Ned was spending the summer with me, and his parents lived in New York. Braxton sighed heavily before walking away to call my number. I wished I could have witnessed the call, finding some amusement in people's reactions to talking and/or coming face to face with Tony.

It was twenty minutes before Braxton walked back, and from his slightly stunned expression, I knew he'd gotten through.

"Seems you weren't lying completely," he remarked when was back in front of us.

"I didn't lie at all," I snapped heatedly, and he just raised an eyebrow.

"That's not what Mr. Stark said. He informed me that he hadn't lent you that car, and that he had no idea what you were up to," he informed me, and I shifted uncomfortably as what he'd said was true. Braxton smirked, before then saying, "Thankfully, it seems your guardian isn't going to press charges. He's on his way here now, and I've gotta say, he didn't seem very happy."

I sunk in my seat, anxiety flowing through me as I looked down at the floor.

"Let's get these cuffs off you," Braxton then spoke, and I shifted, allowing him to uncuff me. He uncuffed Ned next, and then walked away.

"What do you think he's going to do to me?" Ned asked, and I grimaced at the fear in his voice. He had barely started to relax around Tony, and now he was back to being petrified. Admittedly, so was I. Unlike Ned, though, I knew exactly what Tony was going to do to me. My stomach filled with butterflies as I knew I'd more than likely be sleeping with a sore backside tonight.

"He'll probably send you home," I answered, "y'know, like after we destroyed his lab."

"Oh," he mumbled with a single nod before he let out a groan. "Crap. He's going to tell my parents, and they're going to kill me. Why are we so stupid, Peter?"

I just shook my head, having no answer for him. I had no idea why we'd ever thought taking Tony's car was a good idea, and I had no idea why I ever thought he wouldn't find out. He seemed to _always_ find out. Downside, I guess of having a genius superhero for a dad.

A half hour went by as we wallowed in our misery before Tony showed up, Pepper at his side. Both were still all dressed up, and I felt another stab of guilt that I'd ruined their night out, especially since they didn't do it often. In fact, I couldn't remember the last time those two had gone out for fun.

Braxton walked over to them, shook both their hands and then spoke to them. He was no doubt informing them of what we'd done. Both were frowning in disappointment, and Tony looked angry. I heard a whimper escape from Ned, and I wished I could sink into the floor when Braxton gestured over to us. I looked down immediately, not wanting to lock eyes with either one of them. I heard the sound of heels on the floor before seeing Pepper standing in front of us. I refused to look up even though I could feel her eyes boring a hole into my head. A glance to my left revealed that Ned couldn't manage eye contact either.

"Time to go, boys," she simply stated before turning around and walking away, clearly expecting us to follow. I got up on shaky legs, trailing after my adoptive mother. Ned followed behind me, and I had a feeling he was using me as a shield between him and my parents, or more specifically, Tony.

As we neared Tony, I made the mistake of looking up and seeing both anger and disappointment in his eyes. He turned away before I could avert my eyes, and he shook the officer's hand before grabbing some papers Braxton had given him. He then marched out of the station with brisk steps. Pepper motioned for us to walk ahead of her, which we reluctantly did. When we reached the car we both silently got into the back. I could feel Ned trembling next to me, and I attempted to give him a comforting expression. He just shot me an apologetic look, and I realized he was blaming himself for this mess.

The drive home was heavy with silence. Tony refused to look at or even acknowledge us while Pepper periodically glanced back at us before looking at Tony. She eventually placed a hand on his leg, and I noticed how some of his tensed muscles seemed to relax.

Please keep calming him, Pepper, I couldn't help but think desperately. Right now, he looked ready to whip me into the next century, so I was hoping she'd work her magic and convince him to show some mercy.

We arrived home, and when we walked inside I was greeted with the disappointed eyes of the rest of my adoptive family. Natasha's eyes were narrowed, Happy was glaring, Bruce was frowning, and Vision's face showed disapproval. I bit my lip, hunching down in order to make myself look smaller. I'd never thought that our stupid car ride would cause so much displeasure.

"We're sorry," Ned spoke up bravely, and I mentally applauded his guts.

Tony scoffed loudly, his hands on his hips, but his back turned on us. I could she him shaking his head before he then pointed to his right and said, "Go to your room and don't come out until you're called to breakfast tomorrow."

Ned and I exchanged nervous looks, before deciding the best course of action was obedience. We rushed to my bedroom and looked at each other with wide eyes once the door was closed.

"He's going to kill us," Ned exclaimed in a whisper, and I wanted to say he was wrong, but I couldn't help but agree.

I gripped my hair in frustration, angry with myself for once more pulling some stupid stunt that got not just me but Ned in trouble as well.

"God, I'm so sorry, Peter," Ned told me, and I looked at him in surprise. "This was my idea, and I was the one that originally drove the car."

"We're both responsible, Ned," I replied firmly. "If I hadn't agreed, this never would've happened. Besides, I was thinking the same thing as you before you mentioned it."

"What do you think he's going to do?" Ned whispered anxiously, and I sat on my bed, wondering what to say. I mean, I was fairly certain I knew at least one part of my punishment; but I honestly had no idea what he would do to Ned. Would he send him home, or would he punish him the same as me?

"I don't know," I finally settled with, lying flat on my bed and staring up at my ceiling.

"Mr. Parker and Mr. Leeds," Friday suddenly spoke, "Mr. Stark would like to me to inform you that it is time for bed, and that you had both better be sleeping within the next thirty minutes."

I sucked in a breath, looking over at Ned before we both rushed to get ready for bed. Within ten minutes we were both under our covers, hoping that even with our nerves we'd be able to fall asleep; or, that Tony would consider being in bed and trying to sleep as sufficient.

The half hour passed, and when Tony didn't appear I relaxed. However, I wasn't able to relax enough to sleep. I tossed and turned all night, and I could hear Ned doing the same. I tried to sleep, but anxiety over what morning would bring made it impossible. Finally, at around 2AM, I gave up and sat up tiredly. Hearing a loud sniff, I looked over at Ned to see him trying to stem his tears. Feeling like a horrible friend, I quickly went over to his bed and attempted to comfort him.

"Hey, Ned, it'll be okay," I tried to assure him. "Look, I've been in trouble with Tony loads of times now, and for worse things than this, and he's always forgiven me. He likes you a lot, and he'll forgive you too for this."

"You don't know that," Ned said tearfully. "What if he says we can't be friends anymore?"

I froze, not having even thought of that. Tony wouldn't do that, would he? He could be strict, but he knew how much Ned meant to me. I mean, he and I were practically brothers!

"He won't," I told him firmly. "He knows how much our friendship means to me, so he'd never do something like that."

Ned wiped at his eyes, nodding his head; although, I wasn't sure if he really believed me or not. We both sat on his bed in silence for several minutes, both wondering what the day would bring. A firm knock sounded on my door, and we jumped, looking at each other with startled eyes. The door opened, my light turned on, and I saw Tony looking at us both with crossed arms. He was in sweats and a tank top, and his hair was ruffled, which meant he'd been woken up.

 **Tony's POV:**

Friday had woken me up not too long ago to inform me that Ned was crying. I'd sat there, unsure of what to do. Ned wasn't Peter, and while I was fond of Ned, I didn't exactly feel that comfortable going over and providing him comfort. I also felt that he'd probably not be too thrilled to see me. I'd seen how petrified he'd been of me last night, and while at the time I'd felt satisfied with that, now was different. I didn't want the kid so scared of me he was reduced to tears.

Friday let me know that Peter was comforting his friend, and I let out a sigh of relief.

"Have they slept at all?" I asked her, and was unsurprised when she responded with a, no. They were both probably freaking out about what I was going to do to them in the morning. I rubbed my hands over my face, wondering what to do. They probably wouldn't sleep the rest of the night, and now I wouldn't either.

I should just put them out of their misery, I thought suddenly, nerves hitting me as I got myself out of bed. I'd already determined that I'd be spanking Peter, but wasn't so sure about Ned. He wasn't mine, but I wasn't sure just sending him home would be fair to Peter. I could inform Ned's parents, but I wondered the affect another arrest would have on their view of Peter. I eventually settled with outright asking Ned what he wanted. If he didn't want to be sent home and have his parents informed, then I'd spank him as well.

A new wave of nerves coursed through me at the thought. Ned and mine's relationship was better than it had been. He was finally calling me, Tony, and he seemed to have overcome his fan boy stage; but I wasn't sure I was ready to take on a disciplinarian role with him. I'd struggled enough with Peter, and I'd felt a kinship with that kid from the start. While I cared about Ned, I wasn't his father, and I didn't feel comfortable with the thought of punishing him.

Arriving at the boy's room, I knocked firmly before opening the door. The lights came on automatically, and I crossed my arms as I stared at the two wide-eyed teenagers sitting on Ned's bed. They both looked petrified, and I was glad I decided to just get this over with. Who knows what would've happened if I'd left them to their own devices until morning.

"I thought I told you to go to sleep hours ago," I stated, wondering how they would respond.

"We couldn't sleep," Peter answered in a small, guilty voice. "We're kind of really nervous about what you're going to do to us."

I didn't quite like the wording of his sentence, but I was glad he was being honest. Letting out a sigh, I closed the door and walked towards the two troublemakers, leaning against Peter's bed. They both fixed their gazes down, and I took in a deep, calming breath.

"Seeing as none of us are going to sleep until we get through this, let's just deal with things now," I began. "Explain what was going through your idiotic minds tonight."

They exchanged looks, Peter frowning at Ned who rapidly stated, "It was my idea, and I'm really, really sorry Mr. Stark."

My eyebrows rose in surprise, not having expected that. It was usually my little spider who came up with these boneheaded decisions.

"It was both our faults," Peter amended. "I was all for it." I was pleased to see Peter come to his friend's defense.

"How'd you get into my lab?" I then asked, and both boys shot me guilty looks before Peter said, "We, uh, memorized the code you entered to get in earlier today."

I blinked, not having expected that. Normally, Friday would have informed me if something like this occurred, but she clearly hadn't felt Peter was a danger and so she hadn't said anything to me. I suddenly wished Friday had a body so I could shake some sense into her. When was she going to realize that just because she really liked Peter, it didn't mean she could keep his antics a secret from me. She should've contacted me when he'd entered my lab, and definitely when he'd left in one of my cars.

"So, you two decided to sneak into my lab, which you know you're banned from, and take one of my cars for a joy ride?" I asked rhetorically. "I recall specifically telling you multiple times that you were not allowed to drive any of those cars, but clearly my words were ignored."

There was guilty squirming as they continually exchanged glances with each other while avoiding my eyes.

"While you were caught behind the wheel, Pete, I know you didn't know how to drive standard," I remarked, looking at Ned as I continued, "so I can only assume it was Ned here who took the car out first before showing you how to drive."

Ned blushed, throwing me an apologetic look as he nodded his head. At least they were both repentant and honest. They were both good kids, but damn, they seemed to get in way more trouble than I ever anticipated.

"The officer informed me of the speeds you were driving at," I then said, "and I can't believe you would endanger your lives so recklessly, or that you, Peter, would endanger Ned's life like that." Peter stared at me with sorrowful eyes that tugged at my heart strings, but I continued speaking. "You may have walked away from a car accident, but Ned wouldn't. I don't care how great you think your reflexes are, because accidents can happen in the blink of an eye. With the speed you were going, if you'd collided with another car, you probably would've killed anyone in that other car."

Both kids paled, looking taken aback by my words. Shaking my head, I was unsurprised that they hadn't thought of such consequences.

"I'm really disappointed in the both of you," I said sternly, and both their expressions fell. I knew the effect my words had, knowing that neither one of them wanted to disappoint me. I still couldn't fathom why my opinion meant so much to them, but I would use it to my advantage right now.

"We're so sorry, Tony," Peter stated, always ready to apologize for his wrong-doings.

"Of course you are," I replied sharply, "you're _always_ sorry after the fact. But being sorry doesn't change what happened, or what could have happened. Your driver's license has been suspended, by the way," I informed Peter, and while clearly upset, he didn't seem surprised. "And I'm going to make you work to pay off the fines I covered for you, and it's not going to be enjoyable work."

Peter groaned but refrained from arguing. I knew that'd come later. Right now, he was more worried about what was coming next to worry about a little work.

"You know I'm going to spank you," I stated rather than asked, and my pale spiderling nodded dejectedly.

I looked at Ned now, and he stared at me with fearful eyes. "I'm giving you two choices, Ned," I said seriously. "Choice number one is that I send you home and inform your parents of what happened." Ned looked sick at the thought. "Choice number two is that I give you the same punishment as Peter." Ned looked sick at this thought too, and I remained quiet, giving him time to think over his options. Peter looked at him with curiosity before giving me a nervous look. I simply raised an eyebrow at him, which caused him to look down at his lap again.

"I-I'll, um…I…option two," Ned eventually managed to say in a whisper, and while I gave him a single nod, inwardly I was a bundle of nerves. It only seemed fair to punish both boys the same, but it didn't make it easy. I hated punishing Peter, and I knew I'd hate it just as much with Ned.

Already having prepared for this outcome, though, I turned towards my spiderling and told him to stick his nose in a corner. He turned beet red, looking at me in disbelief as he asked, "You're going to punish us right now, _together_ , in this room?"

"Yup, now move along," I ordered, fixing him with a hard stare. He looked completely embarrassed, but thankfully, he followed my order without further complaint or argument. Looking to Ned now, I saw that he too was red-faced from embarrassment. I wasn't doing it this way to humiliate them, but more to let them see what their actions did to not only themselves but to each other. I had no doubt that by the time I was finished with them, the embarrassment would be long gone.

Sitting myself on Peter's bed, I knew I'd have to talk with Ned before I could commence with the punishment. He seemed petrified as he looked at me with wary eyes. I thought over my words carefully before speaking.

"Listen Ned, I know it's hard, but I need you to stop looking at me as Mr. Stark or Iron Man. To you, I'm just Tony, your best friend's dad," I declared, feeling odd at having called myself Peter's dad. I mean, I knew I was, but it was a word that still felt unfamiliar and foreign.

"I'm not going to kill you," I continued. "It's a spanking and it'll hurt, but you'll survive. I know you're nervous, but know that I'm only doing this because I care. I wouldn't have given you this option if I didn't. If, however, at any point you just feel too overwhelmed or scared, let me know and I'll stop," I felt the need to add. Ned blinked at me in shock, and I was pleased to notice that he looked calmer than he had only minutes before.

"O-okay," he whispered, taking in a huge breath of air before standing up. He gave me an awkward yet expectant look, and I realized he was ready to get this over with. I couldn't help but give the teen a proud look. He had guts.

My heart pounded as I told pulled the nervous kid over my lap. I hesitated briefly before pulling down just his sleep pants. Not being my kid, I didn't feel right baring his backside as I'd do with Peter. I would've left his sleep pants up if it wasn't for the fact that I wanted to make sure I didn't punish him too harshly. This was my first time spanking with my bare hand.

God, this was awful. Why couldn't these kids just behave?

Ned let out a whimper, and I pushed all doubt out of my mind. I raised my hand and began bringing it down on the teen's vulnerable backside. He reacted just as Peter did when being punished which gave me increased confidence that I was doing this correctly. Ned began to yelp with each swat, wriggling and crying after a few well-placed smacks to his sit spots. I settled into a pattern leaving no part of the boy's backside untouched. He began to sob and apologize now, promising to never take anything from me without permission again. I believed him, but a lesson still needed to be taught, so, ignoring the increased volume of his sobs and pleads to stop I continued to bring my hand down hard. When all he could do was sob, I felt the lesson had been learned. I quickly lifted up his boxers so I could see the damage I'd caused. Seeing nothing more than a red backside, I pulled the boy's sleep pants up and helped set him on his feet.

Unlike Peter who immediately sought out my comfort, all Ned did was stand there, sobbing his little heart out. I felt completely out of my element now. What was I supposed to do? How was I supposed to comfort him? Ned wiped at his face furiously, trying to stem his tears, but unable to succeed. He seemed to sense my discomfort for he took a step away from me, murmuring over and over how he was sorry.

Screw my stupid insecurities and touch issues, I thought, unable to stand seeing Ned so distraught. He clearly wanted comfort, but he seemed to know that I wasn't up to providing it, so he wasn't asking for it. I suddenly had an image in my mind of me in front of my dad feeling the same way. I wasn't Ned's father, but I certainly was more than just his friend's dad now. I took a step forward and hesitantly wrapped my arms around him. That was all the encouragement Ned needed to wrap his own arms around me as he sobbed into my chest. I rubbed his back comfortingly, letting him know that all was forgiven. He soaked up my comfort like a sponge, so much like Peter that I felt a good amount of relief. If I'd failed at comforting Ned, not only would I have felt like a monster, but Peter would've never forgiven me.

It took a few minutes before his tears mostly stemmed and he felt comfortable enough to break apart. He took in several shuddering breaths, wiping at his face. I put a hand on his shoulder, ducked to see his face, and asked, "You okay?"

"Yes, Mr. Stark," he answered, and I smiled softly before saying, "It's Tony, Ned. I think we've gotten past the formalities." He grinned weakly, so I felt he was calm enough for the moment.

"Switch places with Peter," I directed, gently turning him around. Peter turned around at my words, and looked to his friend with deep concern, sympathy, and apology.

"Peter, front and center," I then ordered, and while he listened, he sported a fierce glare

Dammit, I thought wearily, not wanting to get into an argument with him. Deciding to take a small leaf out of my father's book, I hardened my face, looking down at my boy with stern eyes as I turned my watch into the Iron Man glove.

"Considering what's about to happen, Peter, I'd wipe that look off your face and really reconsider what you want to say to me," I warned, and his face turned wary as he glanced between me and back at Ned. Come on, kiddo, I couldn't help but think. Don't make this any harder on us than it has to be.

"He's fine," I informed him, looking right into his eyes. His wariness and anger slowly melted off his face to be replaced with apology. Before he could say anything, though, I gave a curt shake of my head before sitting myself down on his bed and giving him an expectant look. He knew the drill by now.

My little spider's expression fell, but he didn't fight me when I pulled him over my lap. I took in another huge breath, not believing I was doing again. Pulling my boy's sleep pants down along with his boxers, I steeled myself for what was about to happen. Resolved, I raised my hand high and brought it down over and over on my reckless kid's backside. I made sure to leave no bit of it untouched, wanting to make sure this lesson stuck. These little daredevils could've gotten themselves killed, and for what? A bit of fun? Just thinking about what could've happened, I began to bring my hand down harder, and that's when his cries turned into sobs and he started to beg for forgiveness.

Aww, man, this was too much for one guy to take. How could anybody stand to be a parent when they had to go through shit like this? My mother deserved a goddamn statue in her honor for having to put up with me…oh wait, she already had a statue in her honor. Huh. Well, medals of honor should be given to parents, at least. This was brutal work. Give me a terrorist to fight or something. Hell, having a conversation with Rogers right now would be easier than this.

Despite how difficult this was, though, I forged on like the heartless bastard that I was. I made sure the kid's backside was cherry red before feeling the job was done and the lesson had been taught. I pulled his clothes back up, placed him on his feet and wrapped my arms around him. One of his arms wrapped around me while the other grasped onto my shirt, a habit he had when he wanted to make sure I didn't leave him alone. I had no intention of doing so, at least not until I was sure he was okay. I gave him all the comfort he needed, soaking in some of my own. When he'd finally calmed down enough to release his grasp on me, I gave him a questioning look to which he simply responded with a nod.

I called Ned over, and I was sad to see he still had tears coming down his face; but seeing him look to Peter in concern, I realized those tears were for Peter. I told both boys to sit on Ned's bed, and they did so gingerly, shifting uncomfortably.

"Eyes here," I called, and two sets of apologetic eyes locked on mine. "Stay out of my lab, and when I tell you no, you better listen. Understood?"

"Yes, Tony," they both answered, their voices small and sad. They looked like two kicked puppies, and I felt like a right ass.

I stepped forward and placed a hand on each one of their heads. "You're both good boys, and I know you didn't mean for things to turn out as they did. You're both forgiven, but be prepared to work off those citations you earned, okay?"

They both nodded in unison, and I felt I should leave them be. "Get some rest, now. I'll let you sleep in until 9, but be prepared to work," I said, unable to stop myself from smirking at the twin groans they gave. I turned out the light and closed the door, walking into the living room before I allowed myself to let out a deep sigh. God, I needed a drink. I headed towards my bar and considered what to grab when a voice stopped me.

"You know drinking isn't going to help," Natasha drawled, and I let out a frustrated groan as I looked over at her. She was dressed for a work out, and my irritation melted as I knew she was probably having a rough night.

"It helps," I quipped, and she gave me a knowing look as she slid herself forcefully between me and the mini bar.

"I'm headed down to the training room and I need a sparring partner," she stated, pushing me further away from my alcohol.

"And if I don't want to go?" I asked, and she narrowed her eyes, continuing to push me back before giving me one of her evil grins and saying, "Then I'll persuade you."

Shit.

A look in her eyes and I knew she'd get me down to the training room with or without my consent. Pushy spy. I huffed, whirling around and stalking down to the training room. I grabbed some training shorts, switched into them and threw off my shirt. She'd used my shirts enough times to haul me around and strangle me that I figured I'd just not give her that chance. Walking out onto the mat, she smirked at me, and I just glared. I didn't really know why I was feeling so angry or who I was angry at. She motioned for me to come at her, and I didn't hesitate, more than willing to vent my frustrations on her knowing that I'd never be able to beat her.

Needless to say, she kicked my ass, at least in the beginning. She scolded me for allowing my emotions to ruin my focus.

"All those training sessions we've had and it's like we're right back at square one," she commented after having kicked my legs out from under me. She set a foot on my chest and glared.

"You're angry, so use that anger and use your goddamned head. I know you can fight much better than this, so quit embarrassing yourself or I'll knock you unconscious and train by myself," she threatened, and I gritted my teeth while fighting back a blush of embarrassment. It really stung my manhood to be beaten so easily by her. She was right, though, I could fight better than this.

I shoved her foot off of me, rolled, and got myself back on my feet, putting all thoughts out of my head. My focus was now on landing a few good hits so that I could salvage at least a bit of my pride.

The rest of the night passed quickly, Tasha and I trading blow after blow. Once she was satisfied I was taking this all serious, she began to correct my stance or my moves; and by correct, I mean she'd use my mistake to her advantage to land a painful hit on me.

By the end of our training session, I lay panting on the floor, my entire body feeling like a giant bruise. I felt pretty satisfied though as Natasha was sitting on the floor holding a rag to her bleeding nose. I could see some bruises forming, so I knew I'd put up a good fight. I'd lost the battle, of course, but that was expected. She'd been taught to fight since she was a kid.

I sat myself up and we looked at each other. "Feel sufficiently punished?" she questioned drily, and I just raised a questioning eyebrow at her.

"You still haven't figured out why you were angry?" she pressed, and when I didn't answer she just rolled her eyes in amusement.

"You were angry with yourself, _genius_ ," she informed me. "I heard you punishing those boys, and that can't have been easy. I'm not quite sure I could do that." I blinked in surprise, so she continued speaking. "I have no problems kicking your ass, Tony, but I'm not really into doing the same with children, especially Peter and Ned. You did the right thing, though, and you really don't need to judge yourself so harshly."

I looked down at my bruised and bleeding knuckles and let out a small sigh. "What the hell am I doing, Nat, thinking I can be a dad?" I asked in barely a whisper. "I guarantee those kids never got into so much trouble before they met me."

Nat immediately stood up, walked over to me, and smacked me on the back of the head hard. She then kneeled right in front of me and grabbed hold of my hair to make sure I was looking her in the eyes.

"Let go of your goddamned ego, Tony," she hissed in exasperation, and I frowned unhappily at her. "You are not to blame for the bad choices they have made. They're _children_ , and like all children they make mistakes. It has nothing to do with who you are, or how you used to be."

I saw the truth in her words and nodded as best I could with the hard grip she had on my hair. The grip loosened, and her gaze was now soft as she said, "I can't exactly say I know what a good father is supposed to be like, but what I do know is that I wouldn't have minded having a dad like you as a kid." She patted my cheek, stood up, and then walked away. I sat here, stunned by her words. Simple though they were, they meant the world to me, and I suddenly didn't feel so awful. Maybe I was doing a good job. Peter was happy. He was getting good grades. He loved me and he loved Pepper, and that meant I had to be doing something right didn't it?

I got to my feet and bit back a groan. Looking down at my chest I could see some bruises forming and red, angry scrapes. My hand now trailed over the scars from my arc reactor. Natasha hadn't once hit me there. We both knew that in a real fight the bad guy wouldn't know or care about the internal damage I had, but she still couldn't bring herself to strike me there. I smiled softly before heading up the stairs to go to my room. I was unsurprised to see the sun starting to rise and Vision standing at the backdoor staring at it.

"Beautiful, right?" I stated, going over and standing next to him.

"Yes, it is," he replied. "No matter how many times I've witnessed it, I still find it a marvelous sight." I grinned at the android and he grinned back before raising an inquiring eyebrow as he no doubt took in my disheveled state.

"Was there a battle that I missed?" he asked wryly, and I rolled my eyes as I knew he was teasing me. He had to have seen Natasha come up not too long ago. I shoved him, causing him to laugh lightly.

"I'm going to shower," I mumbled, feeling the need to nurse some wounded pride.

Showering was painful, and when I came out, Pepper was awake. She took one sight of me and frowned in concern.

"Training," I supplied, and she nodded her head in understanding.

"Pretty intense training," she commented unhappily, looking at me in curiosity, so I went over and sat next to her. I informed her of last night's event, starting with Friday waking me up, punishing the boys, wanting to get drunk, and then Natasha dragging me to the training room. I explained my anger with myself, and then got into my brief discussion with Nat. I leaned my head on her shoulder, and she caressed the side of my face.

"Thank you for being honest, and I'm glad Natasha was able to help you," she told me, and I looked into her loving eyes. She was so used to me bottling my feelings and keeping things from her that she felt the need to thank me for being honest. I'd have to fix that. She deserved better, and I needed to be better.

"I love you," I spoke, my voice full of emotion, and she lifted my head to pull me into a deep kiss.

"I love you too," she replied breathlessly after we broke apart. I smiled brightly, our foreheads touching. I was the luckiest man alive to have her in my life.


	23. Chapter 23

**Update 3/29/2019: I've re-uploaded the original chapter 23. Thanks again to my faithful reviewers who encouraged me to re-post!**

 **Chapter 23: Temper Tantrum**

 **Peter's POV:**

A blaring, annoying alarm woke both Ned and I in the morning. We groaned loudly, trying to cover our ears with our pillows, but the alarm wouldn't stop. Knowing, that it would only stop if we got up, I growled in frustration as I threw my pillow at the ceiling. Standing up, I told Ned to get up as well. He did so with much less anger than me, and I felt a stab of guilt when I noticed him grimacing when his backside hit his mattress. Aww, man. I forgot that Ned wouldn't heal like I did.

When Ned stood up, the alarm suddenly stopped, and we were told we had thirty minutes to be dressed and out for breakfast. Recalling that we were going to be put to work today, I sighed before deciding to shower first. I wanted to argue that getting my butt tanned had been punishment enough, but I knew I'd lose that argument. I mean, we had gotten arrested… _again_. I hoped Tony wouldn't keep us grounded the rest of Ned's time here, though. I pondered asking if Ned could stay another week, but after last night's events I was thinking I should wait a few days before asking.

The thirty minutes ended as we both walked out of my room. Ned stifled a loud yawn as we entered the kitchen. It looked as if everyone else had been up for a while as they had empty dishes and were just chatting.

"Good morning, boys," Vision greeted pleasantly from where the counter where he was cooking eggs. Pepper had been teaching him lately how to cook, and he actually did a decent job…well, now at least. His first attempts were awful and had reminded me of Aunt May's concoctions…I stilled as that last thought ran through my mind, sudden longing and hurt coursing through me.

It hadn't even been six months since she'd died, and here I was, making stupid decision after stupid decision. She'd raised me better than I had been acting. Would she be disappointed in me? Would she be angry with Tony, blaming him like so many people did?

I was so _happy_ living with Tony and Pepper. After losing Aunt May, I really thought I would never be happy again, but I did, and I felt guilty. Was being so happy dishonoring her memory? Was the fact that I didn't think about her all the time a bad thing? Would she be angry with me for not visiting her grave and thinking of her more?

A hand felt on my shoulder causing me to suck in a startled breath. I turned my head and looked into the concerned eyes of Pepper. Looking around, I realized Ned and Vision were looking at me with the same expressions on their face. I blushed before saying, "Sorry guys, I just spaced out. I'm starved!" I then exclaimed with a grin. Ned and Vision seemed satisfied, but Pepper wasn't so easily convinced. Thankfully, she didn't press me, just giving me a look saying she knew I wasn't telling the truth.

Vision cooked us some eggs and bacon, and we both sat ourselves down at the kitchen table.

"Aha! There are my speed racers!" Tony shouted in joy as he appeared in the kitchen. I winced at the volume. Why did he always have to be so loud? "Ready to get to work?" he asked.

"If we said no, what would your response be?" I had to ask, and he smirked before answering, "I'd say, oh well, and put you to work anyways."

I nodded, having assumed that but still wanting to ask.

"What're we going to be doing?" Ned asked curiously, and it was Pepper who answered.

"Cleaning," she stated, "at least today, that is. You'll be starting with the kitchen, and when I say I want it clean, I mean I want it spotless. Oh, and no abilities, Peter."

I groaned loudly as I leaned my head back while Ned just nodded in understanding.

"Once you finish with the kitchen, I figured you could wash the cars," Tony added, " _all_ the cars."

"How many are there?" I asked in trepidation, and the shark-eating grin he gave me did nothing to quell my concern.

"Fifteen," Happy spoke as he walked into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. "I'm pretty sure the pool needs a good cleaning too," he then remarked, and I couldn't stop the glare I gave him for suggesting even more work. He just smiled at me before walking out again to do who knows what.

"Well, that should keep you busy for today," Pepper declared with a clap of her hands. "Don't worry, though, boys, if you finish all that I'll find something more to occupy your time." Ned and I both sighed heavily as we exchanged looks. Could we drag out cleaning the kitchen all day?

The kitchen began to clear of everyone, and Pepper came and dropped a bucket of cleaning supplies in front of us. "Do you know how to use these?" she questioned, and we both nodded.

"Good," she responded with a smile. "Have fun, boys."

I scoffed loudly in irritation, but when Pepper shot me her mom look, I cowered and gave her an apologetic look.

"Oh," she now stated, "I'll know if you're wasting time, so it'd be best if you work diligently. Friday will be keeping an eye on you." With those words, she walked out entirely too cheerful.

Ned and I began to take out the cleaning supplies, divvying up the work. "Could be worse," Ned remarked as he started on all the dirty dishes.

"How?" I questioned in disbelief.

"We could've gotten _two_ spankings," he answered with a shudder. "After our excellent adventure," he whispered quietly, "my dad tanned my butt that night we got home and then the next night. It was awful."

I winced in sympathy, never having experienced anything like that. Tony's punishment seemed docile compared to what Ned had gone through. Not only had he caught it twice, but he also didn't have the advantage of healing rapidly.

"Yeah," I finally spoke, "cleaning suddenly doesn't seem so bad." Ned just grinned before we both got to work.

Cleaning the kitchen, while tedious, didn't take long as it'd already been fairly clean. The cars were another story because Tony kept close watch through use of one of his suits. He wanted to make sure we cleaned each car completely and thoroughly, and if we didn't do it to his liking, we had to do it again. He had his cars lined up all outside in the freaking hot sun, and his perfectionist attitude was getting on my nerves. I could see Ned was getting tired, and I knew he was still sore from last night's spanking. It didn't seem fair that I was healed and he wasn't.

We continued washing his cars and were on the last two when things went downhill for me. Tony seemed to be on a power trip, enjoying having us as grunt labor far too much. I continuously glared at his Iron Man suit and had to resist from punching it.

"You know, if you spent as much time washing the cars as you did glaring at my suit, then you'd probably be done," he remarked, and I huffed before arguing, "If you weren't being such an ass and making us rewash every car at least _twice_ , then we'd have been done at least an hour ago."

" _Language_ _and attitude_ , Peter," the suit stated coolly.

"Come on, dude, just chill," Ned called tiredly. "We're almost done."

"At least one of you has some sense," Tony commented, and in response, I took the bucket in my hand and tossed all the water on the suit. Nothing happened, but I really hadn't expected it to.

"Feel better?" Tony asked in a casual tone, although I could hear a hard undercurrent.

"No," I replied, giving him a heated glare.

The suit closed the distance between us, but I didn't feel nervous or intimidated. Tony wasn't in it, and I knew he'd never hurt me, so I just stared straight into the helmet's glowing eyes, letting him know I wasn't scared of him.

"Finish the last car _now_ , and I'll pretend these last few minutes didn't happen," he instructed in a forced calm voice.

Ned placed his wet hand on my shoulder, shoved a soapy cloth into my hand, and steered me in the direction of our final car. I stiffly began to wash the vehicle, feeling furious. The amount of anger I was feeling now didn't make sense, but I didn't care. The suit, thankfully, remained quiet, but I could feel its eyes tracking my every move.

Annoying, pompous old man!

I kept my eye on Ned rather than the suit, feeling bad as I saw he was sweating and breathing heavily. "Just rest, Ned, I'll finish the rest of this," I told him, and before he could respond, the high and mighty Tony Stark stated, "No, you won't. Ned is more than capable of finishing this with you."

I whirled on the suit, throwing down my sponge as I snapped, "Can't you see he's exhausted? It's freaking hot out here and he doesn't have my stamina!"

"Pete, I'm fine, really," Ned said, but I ignored him.

"He's still sore from last night because you were too hard on him! He's not like me! He can't heal in a couple hours, you jerk!" I yelled harshly, and the suit's head cocked to the side slightly before crossing its arms. Its head then turned towards Ned, and Tony asked, "Could you finish this car on your own? I think Peter and I need a little one on one time."

"What?!" I gasped out in angry shock. "Are you for real?! I just told you he's tired, and now you want to make him do this all on his own! What the hell is wrong with you, Tony?"

"I think the better question is, what's wrong with you, Peter?" Tony retorted angrily.

"You are!" I replied furiously. "You're on some power trip, trying to make this so much harder than it needs to be, and all because we drove your stupid car!"

"Okay, I've had enough," Tony stated sternly, grabbing onto my bicep. "Ned, finish this car and then you're free for the day. Peter, with me," he ordered, beginning to drag me back towards the house. I didn't want to go, so I roughly yanked my arm out of his grasp and declared strongly, "I'm not going anywhere near you."

The suit froze in place for a moment before its head turned to look at me slowly. Without saying anything, it reached out a hand towards me, but I smacked it away before taking a step back.

"I am more than done with this temper tantrum, Peter Benjamin Parker-Stark," Tony growled frostily. "I'm going to give you three seconds to get your butt into that house of your own free will before I forcefully drag you."

I seethed at being treated like a child, my fists clenching.

"One," he counted. I just glared.

"Two," he counted. I did nothing.

"Three," he counted, and all I did was say, "You can't force me to do anything I don't want to".

Ned groaned in the back ground, muttering, "This is going to end badly."

The suit said nothing in response, just reaching out once more to grab my arm. I moved out of the way, but his other hand grabbed hold of the back of my neck.

"Ah! Let me go!" I yelled as I was hauled towards the door. Heart hammering in anxiety and anger, I knew I didn't want to go inside. I didn't want to deal with Tony, and I didn't want to deal with anyone else.

"I _said_ , let me go!" I roared, turning my body to aim a kick at the suit's midsection. The hand on my neck disappeared as the suit stumbled back, and I jumped before landing a hard punch on the helmet, in hopes of knocking it off the suit. If he couldn't "see" me, then he couldn't drag me anywhere.

"Peter, stop!" Ned shouted in shock, staring at me with wide eyes.

The helmet didn't fall off as I'd hoped. In fact, it didn't even dent. Gritting my teeth, I wondered what to do now. It wasn't as if I could defeat Iron Man, especially with no suit and web shooters.

"Instead of beating up the suit, how about you try those moves on me, tough guy," Tony drawled, and I tensed as the voice hadn't come from the suit, but from behind me. I turned around to see Tony standing there with a challenging look on his face. He opened his arms as he approached me.

"Let's go," he goaded. "Take a punch and see what happens."

I swallowed nervously, feeling conflicted. I was angry, yeah, and I so didn't want to talk to him; but, fighting an empty suit was not the same as fighting Tony. I would _never_ attack him.

Tony was right in front of me now, and he looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Well?" he asked, and I bit my lip before moodily responding, "I'm not gonna fight _you_."

"Why not?" he asked in mock curiosity. "You had no problem taking your anger out on my suit when you were really angry with _me_ ; so, let me have it."

"No," I said firmly, glaring at his humorless grin.

"Then, why don't you and I go inside, Peter?" he asked, as though it were only a suggestion and not an order.

I refused to move, though. "I'm not going anywhere with you," I told him sullenly. "You're just going to yell and punish me, and I didn't do anything wrong."

Tony crossed his arms and simply stared at me as though I were somehow a difficult problem he was trying to figure out. "You're not going anywhere with me, and you didn't do anything wrong," he mused aloud before shaking his head. "You see, I'm not really a fan of either one of those statements; and I've got to be honest with you, son, that you're just making things worse for yourself with every word you speak. I was hoping you and I could have a mature discussion, but at this rate, it looks more like I'm just going to be busting your butt. Now, what do you plan on doing next?" he asked, his eyebrows raised questioningly.

"I haven't done anything, so why would you be doing that me?! You're so unfair!" I yelled in outrage, to which he just frowned in disappointment. "You want to know my next move?" I asked rhetorically. "I'm leaving!" I spat furiously, turning around and storming down the long drive way.

"Peter! Peter, stop!" Ned shouted as he ran over and placed himself in front of me. He had his hands out to stop me as he said, "Just take a minute and think this through, dude, okay? What's your plan? I mean, you're going to have to come back at some point," he argued, and I narrowed my eyes.

"I'm not going to let him punish me for no reason!" I hissed furiously.

"Yeah, I get that, but Peter," he said, sounding sad and hesitant, "Tony kind of _does_ have a reason. I mean, I'm on your side and all," he added hastily, "but…but you have been yelling at him a lot and saying some not so cool things…and, well…you did attack his suit," he finished explaining, looking at me with trepidation.

I said nothing, just taking in his words. He took this as a good sign, so he continued to speak.

"I know you, and I know that in a few minutes or hours you're going to feel really stupid about this," he stated, "so please just don't make things worse for yourself. I don't like seeing you in trouble, and Tony looks pretty pissed," he whispered quietly, looking around me to look at Tony. "Do you really want to make him angrier? Besides, you really think he can't just get his suit to bring you back? I know you're strong, but you can't take on Iron Man."

I closed my eyes, my mind filled with a cacophony of thoughts. My feelings were a whirl, and I finally settled on desperation and confusion.

What _was_ I doing?

 _Why_ was I doing this?

What was I trying to prove?

God, but I didn't want to go talk to Tony! I didn't want to listen to him right now! He was being a jerk!

But, was he?

He was being unfair!

Really?

He was being unreasonable?

Me or him?

"I know you're angry," Ned spoke again in a cautious tone, "but believe me when I say, running away only makes things worse. You know this too."

Dammit, why did he have to make sense? Yeah, I knew running would make things worse! It had every time, but I really, _really_ did not want to go face Tony right now! He was angry, and I was angry, so…this was just so messed up!"

Sighing harshly, I turned back around and angrily marched back where I'd come from, but I didn't stop at where Tony was. I gave him a heated glare as I walked past him and into the house. I was halfway through the living room when he entered behind me and said, "Stop right there and turn yourself around, we're not done talking."

"I don't care!" I shouted, not bothering to turn around. "I don't want to talk to you, so leave me _alone_!"

"What the hell is all this yelling?" Rhodey questioned as he hobbled into the living room from the kitchen, Bruce and Happy with him. All three of the men took in the scene, looking from me to Tony.

"Stay out of this!" I snarled at them before any of them could comment, and Bruce's eyes looked surprised while both Rhodey's and Happy's narrowed.

"Guys, I'm sorry," Tony told them with some exasperation as he walked towards me. "Kids having a bit of a temper tantrum."

"We can see that," Happy muttered unhappily.

"I'm _not_ having a temper tantrum!" I snapped, glaring now at all of them, and when the expressions I received in return were of skepticism and disbelief, my fists tightened and I began to tremble I was so furious.

Bruce walked closer to us, and looked at me with a kind smile as he said, "Peter, how about you take a couple of deep breaths for me, huh? You're really angry now, and that's understandable, but if you can calm down a little we can sort out whatever's bothering you."

"I _don't_ need to calm down," I stated through gritted teeth, and I heard someone snort. Bruce continued to smile, holding up an arm towards Tony to keep him from moving, as Bruce took another couple of steps towards me.

"Maybe not, but how about you try taking those deep breaths anyways?" he questioned. "It might help you think a little clearer." His words were spoken kindly, but somehow that only infuriated me more because I felt like I was being patronized.

"Quit talking to me like I'm a little kid!" I hissed, "And keep your advice to yourself! _I'm_ not the one with anger issues!"

" _Peter_!" Tony yelled in outrage as Bruce looked taken aback.

"That's it, I've run out of patience," Tony snarled before appearing behind me. He grabbed hold of the back of my neck firmly with one hand before grabbing hold of one of my arms with the other. I noticed that both his hands had the Iron Man gloves on them as he bent me over the arm rest of one of our couches. I'd barely processed my position when I felt Tony's hand come down harder than usual on the seat of my pants.

"Oww!" I yelled out shock and pain, too stunned by what was happening to move. Five more swats of the same intensity came down, and while I bit back my yells, I couldn't help but whimper.

"Stop it!" I ordered, trying to push myself up, but unable to because he had his left hand pressed firmly on my back. Tears were in my eyes from the pain, frustration, and humiliation I was feeling. I was positive the guys were watching this.

"You. Don't. Tell. Me. What. To. Do." Tony responded, a harsh swat landing with every word.

"Okay, fine!" I cried out, tears now falling down my cheeks, more out of embarrassment than anything. Three more swats fell, and I yelped at each one.

"You ready to listen and do as I say?" Tony asked, his hand pausing in its assault.

"Yes!" I screamed, ready to do anything to escape being punished in front of three men I admired.

"Excellent," Tony replied in mock cheer, though he didn't release his hold on me yet. "First, you will apologize to Bruce for what you said, and to Rhodey and Happy for the attitude. Then, you will take yourself to my bedroom where we are going to finish this lovely discussion we're having, understood?"

I didn't like any of that, but I nodded my head nonetheless. Anything was better than being spanked in front of other people. Tony released his hold on me, and I immediately stood up, wiping at my red, tear-stained face.

I looked at Tony with anger, and his expression darkened before he pulled me close and whispered into my ear. "This is your last chance, pal. You do what I just told you to, or I will spank you bare bottomed in front of these guys. Your choice." He then released his hold and cocked an eyebrow at me.

"Not fair," I told him, wiping away as more tears appeared, and he responded by simply pointing towards Bruce.

I gave Tony another glare before looking towards Bruce. His expression was sympathetic, so it wasn't that hard for me to apologize.

"Sorry Bruce," I said quietly, and he simply gave a nod in acceptance.

I looked towards Rhodey and Happy, and frowned as they were both looking at me in stern disappointment. I didn't want to apologize now, but a quick glance at Tony and I knew I'd better do as he said.

"Sorry guys," I murmured, only looking at them briefly before looking down at my feet.

God, I was so embarrassed by what Tony had done. I couldn't believe he spanked me in front of them! Why did he have to be so mean?

Tony firmly grabbed hold of my bicep and pulled me along. I didn't fight back as I didn't want him to follow through with his threat. That didn't mean I was happy with him, though, so I maintained my angry expression. He completely ignored me until we reached his bedroom. Opening the door, he pushed me in and said, "Stay here and calm yourself down. I don't know where all this attitude came from, but I'm fed up with it!"

"You calm down!" I snapped, "And I'm fed up with you too!" These words were completely childish, I realized, but I didn't care at all. I was angry because of him, so I wasn't going to make things easy.

He took a step into his room, and I could see his jaw was clenched. "You are confined to my room until further notice," he ordered in a furious voice. "If you attempt to leave, Friday will inform me, and I will spank you where I find you before dragging your ass back here, is that clear?"

"Crystal," I muttered, and he turned around and left, slamming his door shut.

Jerk.

 **Tony's POV:**

I was absolutely seething as I walked away from my bedroom. What the _hell_ was going through that boy's head? Where had all this attitude and defiance come from? I swear, I was nearly more pissed now than when he had stowed away on the quint jet months ago! _What the hell_!

Walking into the living room, I looked first at Bruce's questioning eyes before looking at Rhodey's and Happy's displeased expressions.

"I'm sorry, guys," I felt the need to say before shrugging helplessly. "I honestly don't know what's gotten into him, but I'll deal with it. And Bruce, man, I'm really sorry"—

"Tony, it's okay," he interjected softly. "It's not the worst thing that's been said, and I didn't take any offense. He's a kid and he's angry. I get it."

"He still shouldn't have said it," I replied, and he shrugged his shoulders before saying, "True, but just know that I wasn't offended, just surprised. I've never seen this side of Peter."

"That makes two of us," Rhodey spoke as he made his way over. "What the hell has gotten into your kid, Tony? First, stealing your car and getting arrested last night, and today this temper tantrum?"

"I know, I know," I acknowledged in frustration. "I have no clue what's up with him, or why he's suddenly so angry. I'm going to go talk to Ned and see if he knows anything."

"Do you want one of us to talk to him?" Happy asked, and I thought it over before shaking my head.

"Thanks, Hap," I said, "but I'm going to call Pepper and have her talk with him. Peter's too angry with me right now to have a conversation with, so I'll have Pepper call him, or if she can, come home and talk with him."

Happy nodded in agreement before saying, "Don't worry about this, Tony. He's a teenager, and outbursts like this are normal."

"Are they?" I asked, and when he just raised an eyebrow at me, I smiled ruefully.

"Right," I muttered. The guys laughed, and I grinned before sending a text off to Pepper. I'd prefer if she came home to talk with Peter, but if she couldn't, then I'd need her to call him. At this point, I felt he'd respond better to her than to me.

I walked outside next, and saw Ned sitting next to one of the cars. He looked anxious, especially when I started walking towards him.

"Did you kill him?!" he exclaimed, and I couldn't help but chuckle lightly before answering, "No, Ned, your best friend is still very much alive. He's currently in my room, hopefully, cooling off."

"Oh, good," he sighed with relief before shooting me a nervous look. "I'm sorry about that, Tony, I don't get why he was so angry. I tried to help"—

I held up a hand to stop his explanation. "Ned, it's okay. It's not your job to control Peter, and you were very helpful. Thank you," I said sincerely, giving him a light punch to the shoulder. "You're a good friend, and Peter should listen to you more. Honestly, you're kind of like what Rhodey was and is to me," I admitted with a smile. "You try to keep him out of trouble, and sometimes end up getting dragged into trouble with him."

Ned smiled sheepishly, cheeks flushing at my praise. "He's my best friend," he stated. "We've known each other forever, and he's like a brother."

I smiled kindly as I nodded my head and replied, "I know."

"Now," I then said, "you're free to do whatever you want for the rest of the day. Peter is confined to my room, so you can go to his room if you want to hang out, or you can hang out wherever you want. Don't feel you have to stay in his room."

"Can I talk to Peter?" he asked, and I gave a firm shake of my head.

"Well, I guess I'll just go to Peter's room, then," he eventually said. "I need a shower, and I might try and sleep a little as I didn't get much last night. Is that okay?"

"Sure, Ned, that's fine," I answered. "I'll make sure to save you some dinner, so you can eat when you get up."

"Thanks, Tony," he replied gratefully before beginning to walk towards the house. He was about to open the door when a sudden question hit me.

"Hang on," I called out, quickly closing the distance between us. He gave me an inquiring look. I wasn't quite comfortable asking this question, but with some of the things Peter said, I needed to be sure. "Was I too hard on you last night?"

Ned blinked in surprise before blushing and looking down. "No," he simply said, and I frowned before asking, "Are you sure? Be honest, please. I won't get mad," I assured him.

Still red in the face, Ned looked up and told me, "You weren't too hard on me, so don't listen to what Peter said. Honestly…you were easier on me than my dad would've been," he admitted, his voice turning quiet.

I was? Really? Huh. I nodded my head before giving him a smile. "Okay, head on in." He let out a sigh of relief before quickly making his way in and towards Peter's bedroom.

My phone buzzed, and I looked to see Pepper's response.

 _I'll be home in fifteen minutes_

I smiled in relief. Good. The kid would probably be more open to speaking with her at this point than me. Rather than going back inside, I waited for Pepper to arrive, which thankfully, didn't take long. She drove the car up, got out, and promptly made her way towards me with a look of concern.

"What's going on?" she asked as I pulled her into my arms.

"Little spiders really angry," I murmured into her hair, and while she chuckled lightly, when she pulled away the concern was still there. I sighed heavily, pulling my phone out and telling Friday to replay the events of today starting with my suit's camera and then the living rooms. Pepper watched, a frown marring her beautiful face from the get go. I watched as well, curious to see what happened from another perspective. Did Peter have a reason to have gotten so angry? Had I done something wrong? Had I overreacted?

The recording finished replaying and she said nothing, seemingly deep in thought. Looking to me, she smiled in sympathy as she caressed my cheek softly. "I don't blame you," she stated, and I found myself relaxing. "I don't know what's gotten into him, but we'll deal with this," she continued speaking, and I found her confidence and belief emboldening.

"Sir, you may want to go to your bedroom, Peter has begun to throw things," Friday alerted, and I froze before running on inside, Pepper right on my heels. We rushed passed the guys' concerned expressions and right to our room where I quickly opened the bedroom door. At seeing the demolished television, broken lamp, broken chair, and shredded pillows, I activated my Iron Man gloves once more. The time for talk was over. This kid's butt was toast.

"Close the door," I ordered Pepper before walking right up to my impetuous son and pulling him to the unbroken chair where I sat down and pulled him over my lap. I then began to spank him rapidly and strongly, peppering his entire backside. He was silent only for a minute before he could no longer hold in cries and yelps of pain. The angry kid wriggled and told me to stop, which meant I needed to up the ante. Pausing for only a second, I ripped the kid's jeans down to his ankles and increased the intensity of my swats. He started to sob, but the fact that he continued to tell me to stop rather than apologize let me know that we weren't done yet. Heart sinking, I then pulled down his boxers and increased the intensity of the swats once more. The fight seemed to have left him, as he stopped struggling and yelling at me. He simply sobbed loudly before came the first apologies. I added ten more swats right at his sit spots before deeming this spanking done with. I pulled the boxers up but didn't bother with the jeans as I'd accidentally ripped them when I'd tugged them down. I just completely removed them before setting my rebellious spider on his feet.

Standing up with him, I pulled him into my arms, his own arms wrapping around me. He mumbled a few apologies, but mostly, he just cried into my chest. I turned my head and saw Pepper was still in the room, standing several feet away. She had tears falling down her face as she stared at us, and I wished I could go and comfort her as well. Peter was the priority, though. This punishment wasn't over. That spanking had only been the spiderling's wake up call. This tantrum had gone on long enough, and I'd had to do something.

The teen's cries broke my heart, so I just hugged him tighter until he was able to calm down enough to talk. I wasn't going to wait until his tears were dried, though, because this conversation needed to happen now, and if I was going to be spanking him again, then I'd rather get it over with sooner rather than later.

"I-I'm sorry," he stated tearfully, and I placed a kiss to his head before pushing him away from me. I looked to Pepper now, needing her to join me for the rest of this conversation. She wiped at her face, took in a deep breath, and then made her way over.

"Peter, let's talk, honey," she said, grabbing his hand and leading him towards our bed. They both sat down, the boy squirming uncomfortably while rapidly wiping at his face. He was blushing furiously now that he realized Pepper had been in the room throughout his entire spanking. I simply stayed where I was seated, content to allow Pepper take care of the talking.

"Friday showed me everything that has happened today, and I'm trying to understand what caused you to become so angry," she remarked kindly, taking hold of one of the kid's hands. Peter sniffed loudly, shrugging his shoulders, which caused me to frown. Hell, no, little spider. You're not getting out of this conversation with a shrug.

"That's not a response," Pepper retorted, her voice taking on a stern edge. "After everything I've witnessed, including you now breaking things in _my_ room, you _will_ give me an explanation, young man."

"But I-I don't kn-know," Peter argued tearfully, and while looking sympathetic, Pepper shook her head as she said, "Not good enough. Think harder, because you're not going anywhere until we get to the bottom of this."

The kid continued to shift around, looking distressed as he averted his eyes from both Pepper and me. "I was angry," he eventually murmured, and I had to fight back a snort. Pepper responded maturely by nodding and saying, "Okay, so why were you angry? I noticed things turned badly when you were out cleaning the cars," she prompted, and Peter frowned.

"Tony kept telling us to clean the cars over and _over_ ," he complained. "He was being a jerk, and Ned was tired, and it was hot, and he was just taking advantage of us." I bit back a scoff.

"I understand how that could've been upsetting, Peter, but I still don't understand how you got so angry that you began to disrespect Tony so badly," Pepper expressed in concern and curiosity. "You insulted him, you _attacked_ the suit, and you deliberately disobeyed him. Can you please explain that?"

The teen seemed to shrink as Pepper laid out what he'd done. He looked around the room, wincing as he took in the damage he'd caused.

"This was quite the temper tantrum," Pep commented, looking around with him.

"Sorry," he murmured in a small voice, and I believed him, but I still wanted an explanation.

"I know, honey, but I'm still waiting for you to explain yourself," Pepper told him firmly, turning his face towards hers. "You're too old for these sorts of acts," she chided, and Peter's face turned red again.

"I'm sorry," he repeated in the same quiet voice. "I was so angry, and I don't really know why. I just was annoyed with Tony, and guilty because Ned was still sore from last night when I wasn't. Tony was too hard on him," he declared strongly, frowning in anger.

"And what makes you say that?" Pepper questioned. "Did Ned say that?"

"No, but he…I mean, he was still sore, and he cried a lot during, and it sounded awful," he explained, looking down at his hands, uncomfortable with the topic.

Pepper reached out a hand to run through his hair before speaking. "Peter, I've seen Ned, and he's fine. You're love for him is clouding your perceptions. You've never heard anyone but yourself get a spanking, so it sounded worse to you than it was; and, as for him still being sore, you know that you heal quicker than he does. That's _not_ Tony's fault."

Peter squirmed constantly, looking conflicted. His eyes flashed towards mine for the first time during this conversation, and I saw when the guilt and shame hit him. I felt myself let out a sigh of relief. There's my boy, I thought. His face dropped to his lap, and he bit his lip.

Pepper looked back to me, realizing as I did that she'd gotten through to our stubborn kid. Now was the time for tough love. I stood up and walked towards the bed, ready to present a united front. I remained standing, keeping my arms crossed and my expression stern. Pepper took in a deep breath before speaking.

"Peter, look at us," she ordered sternly, and our kid winced before setting his gaze on her. "We are both _very_ disappointed in your actions today. Getting angry is a part of life, but the manner in which you dealt with that anger was unacceptable. It was childish and absolutely deplorable. I can't believe I have to say this, but you do not yell, insult, or hit people when you're angry, and you do not throw things," she scolded strictly, and Peter's expression fell as he struggled to maintain eye contact.

"When one of us tells you to do something, then you do it without argument," she continued. "Tony should _never_ have had to repeat himself over and over that you get inside, he should not have had to drag you, and he most certainly should not have had to spank you in order to get your temper under control. You are so much better than this."

The kid's expression was full of guilt and sadness as he finally looked back down at his lap. His eyes were welling with tears, and his cheeks were red from shame.

"Did you know that Tony actually called me at work because of your behavior?" Pepper asked rhetorically, and Peter's eyes flashed back up to hers in surprise. "He asked me to talk to you because you refused to listen to him, so I had to leave work to come home and be greeted with you breaking my things."

I didn't think the boy could look any guiltier or ashamed, but he certainly managed after her words.

"I'm so sorry, Pepper, I swear," he told her. "I never meant—I mean, I don't know…I'm so sorry you guys, I don't mean to be such a disappointment all the time," he cried, the tears finally falling. "I don't know why I get in trouble all the time, but I'm sorry. Please don't be mad."

His pleas cut through Pepper and me like a knife, and she pulled him into her arms as I sat down next to him and placed a hand on his back.

"You're not a disappointment," I assured him, "and we're not mad anymore. Yes, we're disappointed in what happened, but that doesn't mean we don't still love you. As for you getting into trouble, well, you're a kid and that's what kids do. Besides, compared to what I was up to at your age, what you're doing is child's play," I had to add with an amused smile.

Pepper rolled her eyes at me as she continued to comfort Peter. When he broke apart and attempted to apologize again, Pepper cupped his face in her hands as she told him, "We love you, honey, please believe that. Even when you're in trouble, that doesn't change."

"I love you guys, too," he stated, and I reached out a hand to ruffle his hair while Pepper placed a kiss on his forehead. Standing back up, I shot Pepper a look telling her not to interfere with what would happen next. She narrowed her eyes as I got Peter to look at me.

"We forgive you, kiddo, for your behavior, but that doesn't mean I'm going to let this go unpunished," I informed him sternly, and his face turned nervous. "The spanking I gave you was to get you under control, and to stop the tantrum." I paused, finding it incredibly difficult to continue speaking, but feeling this next part had to be done. The kid was too old to be acting like this, and with his strength, he easily could have hurt any of us.

"I hate to do this, pal, but I'm going to spank you again," I declared, and his face paled dramatically as his eyes widened. "Your behavior was way past unacceptable, and I won't stand for it. You attacked my suit, Peter, but what if it had been somebody else? You deliberately disobeyed me and openly defied me, and you disrespected Bruce, Happy, and Rhodey. Neither Pepper nor I will put up with this behavior, so this second spanking is going to be a harsh reminder in respect and controlling your temper."

Peter turned pleading eyes to Pepper before arguing, "But you already spanked me, Tony, please. I'm still sore, so it's going to hurt even more. Please, please, Tony, I'm sorry and I swear this won't ever happen again."

I felt sick at his pleas and wished to god at times that he'd just suck it up and go along with it. I would never want to force him, though, to hide what he was feeling from me. "You know by now, Peter, that arguing and pleading doesn't work with me. I've made up my mind, so let's get this over with," I declared, giving him a firm look.

His eyes turned back to Pepper now, and I was sure he was about to start pleading with her, so in order to stop that, I grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him up and away from her. I figured Pepper would make a beeline for the door, but she remained where she was, looking heartbroken, but resolved at the same time.

I pulled Peter back over to the chair, glad that he wasn't physically fighting my hold. He continued to plead and argue for leniency, but I tuned him out as best I could. Knowing better than to stall, I simply hauled the boy back over my knees for the third time in the last 24 hours, and took in a huge, calming breath. Yanking his boxers back down, I grimaced as his backside was still red. God, this really, really sucked.

Bringing my hand up, I began to bring it down, wincing when the boy yelped and fidgeted from the first swat. This was awful. I easily settled into a rhythm, covering every inch of the boy's exposed backside once more, paying particular attention to his sit spots. He was sobbing and howling after only a minute, and I felt tears come to my eyes as well. I gritted my teeth, brought my hand down another ten times before declaring this punishment well and over with.

Peter bawled his eyes out over my knee, both hand gripping onto my pant leg. Restoring his boxers to their proper location, I then pulled him to his feet and brought him in for his comforting hug. He cried hard, gripping me a little too tightly, but I didn't say anything. I whispered to him that he was forgiven over and over until his cries began to quiet down.

"That r-really hurt, T-Tony," he stammered, his emotions still not under control.

"Yeah, I know, pal, it was supposed to," I responded, and he just whined as he shook his head.

"No more spankings forever, okay," he whined, and while I wished I could give a promise like that, I shook my head while responding, "Only when you stop being a naughty little spider. Until then, your butts in the firing line."

"But, I-I h-hate it," he argued tearfully, and I honestly responded, "So do I."

He cried a little more, and my heart tore at his continued whimpers. Looking to Pepper, I saw her motioning for me to bring the kid to our bed. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea. He had to be worn out. I certainly was. I guided the boy to our bed and released him into Pepper's motherly arms. His crying renewed, and he began apologizing once more, to which Pepper just responded with loving words as she helped him onto the bed. He whimpered pitifully at his butt touching the bed before promptly rolling on to his stomach. He shot me a pitiful glare.

"It hurts," he informed Pepper, giving her his puppy-dog eyes, and she downright cooed at the boy, smothering him in all her motherly affection. I rolled my eyes good naturedly.

"Can you tell him not to spank me again," he asked quietly, and while she smiled sympathetically, she shook her head.

"No, honey, I won't. You were very deserving of every one of those swats," she responded firmly, "and I have no doubt that over the next couple of years you will probably land yourself in more trouble." I shook my head in amusement once more at his continued begging.

"But, Pepper," he whined, and she shot him a look, giving his bottom a light swat before telling him to get some sleep. The boy yipped at the swat, shot her a wounded look, but dutifully closed his eyes. She ran her fingers through his hair, soothing away the last of his guilt and hurt. It didn't take long before his breaths evened out, and he was asleep.

I sat on the bed, letting out a huge sigh at this point. "You did nothing wrong, Tony," Pepper told me firmly, and I fixed her with a grateful look. "Now, you should get some sleep as well. I know you didn't sleep well last night."

I didn't bother arguing, just settling myself next to the kid. I rested one arm on the pillow above Peter's head, entwining my hand with Peppers. I then closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling of Pepper's hand in mine, and the kid at my side. Sleep came easily with my family at my side.

 **Peter's POV:**

I opened my eyes blearily, finding my face pressed against a pillow that wasn't mine. Lifting myself up, I saw Pepper asleep to my left while Tony was asleep to my right. Recalling the events that brought me here, I bit my lip to keep from groaning aloud.

Oh my god. Oh my god, oh my god, _oh my god_! What was wrong with me? I couldn't believe I'd thrown an actual temper tantrum, like some five-year-old. I was so embarrassed and ashamed of myself. I turned myself over and sat up, wincing as my bottom was still sore. Tony had done a number on me.

Looking at Pepper, my face heated up as I realized she'd witnessed both of my spankings. I would never live this down. I then looked down at myself and realized that I was only in a shirt and boxers. Oh my god! Could my embarrassment get no worse?!

I agilely stood up and hopped off the bed and onto the ground. I looked to my exhausted parents and felt a stab of guilt at all the trouble I kicked up.

They still loved me, though, I couldn't help but think gratefully. I was so lucky to have them. Who knew where I'd be if they hadn't entered my life? Alone in some orphanage, I guessed. Giving them one last loving look, I quietly exited their room and went into mine.

I looked at the time to see it was 11:34PM. Ned was passed out, a plate of food on the floor next to him. He was someone else who I was lucky to have in my life. He'd been by my side since we were little, and he'd stood by me through all my trials. He was the best friend I could have ever asked for.

Feeling my stomach growl, I pulled on some shorts before quietly making my way to the kitchen. Bruce was sitting there, drinking something while reading something on a tablet. Remembering the way I'd treated him, I wondered if I should just leave him be. My growling stomach kicked that thought to the curb, so I hesitantly walked to the kitchen.

Bruce looked up and smiled when he saw me. My shoulders sunk as I felt I didn't deserve that smile.

"Hey, Peter, you hungry?" he asked, standing up and heading to the fridge.

"Yes, sir," I replied quietly, and I watched as he took out a couple plates of food that had been wrapped in saranwrap.

"We saved these plates for you," he remarked as he placed one in the microwave. I remained silent as the first plate heated, and when he placed it in front of me, I quickly began to scarf it down. The second heated plate was then set down, and I ate that one quickly as well. It seemed the drama of the day had taken a toll on me. When the third plate was set in front of me, I slowed my eating, looked at Bruce, and gave him a look of gratitude.

He grinned easily. "I know what it's like to have an increased metabolism," he said, "and I know how emotions can play with hunger."

I blushed, looking down before glancing up and saying, "I'm really sorry about earlier, Bruce. I didn't mean what I said."

"I know you didn't," he responded, "and I forgive you." I finished my third plate, set it down in the sink and then sat myself down across from Bruce. I shifted uncomfortably, cursing my own stupidity for the umpteenth time, and blushed at the older man's knowing and sympathetic gaze. I looked down at the glass of milk in my hands.

"I've known Tony for a few years now," Bruce began to speak, "and I've never seen him happier." My eyes flicked up to his in surprise.

"He loves you," he said with a smile. "I never would've imagined Tony as a father, but I have to say, seeing him with you…he's doing a great job. Tony told me about how you two met, and about your aunt's death. You've been through a lot this past year, so I feel the need to ask, how are you?"

I blinked, unsure of what to say in response. "I, um…I'm…," I paused, a lump forming in my throat as the thoughts regarding Aunt May hit me once more. Bruce said nothing, just gracing me with kind eyes as he waited for me to speak.

"Living with Tony and Pepper has been amazing," I told him with a small smile. "I'm so grateful to them for taking me in and for-for _everything_ that they've done for me. After Aunt May died, I thought my world was over. I thought I'd never be happy again…but I was wrong. Because of them, I'm okay. I _am_ happy," I stated, giving him a disbelieving smile. "But...," I added, the smile slipping off, "I also feel guilty. I haven't been to my aunt's grave in a couple months, and I don't think of her and Uncle Ben often. Is that wrong? Do you think they'd be angry with me?" I asked, desperate for his opinion.

These weren't questions I'd feel comfortable asking Tony or Pepper because I didn't want them feeling guilty or more worried about me. I didn't want them to think I was ungrateful either.

"Peter," Bruce spoke after a few moments of silence, "you have _nothing_ to be guilty about. It's awesome that you feel so happy with Tony and Pepper, and if your aunt and uncle loved you as much as you think they do, then they would be ecstatic that you've been able to move on."

"Really?" I asked in a small voice, and he nodded his head with confidence.

"How long has this been bothering you?" a voice asked from behind, and I guiltily turned to see Pepper standing there with a look of concern.

"Not long," I answered quietly. "It really hit me mostly this morning."

Pepper sighed as she knowingly said, "In the kitchen. I knew you weren't okay." She closed the distance between us and sat down in the chair next to me. "I really wish you wouldn't keep things like this from us," she spoke sadly, and I looked down as I apologized.

"No, it's okay," she stated, lifting my chin up. "You don't have to talk to Tony or me, but we'd certainly feel better if you didn't keep things bottled up. I'm happy you were willing to talk to Bruce, though," she told me as she shot the man a grateful smile.

"I'm sorry about today and last night," I felt the need to reiterate again, and she looked at me fondly before kissing me on the forehead.

"No more apologies, you've already been forgiven," she informed me firmly, and I grinned in relief. She pulled me into a tight hug that I happily returned as I relished in the feelings of comfort and love she gave off.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: So, I'm horrible with action sequences, and have to admit that the location for this chapter came from the movie,** _ **Taken 2**_ **. As I've said before, I'm good with the angst and fluff, but when it comes to scenes like this, I do the best I can. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Warning: Bad language from Tony!**

 **Chapter 24: Rescue Mission**

 **Peter's POV:**

There were still three weeks left of summer when we all returned to New York. I'd had loads of fun in California, but I was happy to be home. I was looking forward to hanging out with MJ, also, as I hadn't seen her since we'd gotten out.

Being back in New York also meant more time as Spiderman. Now that I was back on home ground, I was much more comfortable swinging around, and as it was summer, my curfew was 2AM. After weeks of relaxation, getting out and kicking ass had been exhilarating and exciting. I'd been going out nightly, and had been texting Tony everything that I'd done. He was very proud of me, he'd said, and I smiled brightly in memory.

Tony had, unfortunately, been gone since the second we arrived on Avengers business. They'd had a short mission the day we arrived, but now he was mostly travelling around and meeting with people concerning the Sokovian Accords. Apparently, he and others had managed to finally get Ross ousted from his position, and were now working on getting him arrested for unlawful detaining of enhanced individuals. I was happy at what was happening, but I was honestly happier that Tony was due home tomorrow. He'd been gone a week now.

Ned, MJ, and I were currently hanging out at a park, eating hot dogs. She looked much better than she had in a while, and I'd been happy to learn that things had been going well with her family. Her sister had gotten custody of her, which was a relief. Sadly, her brother was still in prison, and would probably be there for a while. The lawyers were confident they could get the charges dropped to involuntary man slaughter, which was better than murder, but still meant jail time. I offered Tony's assistance once more, but she turned me down, saying money wasn't going to change what happened.

Ned and I told MJ about our vacations, especially all we'd gotten up to in California. We sheepishly informed her of our joy ride and how we'd gotten arrested, which amused her as much as it exasperated her.

"Honestly," she admitted with her own sheepish smile, "I probably would've been along on that ride with you."

We all laughed at that thought, and I realized how much I'd missed her. "Well, I'd offer to take you driving in my car, but my license is kind of suspended," I remarked sadly, and she just rolled her eyes.

The conversation lulled as we finished up our food, and we enjoyed the silent as we just watched people. When we'd finished, MJ took a breath before looking at me seriously. It was a piercing look, and one I hadn't seen her grace me with ever.

"Peter, if I asked you a question, would you tell me the truth?" she asked, and I frowned in confusion as I nodded my head. She seemed skeptical, but spoke nonetheless. "You're Spiderman, aren't you?"

I completely froze as I heard Ned gasp loudly. "W-w-what makes you think that?" I asked with a nervous smile, my heart pounding.

She just pinned me with a raised eyebrow before listing out several reasons. "The first time I began suspecting you was after DC. Up until then, Spiderman had only operated in New York City; but then when we're all in DC, he just happens to show up when you're nowhere to be found? Then, there was homecoming, where you disappeared. I really wouldn't have connected you to Spiderman if it wasn't for the fact that the Vulture turned out to be Liz's dad," she explained. "You're always disappearing and you give lame excuses. Ned obviously knows because he's always trying to cover for you. And, let's be honest, but you live with Tony Stark," she added, giving me a wry look. "I know you're smart, but you'd never shown any interest in working with Mr. Stark, and then suddenly you show up one day with an internship? Fishy? Yeah, but I didn't think much of it, assuming you were working for the company and not for him directly. Then he just shows up one day and I start hearing you two mentioning him more and more." I listened, heart sinking. If she'd put this all together, who else could have figured this out?

"When your aunt died and you told me Mr. Stark had adopted you, I was stunned," she admitted. "I mean, I knew you worked for him, and seemed to get along with him, but adoption? That's _huge_ , Peter, especially for someone like him. I don't know him," she admitted, "but clearly, he's a good man based off what you and Ned think. It's just, he's _Tony Stark_. He's _Iron Man_ , so why would he have taken such an interest in a fifteen-year-old kid? Anyways, the icing on the cake was a month ago," she continued to explain. "You were on vacation in California, and it just so happens that Spiderman shows up in California. That's all the evidence I needed."

I looked to Ned whose expression said the game was up. A part of me wanted to continue to argue, but honestly, a larger part of me was relieved that she knew, and that I wouldn't have to lie to her anymore. I wondered what Tony would think of this. I hoped he wouldn't be angry.

Exhaling heavily, I nodded at MJ as I admitted, "Yeah, I'm Spiderman."

Despite how confident she said she was, her eyes still widened at my admission. "Wow," she said. "I mean, yeah I knew, but hearing you say it, it's just, wow."

"Yeah," I agreed. "You know this has to stay secret, right? You can't tell _anyone_ , not even your siblings," I told her insistently.

"Of course, Peter," she assured me. "Your secrets safe with me. I'm just glad that I finally know what's going on with you. With how often you disappeared I was worried you were getting into trouble, especially with how flimsy your excuses were."

I grinned in embarrassment while Ned said, "I'm so glad we can talk to you about this now. Keeping this a secret from you was killer!"

"So, what can you tell me," she asked excitedly, and I looked around before shaking my head.

"I'm fine with telling you everything, but not here," I said. "Let's go to my place." She agreed, and we all grabbed a taxi to the penthouse. I felt lighter and happier that she knew. While I realized that the more people who knew my secret, the more dangerous it was, I had grown really close to her in the past year, and considered her a close friend. She deserved to know, and I knew she'd never betray me.

When we arrived home, we all greeted Pepper happily. She welcomed us with warmly, and I hesitated before informing her about what had happened. I figured her reaction would be less intense than Tony's. She was definitely surprised and then concerned. She grilled MJ for several minutes before finally relaxing and giving me a reassuring look.

"It's okay, honey, _but_ ," she advised, "you've really got to do a better job at keeping this secret. I know these two are your friends, so I trust them, but please take care of your identity."

"We'll help him," MJ declared. "Now that I know, both Ned and I can help out; and, truthfully, I'm better at lying than these guys are."

Pepper nodded in agreement, but still looked concerned. "You know you're going to have to tell Tony," she said to me, and I nodded glumly.

"Do you think he'll be mad?" I questioned nervously, and she shook her head.

"No, but he will want to meet you," she answered, looking at MJ. "He'll ask you a lot of questions, but don't let him intimidate you. He's overprotective when it comes to Peter, but he means well."

"It's no problem," MJ assured her, but I could tell she was nervous, which was understandable. He was Tony Stark, and getting interrogated by him was no fun. I'd had plenty of experience with that.

"Since she knows, is it okay if I tell her things?" I asked Pepper, feeling that maybe I should get permission before spilling all my secrets.

"They're your secrets, honey, so if you feel comfortable sharing them, then go right ahead. I trust your judgment," she replied, and I smiled brightly, leading both my friends to my room. When MJ walked in, her attention was immediately drawn to the giant spider symbol on the ceiling.

"Well, that's not a dead giveaway," she remarked drily, and I blushed lightly as I silently agreed with her.

"Tony," I defended, "likes to go overboard when decorating my room. You should see the one at the Avenger's base. It's all decked out in Spiderman theme, even my clothes. He's like an overgrown kid sometimes," I explained fondly, and she laughed.

"Do you think I'd be allowed to go there?" she asked curiously. "I wouldn't mind meeting the other Avengers, especially Natasha," she admitted with forced nonchalance.

"She's scary," Ned remarked as he sat himself in one of the bean bag chairs.

"She can be," I amended, "but she's awesome and I'm sure you'd get along. I'll have to ask Tony, though, if you can visit. He'd have to get you clearance as it is a military base."

MJ nodded in understanding while grinning brightly. She then sat herself in another bean bag chair while just laid out on the carpet. I had both their full attention as I launched into my tale, describing to her how I got my powers all the way to my battle with Toomes. She remained silent most the time, only asking for clarification a couple of times. When I finished, she just shook her head in bewilderment.

"I can't believe you've gone through all of that," she admitted with some awe. "And here I thought I had it rough."

"Our situations are completely different," I argued seriously, sitting up and giving her a soft look. "Don't minimize what you've been through because of me."

She smiled wryly and looked ready to respond when Pepper burst into my room. All feelings of contentment left me at the panicked look on her face.

"Tony's been kidnapped," she informed me without preamble. "Grab your suit, we're going to HQ right now." I jumped up without question, grabbing my suit and making to go after her. Throwing my friends a look of deep concern, they mirrored it before telling me to go and wishing me luck.

We all left together, but they stayed while Pepper and I got into her car. She drove faster than I'd ever seen her, and she explained what she knew.

Tony hadn't been on a mission. He'd just been meeting with dignitaries from several countries. He'd been scheduled to head home today, but when he never showed up at the tarmac, the pilot grew concerned, calling his hotel. The hotel reported that they hadn't seen him in over a day, which was concerning, but didn't outright suggest kidnapping. Further inquiry revealed that the last time Tony had been seen had been at a banquet two days ago.

"Shield hacked all video footage at the convention center where it occurred, looking for any sign of where he may have gone. At one point, it looked like Tony got drunk as he starts stumbling and heading to the bathroom. If I didn't know that he hadn't been drunk in years, then I probably would've brushed it off," Pepper explained worriedly. "Somebody was shown in the video practically carrying Tony out of the main ballroom, and that's the last he's seen."

"He must've been drugged," I gasped, and she nodded grimly. "That's our assumption too."

"Were they able to identify the man in the video?" I asked frantically, and she shook her head.

"No, at least not last I heard," she answered. "I'm hoping when we get there, they'll have more information."

My heart was pounding with nerves and adrenaline. Tony had been kidnapped _two_ nights ago. Who knew what had been done to him. Was he still alive? My heart clenched, my breath catching in my throat at the mere thought. No. There was _no way_ Tony could be dead. He couldn't. He wouldn't. He was alive. He had to be.

Looking at the suit in my hands, I suddenly realized with utter relief that I was going to be allowed on the rescue mission. I didn't know why, but I didn't care. I was going to be there for my dad, and I was going to kick the ass of whoever took him.

It took far longer than I wanted for us to arrive at the compound. We were greeted in the garage by Natasha, who led us through the compound to a meeting room where Happy, Vision, Bruce, Rhodey, Hill, and a few other people I didn't recognize were. Screens with security footage were displayed, and I noticed the one with Tony being carried out of the room was replaying over and over. On another screen there was a picture of a Hispanic man with a nasty looking scar on his face.

"Freddy Hernandez," Hill stated, "ex-Navy Seal. He's been a man for hire for the past ten years after being dishonorably discharged for killing his CO. Obviously he shouldn't have been one of the invitees. We're trying to figure out who got him in," she explained, and I felt a flash of hatred flow through me as I glared at the picture. He was going to pay. Looking at the Avengers in the room, I knew the felt the same. Natasha was practically radiating with the intent to kill, and Bruce, for the first time since I'd met him, actually looked angry.

There were several screens that seemed to be filtering through cameras at an insane speed. I assumed it was searching for any sightings of Hernandez.

"Where was Tony?" I asked, and Happy answered in a distracted tone. "Moscow."

"And it wasn't the Russians?" I felt the need to ask, and Rhodey looked at me wryly before shaking his head. "Not that we know of. Hernandez is American, and there were dignitaries from all over the world there. Moscow just happened to be where the meetings were being held this time."

A sudden beeping began, and all our heads turned to the screens as they settled on a scene of Hernandez having a conversation with a man I didn't know. Looking at the rapidly darkening expressions around the room, it seemed everyone else recognized the man.

"He works for Ross," Bruce hissed, and I noticed his skin had taken on a greenish tint. Natasha immediately was at his side, grabbing hold of his hand and whispering calming and reassuring words in his ear.

I was stunned and horrified, though, to know that it was an American general who had kidnapped Tony. I assumed it was revenge, and once more my heart clenched tightly as I wondered if Tony would be alive when we found him.

There was a flurry of movement around the room as the monitors now searched for recent footage of this new man, Marcus Holt. Rhodey was furiously talking to someone on the phone while Vision was standing to the side like a stone statue. Pepper was speaking with people at the computer, and Natasha was still calming Bruce. I felt helpless, not knowing how to help, so I just remained silent and out of the way. The urge to do something was maddening, but I knew charging off to Moscow without a plan would be stupid. For all we knew, he wasn't even there anymore.

Please God, please, please, please let him still be alive. Please let him be okay. I wouldn't be able to survive without him. I couldn't stand the thought of losing anyone else. I needed him so much still.

Twenty minutes passed, then forty, then an hour and a half. I was going mad, pacing up and down the length of the room. Everyone was milling about, seeming to be working, making phone calls, arguing, talking, working on the computers, and running all over the place. The only one who hadn't moved an inch was Vision. I had no idea what to say to him, so I continued my pacing. I wanted to scream and yell and punch something, but there was no way I was going to come off like a kid throwing a tantrum in front of these guys, not at a time like this. I'd long since changed into my suit, ready to go at a moment's notice, and I was not going to jeopardize that. I would be there for Tony as he'd often been there for me.

It was at the two hour mark that things started to happen. The monitors began to beep again. Holt had been located in Istanbul, Turkey. A little more digging revealed that Ross had flown into Istanbul, but under an assumed name. I had no idea how SHIELD had figured that out, but I didn't bother asking.

"Alright, we're headed to Istanbul. Hill, keep us appraised of any developments," Natasha stated, and I realized she was now the leader of the Avengers in Tony's absence. She looked to me now, and said, "Peter, I am allowing you on this mission because we need you, and because I know you'd find a way to go whether we wanted you to or not. I need your word, though, that you will follow my orders, and that if I tell you to return to the jet, you will return to the jet. This is not a game. Do I have your word?" she asked, looking more serious than I'd ever seen her.

"You have my word," I assured her solemnly, standing up straight and looking her in the eyes. I would not fail her or Tony. She nodded her head before looking to Pepper. I looked at her too, and saw the immense concern on her face. She looked conflicted, but she didn't argue. Instead, she came over, hugged me tightly, and said, "Please come home safely, Peter."

"I will," I promised, hugging her back just as tightly.

"Avengers, let's go," Natasha stated, and I, Vision, and Bruce headed out.

We got onto the jet, and Vision took the controls, setting our coordinates before setting the plane on autopilot.

"We know that Ross is responsible for Tony's kidnapping, and that he's in Istanbul," Natasha spoke. "Clearly, this is revenge for getting him discharged and prosecuted, which means Ross will probably resort to torture." Her voice was matter-of-fact and detached, and I felt sick to my stomach. I hadn't even thought about the possibility of Tony being tortured, but it made sense.

"He'll no doubt drag this out until he either gets bored or Tony annoys him too badly," she continued. "Let's hope it's the latter, because Tony is capable of withstanding torture. I doubt Ross will deal out anything worse that what he's already experienced, but I'm also sure that Tony will be in rough shape. Bruce," she addressed, "we'll only issue a code green if absolutely necessary as we're going to need you to take care of Tony."

He nodded in understanding, his eyes flashing green. Natasha handed out ear pieces to everyone, and I looked down at it. Once it was in my ear, it was barely even visible. She tested it out, and once satisfied that we would all be able to communicate, she fell silent. There wasn't much more for her to say as we waited for Hill to give us more information. We didn't like the idea of blindly searching Istanbul, but if we had to, we would.

"We'll land outside the city and cloak the jet. I've got clothes for all of us to wear in order to blend in," she said after a while. "We don't want to announce that we're here and risk Ross panicking. The UN can't know what we're doing, and they especially can't know about you, Peter. When you ditch the clothes, web them up somewhere nearby, so if I tell you to get out, you'll be able to change quickly. Your suit stands out too much."

I nodded, although the thought of having to leave before finding Tony killed me. I would do it, though, as I realized this was no time for disobedience. Natasha was right. This wasn't a game, and I wasn't going to risk anyone's life.

Three hours passed before Hill contacted Nat. They'd found a possible location for Tony. Relief hit me now that we had somewhere specific. We were going to find Tony and we were going to bring him home. Now all we had to do was get to Istanbul. I was immensely grateful that this jet went faster than any commercial airplane. We'd be there in another hour and a half.

Once we landed, Natasha activated a cloaking device on the jet to keep it hidden. We donned the clothes she brought and headed into the city. When on the outskirts, we hailed a taxi to take us closer to our destination. Even though my heart was pounding and I was full of anxiety, I couldn't help but find amusement in the fact that we were taking a taxi on a mission. It seemed surreal watching normal life go on around us.

We arrived a couple blocks from the house where we hoped Tony was being kept. Vision used his flight and ability to phase into objects to gain reconnaissance. There were armed guards on the roof, right inside the front gate, and throughout the compound.

"There is definitely something there," he explained, "but I was unable to tell if Mr. Stark is actually here. I did recognize Holt, but I did not see Ross. With this much military force, however, I feel he must be here."

Natasha nodded before looking at us. "Bruce, stay here and listen for your cue. Hulk is an absolute last measure as it'd be a dead giveaway that we were here. Peter, you and Vision will stick together," she instructed. "Take out those on the roof first, and then work your way down."

"What about you?" I asked, and she smirked before answering, "I'm going to use the front door."

I blinked in shock, but before I could question her sanity, she asked, "You ready?"

I took in a huge breath, put on my mask, and nodded. Ditching my clothes, I climbed up the wall and Vision flew. We slowly made our way over, and I suggested to Vision that I start things off. "I'll start getting hold of their guns, and you can work with knocking them out."

"Let's work quickly," he responded, "as we'd like to get through as many of these soldiers without alerting the others."

I let out a humorless laugh, not sure how long we'd be able to pull that off. A single yell would grab everyone's attention, and I doubted we were quick enough to silent everyone. I mean, I could web up their mouths, but I figured taking their weapons would be a priority.

Vision floated out of sight, and I started climbing on the back walls rather than the roofs. When I reached the correct location, I had to take several deep breaths to calm myself. I was shaking, and embarrassed to admit that I was afraid. Not afraid for myself, though, but afraid of failing. If anything happened to Tony or the others because of me, I'd never forgive myself.

"Okay, Spiderman, you can do this," I whispered encouragingly to myself. "Ready, set, GO!"

 **Tony's POV:**

My entire body was throbbing in pain, like one large unidentifiable injury. I was laying on a cold metal table, my hands and legs strapped down to keep me from moving. I wondered what new form of torture they were going to come up with.

Torture. That's what I'd been going through since I'd woken up in this dark, dinghy room some unknown time ago. I didn't even know where I was, but I was pretty certain I wasn't in Moscow anymore, or even in Russia.

Ross. This was all his doing. God, I was so fucking stupid! How could I have allowed myself to get drugged at some goddamned social party? This was so embarrassing and I knew once I got out of here (because I _would_ get out of here), Natasha was going to ream me. She'd make sure I didn't leave the training room until she was satisfied I could defend myself, even when drugged.

Stupid, fucking Ross! I should've known he'd try something, the sly old bastard! I knew he sucked in terms of morals, but I was arrogant enough to think he wouldn't try anything, especially not with me. Fucking dick was going to pay for this. Death would be too good. When I got out of here I was going to make sure he ended up in the worst prison, and that he'd end up the bitch to some guy named Buster.

I pulled on my restraints over and over, looking for any weakness or wear, but they were as tight as they were when I was first strapped down here however long ago. With no light, it was hard to judge time, but I was pretty sure I hadn't been here more than a couple days. I only knew that because of how hungry I was. I was starving, but not dead.

Starvation would be an awful way to go, though. I wondered if that was Ross's ultimate plan. I knew he wanted me dead, but I wasn't quite sure when that moment would come. All I knew was that he couldn't afford for me to get out. He'd crossed the line, and my release or escape would not be acceptable.

I hadn't quite figured out how to get out yet, but I knew I would. As difficult as it was, I was doing the best I could to keep hold of my smart-ass comments, letting only enough out to cause some annoyance, but not enough to push anybody over the edge. I wasn't living for just me anymore. I had responsibilities and people who counted on me. I couldn't afford to die. Not like this. Not by someone like Ross, either. After everything I'd been through in my life, this wasn't how I was going to let it end. Let them continue their torture. I could handle physical pain.

They'd started with a simple beating, and I was pretty sure my pained ribs were a result of that. Then, they'd resorted to whipping me, like _literally_ taking a whip to my back and shredding it up. This might be where I was hurting the most right now as I was laying on my back. I was pretty sure I'd stopped bleeding…I think. The beating hadn't elicited many sounds from me, but unfortunately, the whipping had gotten some yells, which the sick bastards had enjoyed. When they'd grown tired from the whipping, they'd resorted to electrocution. They'd hooked up electrodes to my chest, and had enjoyed my screams, actually laughing out loud at my pitiful groaning afterwards. I was immensely relieved when they ended this as I was afraid of how much more my already damaged heart could take.

Now, here I was laying on this horribly uncomfortable steel table waiting for their next form of torture. I wondered what they were going to do. I was in so much pain, and I had to fight the urge to pass out.

The door opened, and in walked some men I hadn't seen before. I was surprised, once again, that Ross hadn't made an appearance aside from the first time. I would've pegged him as the type to get his rocks off from this kind of thing, just standing there and smirking at me evilly or something stupid like that. There was a camera in here, though, so maybe he was watching that way, or maybe he wasn't even here anymore. I kind of hoped he was, so that when I escaped, I could bash his fucking face in before having him arrested.

I focused my attention on the men, and I completely froze at what I saw them bring in. A small sack, a barrel of water, and a bucket. My heart began to beat rapidly, and I had to look away to keep myself from panicking. Embarrassingly, I couldn't help the way my breathing rate had increased, and they sure as hell noticed if their smirks and unintelligible jeers were anything to go by. I had no idea what language they were speaking, but I could tell that it was different than the guys from earlier. Ross was doing this on purpose, no doubt, trying to make sure I had no idea where we were. Fuck him!

The cloth sack was placed over my head, and part of me was glad as it'd hide the fear I was failing to keep off my expression. I fought against my restraints with renewed vigor, trying with all my might to block out the flashbacks flying through my head. Now, would be an awful time to suffer a panic attack.

I heard the bucket hit the water, and I forced down a pitiful whimper, all the while my breathing rate continued to skyrocket. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! I was scared. Hell, I was suddenly terrified, and I hated myself for it. I was stronger than this! I was Iron Man, and I wouldn't let some goddamned water torture break me!

Those thoughts had barely left my head when I felt a large amount of water being dropped on my face. The feeling of drowning hit me immediately, and I thrashed my head back and forth, attempting to suck in a breath of air. I heard the bucket hit the water again before the water was once more poured over my face. I struggled futilely, yelling and gasping, fighting back the terror that was trying to gain hold of me. If I experienced a panic attack now, it was possible that I could die before the realized it.

I could hear the sadistic bastards laughing, and I wanted to choke the life out of each one of them. This torture was senseless, and that made it harder to endure. This was revenge, pure and simple, and their goal was just to cause pain. They didn't need anything from me, not information, not my brain. No, they just wanted me to hurt, which meant there was nothing I could do or say to end this. I refused to plead or beg, of course, but that didn't mean I wouldn't have been past manipulating or lying to get them to stop. They weren't asking questions, though, just enjoying watching me thrash.

The water stopped, and I gasped for air, shaking my head back and forth while yanking desperately on my restraints. I was breathing heavily, taking in large, shuddering breaths. The men talked, and while I couldn't understand words, I did understand the amused, mocking tones.

I heard the bucket hit the water again, and I couldn't help the groan that escaped me. No more, I thought desperately in my head. Please, please no more.

The water was poured, and I felt my mind beginning to slip into the past. The panic and the terror were so raw, and so reminiscent of what I'd been feeling in Afghanistan. Images of the explosion, the terrorists, Yinsen…always Yinsen. His kind eyes. His dead eyes. The blood.

NO! Stop it, stop it, stop it! I clenched my fists as tightly as I could, digging my nails into my palms in order to force my focus to that pain. It wasn't enough, though. Bloody palms were nothing on the feeling of drowning over and over again.

The water stopped, and I was given mere seconds to catch my breath before it was poured over my face again. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't breathe! My lungs weren't working anymore, and I was starting to see black spots. This couldn't be how I would die. This couldn't be how it was meant to end.

No, no, no! I had to endure! Images of Pepper and Peter flashed through my mind, and I latched onto them as I struggled with all my might to maintain consciousness. For them. I would endure and survive for them!

The water stopped pouring once more, and as I greedily sucked in oxygen, I heard shouting and shuffling. I was huffing breathlessly, and as my head started to clear, the cloth sack was pulled off my head, and I found myself staring into the deeply concerned eyes of my son.

"Peter?!" I gasped in panicked shock. No, he couldn't be here. They couldn't have gotten him. He shouldn't be here!

"It's okay, Tony, it's going to be okay," he spoke rapidly, "I'm going to get you out of here."

Get me out of here? I turned my head and saw that the three men were unconscious. Peter was undoing my straps, and that was when I realized what was happening. This was a rescue mission. _Peter_ was here to rescue me.

I allowed Peter to take off all my restraints before I enveloped him in a tight hug, ignoring the pain that movement caused me.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I whispered, holding his face in my hands after pulling away.

"Rescuing you," he answered, as though it were obvious, pulling his mask back on. I wanted to press more, but realizing now wasn't the time, I simply got off the table. My knees buckled when I landed, and I would've crashed to the floor if Peter hadn't been there to catch me.

"I've got you," he said strongly. "Just lean on me and I'll get you out of here. Nat, Vis, and Bruce are all here, and we'll be home before you know it."

I felt a flash of amusement at his assuring words, but said nothing, just allowing him to help me to my feet. I was glad to know he wasn't here alone, but we still needed to get out of wherever it was we were. As we got out of the room I'd been held in, I noticed a couple more unconscious bodies on the floor with another one stuck to the wall. As we walked by one of them, I reached down and grabbed a gun. I was not going to be a burden to my kid as we walked through this place.

It wasn't until we made our way down the hall that I finally heard sounds of gun fire and yelling. Cocking the gun in my hand I steadily held it up, ready to fire at a moment's notice.

"I can walk on my own," I told Peter, not wanting to encumber his ability to protect himself. He looked at me disbelievingly, but when a man with a machine gun appeared around the corner, he released me in order quickly deal with him. He quickly shot two webs, one to take away the gun, the other to knock him on his ass. He then jumped over to the man, knelt down, and knocked him unconscious.

I was about to tell him, good job, when several more soldiers appeared around the corner. Without thinking, I raised my gun and instantly took out one of them with a head shot. Peter knocked two of them to the floor, and was dragging them to him when the fourth man began to shoot. Terror seized me as I watched the bullets head towards Peter, but the kid seemed to barely avoid them, twisting, turning, and jumping out of the way. He webbed up the guy's hands to his gun, and was going after him when I noticed the two he'd attacked earlier stirring. I ran over, kicked one in the face while aiming a gun at the other's. My finger was ready to pull the trigger. They definitely deserved it, but it hadn't failed my notice that Peter hadn't killed a single person. I'd already killed one, on the other hand.

Pulling the soldier's gun out of his hands, I glared before shooting him in the leg. He yelled out in pain, but I simply walked away, knowing he was down for the count. He wouldn't be able to walk with that wound. Peter looked between me and the soldier, but said nothing. Vision suddenly appeared, and I felt relief, knowing that he'd be able to protect Peter better than I could.

"Hello, Mr. Stark," he greeted amiably, "are you ready to go?"

I couldn't help the laugh I gave as I nodded my head. Peter was back at my side, and I threw one arm over his shoulder, allowing him to help me out. I was exhausted, and near ready to collapse. Now that Vision was here, I wouldn't feel as guilty leaning on my kid.

As we made our way through the hallways, I realized we were actually in a large house, or small apartment building. Walking by a turned-on television and taking note of a calendar on the wall, I realized that I was in Turkey. What the hell?!

" _STARK!_ " a voice yelled, and all our eyes turned to see a bruised and bloodied Ross charging towards us, several soldiers with him. Each one of them carried rifles, and my blood ran cold with fear for Peter. He wasn't bullet proof. I immediately released my hold on the kid, taking a step away from him while I held up the gun I'd taken.

"Hey, Ross," I greeted with forced casualness. "Rough day?"

He responded with a frigid glare as he said, "You know I can't let you leave here alive."

"Really?" I asked in mock surprise. "Well, that's a surprise. Here I thought you were just going to let me go on my merry way. Not that I haven't loved your hospitality, but I've got places to be, y'know? I actually have a job, unlike you," I jabbed with a smirk.

Ross's face darkened, and he simply said, "Kill them all."

Gunshots start going off, Vision jumping in front of both Peter and me, and I instinctively covered the kid's body with my own. I felt a flash of pain, but ignored it. I wasn't going to allow my injuries stop me form protecting Peter. I heard Vision shoot off a blast from his stone, and that was followed by yells of fear and pain. More gunshots were heard, and glancing up, I realized they were coming from behind the soldiers. Panic ensued, so I rose my gun back up and started shooting, looking furiously for Ross. When the gunfire ended, the room was full of dead and wounded soldiers, and I saw Natasha standing at the other end, a cold look in her eyes. Peter immediately started shooting his webs to get all the guns lying around, in case those that were still alive tried to use them.

I felt dizzy, and my entire body felt like it was on fire, but I forced myself to move, wanting to find Ross. There was no way I was letting him get away, and if he was dead, then I wanted to know. Every step seemed to hurt, but I ignored the pain. I finally spotted Ross, and felt satisfaction at seeing him on the floor, clutching at a bloody wound in his shoulder. From a stain on his pants, I could tell he was also shot in the calf.

He was clearly in a lot of pain, but when he looked up at me through hateful eyes, he had a smirk on his face. I felt lightheaded, and the pain seemed to increase as I stood looking at him. I couldn't figure out why he was smirking when he'd clearly been beaten, but the answer became obvious when I heard Natasha call out my name in a quiet voice full of fear. I turned to look at her, and the brief shift of my legs, caused them to buckle, and I crashed to the floor hard.

I could hear the rapid beating of my heart, and it seemed to block out Ross's laughter, and the concerned voices of Natasha, Peter, and Vision. I looked down at myself, and suddenly realized why I felt like I was on fire. There was blood pouring out of my lower abdomen, and I looked at it in stunned fascination.

"Well, that sucks," I muttered, gasping sharply when I saw Peter place his hand on top of it. Natasha was telling him something, and Peter was crying. He was talking to me, but I couldn't make out what he was saying anymore. His tone was heartbroken and pleading, though, and I placed my hand on top of his, trying to provide him with comfort.

"It's okay," I whispered, not sure what I meant by that, but unable to stand the look of anguish on my little spider's face. I felt hands underneath me, and then felt myself being lifted. Agony shot through me, and I let out a loud yell.

Vision was holding me securely, and Peter was sobbing, but he kept his hand firmly on my wound. I kept my hand on top of it, wanting to ask him to ease up a little on the pressure, but somehow knowing he was doing that to help. Keeping pressure on the wound was a good thing, I think. I couldn't remember. It was getting harder to concentrate.

We began moving, and I found my eyes closing. Voices were yelling, but I paid no heed until I felt a sharp slap on my face. My eyes flashed open wearily to glare at Natasha, who was looking at me with more worry and fear than I could ever remember seeing on her face. I blinked, noticing that we were outside now, and that it was early morning. Bruce appeared out of nowhere, and when his eyes landed on me, his face seemed to lose all color. I wanted to tell him I was okay, but I couldn't manage to speak anymore.

There was more talking, and more worried faces. Bright lights and an annoying, loud sound appeared out of nowhere, and that was the last thing I remembered before I lost the battle with staying awake.

 **A/N:** Before you freak out or panic, NO, I will not be killing off Tony. He will survive, so take a breath, and try not to hate me for this supposed cliffhanger.

On another note, thank you for the continued reviews and for letting me know what parts you enjoy best. I've read your requests and I'll see what I can do. I've just started chapter 27 and its kind of the conclusion chapter to this one


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger, but it seemed like the place to end the chapter, hahaha! Glad the fighting sequence was okay though. I'm not the best action writer. My specialty is feelings.**

 **Chapter 25: Aftermath**

 **Peter's POV:**

Everything after finding out that Tony had been shot passed by in a blur. I remembered putting pressure on his wound, and feeling his blood soaking through my gloves and onto my hands. I remembered the feel of his clammy hand on top of mine, and how he told me, "It's okay." I didn't know what he meant by that, but he was definitely wrong. Nothing was okay, least of all him.

I barely remembered walking outside, the ambulance taking him away, or Vision forcing me to change into regular clothes before flying me to the hospital. Nat and Bruce had ridden in the ambulance, apparently. At some point we'd arrived at the hospital, and somehow I'd ended up in an uncomfortable chair in some crowded, noisy hallway. Vision stood across from me, Natasha standing just as still next to him while Bruce was next to me, his head in his hands. I had no idea how long we sat there, but my mind kept flashing to how dead Tony had looked.

I recalled hearing his yells, and bursting into the room he was kept in. Those men had been waterboarding him, and I'd been filled with more rage and fury than I could ever remember. I'd knocked out the three men in less than ten seconds, and if it hadn't been for the loud gasping Tony was doing, I think I may have killed them. Instead, I'd ripped off the sack from his head and stared into his haunted eyes. Releasing him from his restraints, I wanted to start crying when I felt his arms wrap around me. I held it together, though, letting Tony know that everything was fine and that I'd get him out of here.

When he'd gotten off the table, I'd taken my first good look at him as I rushed to keep him from falling. He had bruises all over, strange marks on his chest, and red, angry whip marks all over his back. He was shaking, and I had to force down my own sorrow and fear as I guided him out the room. Getting through the home hadn't been too difficult until we'd run into Ross. When the shooting started, Vision immediately jumped in front of Tony and I, and then Tony placed himself on top of me. I was stunned by his action. Things grew chaotic afterwards, and right when I thought everything would be okay, Tony was collapsing to the floor.

There'd been so much blood. Too much blood. It'd been leaking steadily out of his wound, and no matter what I'd done, I couldn't stop it. I stared at my hands to see Tony's blood was still on them. Feeling suddenly sick with horror, I got up and rushed to the nearest bathroom, collapsing on my knees and throwing up the second I made it to a toilet. As I dry heaved, and tears fell down my face I felt a soft, comforting hand on my back, and looked back to see Bruce kneeling on the ground with me. He didn't say anything, just allowing me to collect myself before helping me stand. He guided me to the sink, and washed my hands for me, scrubbing them until there was no more blood on them.

"Tony is strong," he finally spoke as he dried my hands. "He's also stubborn, and I promise you, he'll be just fine."

I stared at him with eyes full of hope and disbelief. "Please don't coddle me, Bruce," I spoke hoarsely, feeling he was just telling me what I wanted to hear.

He shook his head firmly, placing his hands on my shoulders. "I'm not," he stated seriously. "I don't know how I know, but I just do. Tony _will_ make it through this. He will survive. He's got too much to live for, and he won't let himself leave you and Pepper behind."

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I wanted so desperately to believe him, but how could he know something like this? "You can't force yourself to survive a gunshot wound," I argued weakly, my mind now flashing to Uncle Ben's dead body. "Stubbornness can't save you. Love can't save you. I'm not stupid, Bruce, I know what bullets can do. My uncle was killed by a gun, and I'm going to lose my dad now," I cried in agony, and Bruce pulled me in for a hug. It was the first time I'd been hugged by him, but I found his arms comforting and soothing. They were strong and they held me tight just like Tony did, and I lost the battle with my emotions. I began to sob, and he rubbed my back while telling me over and over again that everything would be okay, and that Tony would survive this.

I wished I could have his faith, but life had not been kind to me. My parents, uncle, and aunt had all been taken from me, and now life was going to take Tony. This wasn't fair. _This wasn't fair!_ I wouldn't be able to handle it if Tony died, _I wouldn't_.

"I need him," I cried to Bruce. "I need him so much, he can't leave me now! He's my dad, he's my dad, he's my dad, and he can't die! I can't lose anyone else, Bruce, I just can't!"

"You won't lose him," Bruce whispered fiercely, pulling away to look me in the eyes. "I swear to you, that you will _not_ lose him."

I looked at him, stunned by how strongly he believed his own words. Latching onto them in pure desperation, I let the words soothe my terror. I brought myself back under control, realizing that whatever happens, now wasn't the time for hysterics. I had to be strong.

"I'm sorry," I told Bruce, but he frowned deeply while shaking his head.

"You have nothing to apologize for," he stated firmly. "Your reaction was completely understandable and expected. If you're ready, let's head back and see if there's any news."

I wiped at my face before taking in a deep breath. Nodding at Bruce, I followed him out of the bathroom and back to the ugly, smelly, waiting hallway. Nat and Vis looked at us both in concern, and I offered them both a weak smile. I'd barely sat down, when a doctor came out and walked to Natasha. I jumped to my feet, following the doctor as he led us into a private area.

"He'll live," he stated, and sighs of relief were given all around. My knees went weak, but I forced myself to remain standing. The doctor went on to explain that it'd been a close call, and that Tony had coded once. He explained all the damage done by not just the bullet, but the torture. It seemed the marks on his chest had been caused by electrodes. I wanted to throw up again at realizing Tony had been electrocuted in addition to everything else.

As the doctor listed off Tony's injuries and what he'd done to treat them, I realized that he'd never referred to the waterboarding. I was the only one that knew that'd happened, so I felt the need to speak up, in case that torture could have led to damage they weren't aware of.

"Doctor, sir," I called out hesitantly, and all eyes turned to me. "When I—um, the people who found him told me they walked in on him being water boarded," I informed him, noting immediately the way all three Avengers tensed. The doctor frowned, thanking me for the information. He informed us that he'd look over Tony once more for any damage from that. We wouldn't be able to visit him until that was finished with, so we all walked back towards the noisy hallway.

Before we got there, though, Natasha stopped me, demanding I explain exactly what I'd witnessed when I'd rescued Tony. I recounted everything, and watched as her nostrils flare, a murderous look in her eyes. Bruce's eyes were closed, and he was breathing heavily while Vision's stone glowed brightly for several moments.

"I need to let Pepper know what's going on," Nat then stated, walking away quickly. We stayed where we were, instead of returning to the main hallway. Nobody stopped us, and I think it was only because of Vision. Not only was he strange looking, but there was a dark, foreboding expression on his face that I'd never seen. I understood their anger, but I was just too relieved that Tony was alive to let myself focus on that emotion.

Tasha joined us sometime later, and I looked at her, asking how Pepper was doing.

"As well as expected given the circumstances," she responded tiredly, before reaching out and running a hand through my hair affectionately.

"You did very well, Peter, and I'm sure Tony will be very proud of you," she asserted, and my heart warmed at the sincerity in her voice. A comfortable silence settled among us, and after what seemed like forever, the doctor from earlier came to retrieve us, letting us know Tony was as well as could be expected, and that we could visit.

"He is unconscious, but that is because we have him sedated," he explained as he led us into a small, dimly lit room. My heart seized as I caught sight of Tony. He looked like hell. There were bandages all over his chest, some on his arms, and even one on the side of his face. Wires were attached to him, and the sound of his heart beat filled the room. I walked to his bedside, and grabbed hold of his still hand. If it wasn't for the fact that I knew he was alive, and the sound of his heart monitor, I would've thought he was dead. He was so freaking pale, and he looked awful.

I noticed as Bruce and Natasha took the doctor aside and began to speak with him, but I ignored them, just settling in a chair on the side of the bed, and entwining my hand with Tony's. He was going to be just fine. He was alive, and he would heal from this. He would be just fine. Despite all the torture. Despite being waterboarded again. He _would_ be okay. Physically and _mentally_. He was the strongest man I'd ever met, and he would survive this just as he'd done everything else in his life; and he wouldn't have to do it alone. I'd be there for him every step of the way.

Natasha called for Vision, and he now stepped out of the room. I didn't have to wonder for long about what was going on as Nat and Bruce walked back into the room. "SHIELD doctors are on their way, and as soon as we get the go-ahead, we're going to fly Tony to HQ. He's not safe here, or anywhere outside the US. We don't know who else was working with Ross," she spoke.

"Where is Ross?" I asked, suddenly realizing I had no idea what'd happened with him after we left.

"He's secured and waiting for SHIELD to pick him up," she answered coldly, and I didn't bother asking what she meant by "secured".

"Where's Vision?" I asked next.

"The UN knows we were here, and that something happened," she informed me wearily. "Vision is going to meet with them to start damage control. T'Challa has been informed of what happened, and he's going to help out as well. I'm pretty sure Rhodey is also on his way."

I was stunned and horrified at the thought of the UN punishing any of them for what had happened.

"Don't worry, Peter," Nat stated firmly, catching sight of my expression. "With Ross in custody and Tony alive, we'll all be fine. We might receive a slap on the wrist for going on a rescue mission without permission, but seeing as it was Ross who did the kidnapping, we can claim lack of trust in the system."

She said all this with confidence, and I allowed myself to relax. I relaxed my upper body on the bed, and just watched as Tony's chest rose up and down. The sound of his breathing and the beeping of his heart monitor soothed me, and I found my eyes closing. I tried to fight off the sleep, but when I felt a hand rubbing at my back and Natasha telling me to sleep, I gave in to my exhaustion…

…I jolted awake at the sound of the heart monitor beeping rapidly. Looking at Tony in panic, I saw him moaning and thrashing in his bed. I stood up, shaking him while saying, "Tony, Tony, it's okay, you're safe. It's me Peter, and you're at a hospital. Wake up, wake up, wake up!" I begged, unable to stand seeing him like this.

He gave a loud gasp as he shot up, letting out a cry of pain as his hands flew to his side. Nurses rushed in, and I felt hands pulling me away. I was about to roughly shove them off until I saw it was Bruce. His eyes were focused on Tony, who was groaning and panting heavily from the pain he was in. The nurses tended to him, hooking back the IV that he'd accidentally yanked out. They asked him questions, but he completely ignored them, his eyes settling on Bruce and me. He seemed to visibly relax at seeing us, finally acknowledging the nurses around him.

The doctor arrived at this point, and the nurses moved aside as he looked Tony over. He lifted the now bloody bandage from his side, noting that he hadn't seemed to have damaged it anymore. Looking more closely, I noticed the bandages on Tony's back were also bloody. The doctor ordered the nurses to clean Tony's wounds again before bandaging him up once more, and he shooed us out, saying Tony would no doubt want privacy. I reluctantly allowed Bruce to pull me away.

Bruce wrapped a reassuring arm around him, murmuring that everything would be just fine, echoing the words I'd told Tony minutes before. I looked up at Bruce and felt the need to say, "Physically, yeah, but what about mentally?"

The older man paused before letting out a sigh. "It'll take time and work, but I'm sure he'll recover, especially with you and Pepper at his side. Tony knows he's no longer alone, and besides you and Pepper, he now has me, Nat, Happy, and Rhodey. We're all going to be there with him to make sure he recovers from this."

It took longer than I'd expected for us to be let back into the room, but when we did I was relieved to see Tony looking better than he had the first time we'd entered the room. He was awake, but only barely. They'd pumped him full of pain meds, and he was quickly fading back into sleep. I rushed to his side, grabbing hold of his hand and letting him know we would be heading home soon. I was pretty sure I saw gratitude in his eyes before they closed as he fell back asleep.

Bruce and I watched Tony sleep for less than an hour before Natasha appeared, followed by several people in SHIELD uniforms. I recognized some of them from the one time I'd spent in the HQ hospital. Tony's doctor walked in and spoke with the woman who seemed to be in charge. The doctor didn't seem happy about what was happening, but he didn't try to stop them as Tony was lifted and placed on a rolling stretcher. He was unhooked from the hospital monitors, and then hooked up to new ones before he began to be wheeled out.

He was completely surrounded to the point I couldn't even see him, but I didn't argue as I realized they were not only protecting him, but blocking him from being seen by anybody. I followed the entourage quickly, being led into one of the vans before being driven back towards a large jet I'd seen but never been in.

"Where's the quint jet?" I asked curiously, and Nat replied that Vision had taken it to go and meet the UN. I felt for Vision, and hoped everything was going well. At least he wouldn't be alone. I didn't know T'Challa, but I'd heard nothing but good things about him. Even though we'd technically fought together in Germany, I hadn't even exchanged a single word with the man. Rhodey was also on his way, and I knew he was more accustomed to dealing with these kinds of things than Vision.

We walked onto the jet, and Tony was once again transferred onto a more secure bed. The jet took off, and looking out the window, I was glad to see it seemed to fly as fast as the quint jet. I sat as near to Tony as I could get, and watched the medical team work. I found myself relaxing, knowing that we were on our way home. Home was safe, and home was where Pepper was. I knew I was worried sick, but I couldn't imagine what she was like. I grabbed my cell, and realized I should call her. I knew she'd spoken with at least Natasha, but Pepper would no doubt appreciate hearing from me as well. I knew she was no doubt worried about me as well.

Standing up and moving away from everyone, I dialed Pepper's number, and she picked up nearly right away.

"Oh my god, Peter, honey, how are you?" she asked rapidly, and I instantly assured her I was unharmed and fine before adding that we were on our way. She gave a huge sigh of relief, sounding near tears as she expressed her happiness that I was fine.

"How's Tony?" she then asked with deep concern, and I paused before answering honestly.

"He's in bad shape, but he'll be fine," I informed her, my own voice sounding choked up. "I wish we'd gotten there sooner," I admitted, my voice turning small.

"Don't do that to yourself, Peter," she declared firmly. "You did the best you could, and you saved him. That's all that matters. Dwelling on what if's will do you no good," she lectured wisely, and I bit my lip as I nodded. I suddenly wished she was here with me, so she could provide me with comfort and reassurances.

We spoke a little more, but I refrained from giving her any details about what happened. She didn't ask, thankfully, but I realized the conversation would be had at a later time. Eventually, Pepper and I said our goodbyes, and she assured me that she'd be in the hospital waiting for our arrival.

Hanging up, I wearily made my way back towards Tony. He was no longer pale, but his face was scrunched up as though he were in pain. I thought of pointing this out, but realized that they no doubt knew this already. They wouldn't leave Tony in pain if they had a choice.

Settling myself back down in a seat close him, I kept my eyes on the man the entire trip home. I was completely exhausted when we arrived at HQ, but the thought of seeing Pepper kept me going.

Tony was wheeled out and straight to the on base hospital where we were met by Pepper. She looked at Tony in horror before her eyes landed on me. Quickly closing the distance between us, she enveloped me in a hug, burying her head in my hair as she expressed her relief that I was unharmed and okay. I greedily took in her comfort, feeling tears falling down my cheeks. The fear of the day was hitting me once more, and she hugged me even tighter as I silently cried into her blouse. She slowly began to lead me somewhere, keeping an arm wrapped around me. Before realizing it, I found myself back in the living quarters. Instead of walking to my bedroom, though, Pepper led us down to her's. She led me to bed, helped me remove my shoes and tucked me in. I was too tired to fight the sleep, and feeling completely at peace for the first time since I'd found out Tony was kidnapped, I gave in to sleep.

 **Pepper's POV:**

I watched Peter sleeping, and felt torn. I wanted to be with Tony, but I also wanted to stay here with Peter. Knowing that Peter came first, though, I settled with letting Friday know to inform me if anything happened.

Looking at Peter, I felt pure relief once more to find him not only okay, but completely unharmed. He was completely exhausted, and emotionally spent from everything that had happened, but I knew with time, he'd recover. I was just glad that he was sleeping now. When he woke, I'd get him to shower before feeding him. Only then would I take him to see Tony.

My heart constricted painfully as I recalled the brief look I'd gotten at my love. He was in horrible shape. His entire upper torso was in bandages, and he seemed to be in pain. Natasha had informed me of his injuries and of what Tony had to have endured to have sustained those injuries. When she ended with how he'd been waterboarded, I'd nearly started sobbing in sorrow. The terror Tony must have felt as that happened had to have been unbearable. Physically he'd heal, but what mental state would he be in?

Looking back down at my exhausted son, I realized that I too had been running myself ragged. Realizing that now would be a good time to catch up on some needed sleep, I settled myself next to the boy, and closed my eyes. Listening to his quiet breathing helped lull me into sleep after only minutes…

…I woke up when I felt Peter stirring next to me. Opening my eyes, I saw that he was sitting up, looking around the room with some confusion. His memories clearly caught up to him, for he sucked in a breath, tensing before looking at me in panic.

"Tony!" he gasped, and I immediately sat up, assuring him that he was fine, and that if anything had changed, Friday would have woken us. He seemingly calmed, and I ordered him to shower and change. He looked down at his filthy clothes before agreeing. I too showered before heading up and preparing some food. Peter appeared looking much better than he had, and I shoved a large plate of food towards him. He eagerly ate every bite, and I felt satisfied that he really was okay.

When he finished, he looked up at me expectantly, and I knew he was ready to head to the med bay. We both made our way, and when we arrived I found both Natasha and Bruce, both looking more awake and refreshed than they had the last time I'd seen them.

"He hasn't woken yet," Bruce stated, "but the doctor isn't worried. With the injuries he's suffered, she felt the best way for him to heal was to remain sleeping."

I couldn't help but agree, even though I really wanted Tony to wake up. Being awake would mean he'd want to get out of here as soon as possible, and that he'd be pushing his limits when he shouldn't. I already assumed his recovery would take longer than normal, because it always did since he pushed himself too much.

"What's going on with the UN?" Peter questioned anxiously, and Natasha answered, "Things are rather chaotic, to be honest. Ross's actions have stunned them, and it puts the United States in a difficult position. He is one of our own military members, a general to boot. No one foresees any consequences towards the Avengers, but our US ambassador is going to be taking on a lot of heat. They're also going to want an exact recount of what happened from Tony once he's awake."

"Not until he's strong enough," I asserted, and Nat nodded her head. "We'll do what we can to keep those wolves at bay, but he'll have to talk with them eventually. This isn't going to be like Afghanistan where he gets away without explaining anything to anyone."

"They're not going to force him to talk about what he went through," I said through gritted teeth.

"Once Tony is strong enough, no politician will be able to force him to talk about something he doesn't want to," Bruce spoke with mild amusement. "He'll talk circles around them, and still give them very little information."

I found myself relaxing at Bruce's words, knowing them to be very true. We'd just have to make sure we held off on the interrogation until Tony wasn't drugged with pain medication, and had the wherewithal to deal with some bloodsucking politicians.

A nurse popped through the sliding doors, a large grin on his young face as he declared, "He's awake." We all swarmed him immediately, throwing out questions and concerns, and the nurse's grin turned nervous as he held up his hands to us.

"U-uh, he just woke up, and the nurses are checking him over," he explained, not letting us all rush past him. "You can't all go in at the same time or you'll overwhelm him. He's really tired and sore, so only two people at a time, please."

Bruce and Natasha stepped back, and I gave them a nod before following behind the nurse with Peter. We were led into a spacious room, and were greeted by Tony gracing us with a genuine smile.

"Hi guys," he greeted, his voice sounding rough. I melted at hearing his voice and seeing him awake. Peter rushed the bed and seemed to barely resist from throwing himself at Tony. Instead, he just looked at Tony with eyes full of utter relief.

"I'm so glad you're alive," he whispered tearfully, but he managed to keep from crying.

"Me too, little spider," Tony replied softly, reaching a hand out to pat the boy's cheek.

I walked to his other side, leaned down, and kissed him on the lips deeply. I heard him give a moan, and smirked at the response. The overly dramatic gagging noise from our teenager broke the moment, and I giggled at Peter's tightly closed eyes.

Noticing this, Tony remarked in both jest and seriousness, "Mom and Dad are going to need some alone time when I'm feeling a little better, Petey, so plan a sleepover at Ned's place."

I laughed loudly now as the poor boy's face turned bright red with embarrassment. His eyes looked everywhere but at us, and I felt bad, so I gave Tony a warning look to stop the teasing. Thankfully, Dr. Matthews walked in, allowing Peter to regain his normal coloring.

"Good to see you awake, Mr. Stark," she greeted warmly. "How do you feel?"

"Ready to get out of the hospital," he responded, and I shook my head at his stubbornness.

"I'm afraid I can't allow that," the doctor responded kindly and knowingly. "You've endured torture, been shot, and nearly died; and all this occurred less than 24 hours ago. You're lucky to be alive," she stated seriously, and I looked to Tony with barely concealed relief. I'd almost lost him. I couldn't fathom that thought, and the consequences of what his death would've brought on me and Peter. I had to push all those what if's out of my mind, or I would've burst into hysterical tears at the moment. I settled, instead, with just laying my hand on his shoulder, reassuring myself that he was alive and here at my side.

"What's the damage, then?" Tony asked, his voice now bereft of humor. I'll admit, I was surprised not that he was asking, but that he was asking with both Peter and I present.

"Do you remember everything that occurred?" Dr. Matthews first asked, and he nodded his head somewhat unsure.

"I was drugged, kidnapped, had the crap beat out of me, and ended up shot," he recounted blandly. I flinched, and he just me an apologetic look.

"That is correct," the doctor replied before beginning to explain his injuries. He had two broken ribs and four bruised ones. There were burn marks on his chest from the electrocution, but miraculously, no real internal damage.

"Yeah, they didn't do it long enough," Tony muttered nonchalantly, but I could hear the relief in his voice.

"The whip marks on your back will heal, but they will also leave scars," Dr. Matthews continued regretfully, and I held back another flinch. I had yet to see those marks, but looking at Peter's pale complexion, I knew it wasn't pretty.

"The gunshot, obviously, is what caused the worst damage. One of your kidneys and the large intestine were both damaged, but the doctors in Turkey did an amazing job at repairing those, and saving you from losing a kidney," she explained. "All that's left now is giving your body time to recover, which means lots and lots of rest," she declared, her voice turning stern and she leveled Tony with a mild glare. "I've known you, Mr. Stark, long enough to know that resting is not in your dictionary, but unless you'd like to cause yourself worse injury and/or lengthen your recovery time, you _will_ follow my instructions."

"Oh, I guarantee you, Doctor, that he will follow your directions to the tee," I stated firmly, giving Tony a very serious look. He would not be further injuring himself with me around...at least, I hoped I could get him to listen to me.

"I would recommend you stay on the base," Matthews suggested, "as we'll be here if anything happens, but that is up to you."

"Peter doesn't start school for another two weeks, so we'll stay until then," I informed her, looking at Peter to see what he thought. He just nodded his head in complete understanding, and I smiled at him. I'd make sure to get Ned and MJ here, so that they could spend some time together before school started again.

"How many days until you'll release me from this hell hole?" Tony now asked, and the doctor smirked before replying, "I recommend at least one more day only, since you will be staying on base."

He let out a sigh of relief, muttering, "Thank god."

I smiled fondly as I knew how much he detested hospitals. I mean, nobody liked them, but Tony seemed to have an even stronger aversion to them than most. I had no doubt that if Matthews had said he'd have to be here longer than a day, Tony would have found a way to escape.

Dr. Matthews left us alone now, and I grasped one of Tony's hands in mine. He looked exhausted, but his complexion was definitely better than when I'd first seen him. His entire torso was covered in bandages, and I could tell that despite the pain meds they had him on, he was still in pain. Every breath, no doubt, hurt due to the broken ribs, and his back had to be hurting as well. I felt for him as there would be no way for him to find a comfortable, pain-free position to sleep or even relax in. Recovery was going to be awful.

"Alright, fill me in on everything from the moment you found out about my kidnapping until now," he ordered firmly, and I began the tale, Peter taking over when it came to the rescue.

"Whose bright idea was it to bring you along?" he questioned, and Peter frowned uncertainly before I answered, "Natasha's, but I didn't argue. They needed all the help they could get."

Tony's eyes flashed to mine and I noticed the brief seconds of anger before they turned to understanding. "You saved my butt, kiddo," he now stated, giving Peter a grateful look. "You did great, and I wanted to tell you even then that I was really proud of you."

Peter's face lit up, his eyes brightening, and I knew Tony's words meant the world to him. "I did for you what you would've done for me," he stated, and Tony smiled as he ruffled the teen's hair affectionately.

Watching the scene, my heart warmed. Everything was alright now. They weren't perfect, as I knew the physical recovery would be tough, and the mental recovery even worse. I'd have to get Tony to talk to me instead of burying what happened like he'd done with Afghanistan. He would have to let us help him if he wanted to overcome this.

I didn't focus on any of this right now, though, choosing instead to just live in the moment.

 **A/N: I've got a lot of people asking for Steve to show up. At first I was totally against the idea but now I'll just say that I'll bear it in mind. No promises.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW! Interest seems to be waning!**

 **I've started chapter 28**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Very glad to know so many of you are still interested!**

 **Okay, I see a lot of people want Steve to come back, but I am telling you I don't know when that will be. Also, there won't be any Steve/Natasha romance if and when he returns. I'm sticking with Bruce and Nat, although admittedly I'm not planning on focusing on their relationship.**

 **Lots of angst in this chapter, so prepare yourselves!**

 **Chapter 26: Scars of the Past**

 **Peter's POV:**

Two weeks had gone by since Tony's kidnapping, and we had just returned to our home in New York city. Tony's healing was going slowly as the man didn't know what taking it easy meant. He was constantly moving and working, and he refused to take his pain medication, saying he didn't need it; which was a bold face lie. I watched him walk out of the elevator with careful steps, his face pale and sweaty. I didn't understand why he was being so stubborn. Why couldn't he just rest? Why couldn't he just take the damn pain meds? What was he trying to prove?

Things had been difficult since the kidnapping. The UN wasn't letting things slide by as easily as Natasha had assumed. They were out for blood, and they wanted interrogate Tony as soon as possible. I didn't understand what the UN's problem was, and why they needed Tony. Ross kidnapped and tortured him, end of story. Lock the asshole up and throw away the key! All this bullshit had made things stressful at HQ, and I was happier than ever to be out of there. Now, we wouldn't have to be surrounded daily by the drama of the Avengers. Now, Tony wouldn't have as many distractions.

The man needed to sleep. The dark circles under his eyes were more prominent than ever. I didn't know if it was nightmares, pain, or something else that was keeping him up. At HQ, his lab was right outside his bedroom, and I only went down to his and Pepper's quarters when I really needed to. I still wasn't allowed in his lab, and I hadn't felt like pushing that rule with the state Tony was in. He really needed to sleep, though, and I wasn't sure what to do.

Pepper seemed more tired as well, and Tony was no doubt the cause. Pepper was constantly trying to get Tony to rest, relax, eat, and sleep, while Tony seemed keen to do anything but that. I didn't understand him at all. He was getting irritable because of the exhaustion and pain, and I'd been snapped at more than once for a variety of lame reasons. He'd even swatted me a half dozen times once for just arguing with him when he was ordering _me_ to go to bed. I'd called him a hypocrite, and he clearly hadn't appreciated my honesty.

I started school tomorrow, and I didn't want to go. Tony needed me here, especially since Pepper would have to start going to work more regularly. After our vacation in California, and the two weeks she'd taken off for Tony's recovery, she was bogged down with tons of work. She'd be travelling, and I needed to stay home in order to make sure Tony was cared for.

I'd mentioned this to Pepper, but she'd immediately vetoed my idea.

"Absolutely not, Peter, you are going to school," she declared firmly. "Tony is a grown man, more than capable of watching over himself for a few hours. I know he's been making things more difficult for himself and us, but he and I don't want you putting your education on hold for something like this."

I knew from her tone that arguing would be futile, so while I didn't believe or agree with her, I'd kept my mouth shut.

"Besides, don't you want to see Ned and MJ," she remarked in a lighter tone, and I'll admit that I did. I'd only seen them once since we'd been upstate, and it'd been for a short while. I'd really missed them, but I still felt Tony's well-being took precedence. It wasn't as though they'd stop being friends with me for not being at school. Once again, though, I kept my thoughts to myself. Pepper could be much like Tony, that when they made their mind up about something, then there was no changing it. Pushing would only result in anger.

"Do you have everything you need for tomorrow?" Pepper now asked, and I nodded my head. As a junior, I knew how things went, and what supplies I'd need, so I wasn't worried.

"And are you sure you don't want me to drop you off?" she then asked, her brow furrowed in concern.

"No, Pepper," I answered in exasperation as she'd asked me this question multiple times already. "I'm a junior now, and _sixteen_ ," I attempted to explain again. "I can drive myself now that my license is no longer suspended."

For some reason, she still didn't look convinced, but she nodded her head anyways. I sighed in relief. No matter how famous she was, a guy didn't need to be driven to school by his mom when he was perfectly capable of driving himself.

She smiled, kissing me on top of the head before going over to Tony, and guiding (forcing) him to their bedroom. He protested loudly, saying he wasn't tired, but Pepper told him _she_ was the one that was tired, and that she slept better with Tony there. Now, I'm sure if Tony wasn't so exhausted, he would've seen through her manipulation, but since he wasn't, he ceased his protests and went along with her. I smirked in amusement before heading to my bedroom and throwing myself onto my bed.

I pulled out my phone and set up a three-way video message with Ned and MJ.

"Hi guys," I greeted happily when they both picked up. They returned my greetings just as cheerfully before asking about Tony.

"He's still being an idiot who won't relax or sleep, which means he just gets pissed really easily," I explained in both exasperation and anger. "I hate seeing him walk around in pain because he's too stubborn to take his pain pills for some goddamn reason, and I hate getting my head bitten off for every little thing!"

"Tell us how you really feel, Peter," MJ remarked calmly, and I responded with a small, apologetic smile.

"Sorry, I'm just so frustrated and annoyed with him," I explained, and they both expressed their understanding.

"Well, you'll get away starting tomorrow," Ned said. "I mean, it's school and all, but I'm sure it'll be less tense than being stuck in that penthouse with Tony 24/7."

"I'll admit, I don't know Mr. Stark at all," MJ said, "so is this behavior normal for him?" I frowned as I forgot that she'd only been briefly introduced to Tony when she'd visited the base. They'd actually never had a conversation with each other, so all MJ knew of Tony was what she'd seen in the media and what Ned and I had told her.

"He's always been stubborn, yeah," I informed her, "but I've never seen him be this self-destructive. He won't talk to anybody, and he has to. He was tortured for god's sake, and he's blowing it off like it was _nothing_!"

"It can't be easy to talk about that," MJ remarked sympathetically, "especially not to you. He won't want to come off as weak, I'd assume."

"My dad is the same way," Ned added knowingly. "Remember that time he got in that bad bus accident?" he asked, and I nodded my head. "Well, he got pretty messed up, but he refused any of mine or my mom's help, which just made things more difficult for all of us. Instead of not taking his meds, though, he ended up getting addicted, but fortunately, my mom along with my aunts and uncles intervened and talked some sense into him."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise, not having known this. It had been like five years ago, and I guess we hadn't been as close then.

"It must be a guy thing," MJ said drily. "My brother acts the same. He's in jail and being charged with murder, and he's worried about _me_."

I sighed heavily, glad to know that they understood my predicament, but knowing that it still didn't change anything. Neither one had said they'd been able to talk their dad or brother out of being stupidly masochistic. Although, Ned had mentioned an intervention. Maybe I'd get the Avengers, Happy, and Pepper to knock some sense into Tony. I filed that thought away.

"Pepper is going to be working a lot now, since she took so much time off, so Tony's going to be home alone a lot more," I informed them, and they both grimaced in sympathy. "I asked her if I could just stay here, but she shot me down without listening to reason," I complained grouchily. "School is more important," I mocked in a false high pitch.

Ned snorted in amusement while MJ rolled her eyes fondly.

"Adults," MJ said with a shrug, to which Ned and I both nodded.

"Mr. Parker," Friday interrupted, and I grunted in response.

"Ms. Potts says it's time for bed," she said, and I balked, staring at the ceiling in horror.

"It's only 10PM!" I gasped in surprise, and there was a moment's pause before Friday spoke once more. "Ms. Potts says that tomorrow is the first day of school and that you need your rest."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," I complained with a huff, and I was beyond grateful when Friday asked, "Would you like me to relay that message?"

"No, no, no, Friday, no! God, no!" I exclaimed in a panic, my heart hammering at the thought of how Pepper would respond to the disrespectful response. I could hear snickering from both my so-called _friends_.

"Shall I tell her you are going to bed, or are we going to continue using me as the messenger?" Friday then questioned annoyingly

I let out a loud sigh of frustration before deciding the best course of action was just to give in. God, why was she treating me like such a child? I was sixteen and I didn't need a bed time!

"I guess this means, goodnight," MJ remarked with a smirk, and I glared. Her smirk widened before she said, "See ya tomorrow," and hung up.

Ned at least attempted to look sympathetic before wishing me a goodnight and hanging up.

I glared up at the ceiling and threw my phone angrily at the wall, causing a hole to appear. Crud. I heard a door opening, and groaned internally as I heard quick footsteps making their way to my room. There was a knock, and I muttered, "Come in."

The door opened and Pepper walked in, eyebrows already raised in question as she looked around my room, easily spotting the new hole. Her hands went to her hips and she turned to me with narrowed eyes. I opened my mouth to offer some half-hearted explanation or apology, but she just held up a hand to keep me quiet.

"I honestly don't care why you did it," she began sternly, "but let's just put an end to whatever _this_ is. I know things are difficult right now, and I know that Tony isn't making things easy for either one of us. Because of that, I need you, Peter, to keep this childish attitude of yours in check. I don't have the time nor the patience to deal with it at the moment."

I glared at that last comment, feeling like she was implying that I was being a bother. It hurt, but I wasn't going to let her know that.

Pepper's expression showed extreme displeasure once she noticed my expression, and she walked right up to me. "Listen here, young man, I know it is Tony who normally deals with your punishments, but that doesn't mean that I can't or won't if the need arises," she threatened, and my glare was replaced with uncertainty. I understood immediately what she was implying, and was not in any hurry to push her into following through.

"Buck up, and be the mature young man I know you to be," she continued, her tone and face softening. "I know you're concerned about Tony, but right now, I need your focus to be on school. Leave Tony to me, Happy, and the Avengers. We'll get him in shape, don't you worry."

I frowned, looking down at my lap, before sighing. "Fine," I mumbled with a nod.

This clearly wasn't the response Pepper wanted, but she only pursed her lips before nodding back at me. "Get some sleep," she ordered. "I'm going to have Friday keeping an eye on you, and trust me when I say, you don't want me having to come back in here."

My frowned deepened at the threat, but I nodded nonetheless. I honestly wasn't used to seeing this side of Pepper, and I didn't like it at all. Ending up on her bad side didn't sound like a good idea, so I settled with just going to bed. Getting up and grabbing some pajamas, she seemed satisfied, because she left my room.

Dumb parents and their coddling. I wasn't a child anymore, so they didn't have to continue treating me like one.

I sighed angrily when I got back onto my bed. One parent was being a stubborn, irritable, jerk, while the other was being an overprotective mother hen! Ugh!

I lay on my bed, tossing and turning, my mind whirling with different thoughts. I really wasn't looking forward to school and having to deal with homework and idiots like Flash. I doubt he'd gotten any more mature over the summer. I also knew that I'd be worrying about Tony the entire time, which would make paying attention difficult. Not ideal conditions for making a good first impression.

I wondered how I could help Tony without getting him angry with me. He hadn't exactly been approachable lately, which made things worse. Had this been prior to the kidnapping, I would've felt more comfortable confronting him about his lack of sleep and stuff like that, but now…well, now I didn't have the guts. My mind constantly went back to the state I'd found him in, and how he'd looked when he'd been shot. I kept seeing him dying in my dreams and blaming me for not getting to him in time.

I swallowed thickly at that thought, tears prickling at my eyes. In all honesty, I hadn't been sleeping that great either, but I'd done a good job of hiding and handling it. I'd managed to get naps during the days, and in all honesty, I wasn't being watched as closely as before. I'd convinced Friday to keep her trap shut, saying that informing Tony or Pepper would just affect Tony's recovery. Above all else, Friday's priority was Tony, so she'd kept her word.

A part of me knew I needed to talk about my nightmares, but the person I wanted to talk to them about wasn't open to talking. God, I was feeling so conflicted about Tony right now. I was furious with him. I missed him. I was exasperated with him. I felt sorry for him. I wanted to help while also wanting to punch him in the face.

Then, there was Pepper, who was stuck in the middle of all this. She was doing what she could for Tony, but the idiot was pushing against her as well. I really, _really_ didn't understand him. Pepper didn't seem surprised, though, and when asked, she admitted that he'd been much worse than this after Afghanistan. I couldn't imagine that, but I guess there was a lot of truth when Tony admitted ages ago to me that he used to be different.

I tried to sleep, but it just wouldn't come. I was too keyed up, and I wanted to just go out as Spiderman, but I knew I'd just land myself in trouble. I really didn't mean to get on Pepper's nerves, but I did feel she was starting to suffocate me. Just because Tony was injured didn't mean I needed to be stowed away from all harm.

I continued to toss and turn before giving up on sleep entirely. I didn't want to sleep anyway, since I didn't want to have a nightmare. Stupid sleep. Stupid nightmares.

"Hey Friday," I called out quietly, "Is Pepper asleep?"

"Yes, she is," she replied.

"And Tony?" I then asked.

"He is in his lab," she answered, and I sighed unhappily. Should I confront him? What would I say?

"How does he look?" I decided to ask. "Is he in pain?"

There were several moments of silence, and I felt that Friday was considering whether she could or should answer my question. Eventually, she responded with concern, "Mr. Stark is not doing well. He was woken by a nightmare, and he does seem to be in pain. I would not recommend, though, Peter, that you go and speak with him."

"Why not?" I asked curiously.

"He seems quite agitated," was her answer. "I fear his temper may get the best of him if you were to bother him right now."

I frowned concernedly, wanting even more to go and speak with Tony. If he was really doing so poorly, should he really be alone?

"Is he drinking?" I now pressed hesitantly. I'd seen Tony drink before, but I'd never seen him drunk, and honestly, I realized that it'd been some time since I'd seen a drink in his hand. That didn't mean I wasn't aware of the fact that he used to drink a lot; and, Tony had already admitted to me that he'd used drinking to deal with his issues.

"No, he is not," Friday replied, and I sighed in relief, glad things hadn't gotten that bad.

I wondered now if I should wake Pepper up, but decided against it. She needed her sleep, and if Tony really was agitated, I didn't want Pepper to have to deal with him either.

I groaned loudly, before going and finding my phone. Sitting back on my bed, I decided to just play on my phone for the rest of the night, asking Friday to please not inform Pepper that I wasn't sleeping. Friday agreed with some reluctance, informing me not to make a habit of this or she wouldn't cover for me again.

"You get me into trouble, you know," she remarked unhappily, and I raised my eyebrows in surprise, never having anticipated that Tony would get upset with her for all the times she'd kept things from him because I'd asked.

"Sorry, Fri," I apologized sincerely. "I don't want you to get in trouble."

"I know," she stated drily, "which is the only reason I've gone along with some of your ridiculous ideas."

I thanked her, marveling once more at how life-like Friday was. I forgot so often that Tony had actually created her, because she definitely seemed to have a mind of her own. She made her own decisions and she seemed to learn. She was amazing.

The rest of the night passed slowly, and when it was around 6AM, I got myself up and showered before going out to grab some breakfast. When I saw Pepper, I perked up, giving her a smile in order to mask how tired I was. She, thankfully, seemed well rested, though I could see the concern in her eyes, concern for Tony.

"How's Tony?" I asked her, and she let out a sigh as she ran a hand through my hair.

"He's alright," she replied. "He was up most the night again, but he's back in our room, and says he's going to take a nap." I wondered if that's what would actually happen, and I had a feeling she was wondering the same thing.

"Are you sure I shouldn't stay her?" I pressed once more, and she immediately shook her head, her expression now stern.

"Absolutely not, Peter, and no more asking or I'll feel the need to make sure you make it to school," she warned, and I held up hands of surrender.

"Okay, okay, I'll go to school," I said. She eyed me critically before nodding and giving me a kiss on the forehead. She said good luck and goodbye before heading out for work. I finished my breakfast before deciding to just head to school.

When I arrived, I couldn't help but smile at seeing MJ sitting out on a bench in the front with a book in her hands. She noticed me, and smiled widely, which caused butterflies to flutter in my stomach. God, she was beautiful. I froze momentarily at that thought, wondering again if I actually had a crush on her. I mean, I loved hanging out with her, and yeah, I thought she was good looking. I suddenly felt the need to talk to Tony.

"Good morning, Peter, sleep well?" she greeted with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes before shrugging my shoulders. "Well enough," I commented, and she just shot me a disbelieving look.

"Oh, so those dark circles under your eyes are just makeup?" she asked casually, and I huffed while shaking my head.

"I just had a lot of thoughts going through my head," I admitted, and her teasing look subsided to be replaced with understanding. She touched my shoulder, and said she was available to talk to if I needed it. I thanked her.

Ned appeared now, bounding over to us cheerfully. He seemed full of energy and was so excited to see us both. His mere presence seemed to fill me with energy, and my problems seemed to melt away momentarily. As we walked into the school together, the conversation remained light, and I knew both my friends were trying to distract me. We got our schedules, and I was glad to see I had at least one of them in all my classes, and we all shared two classes together.

"Awesome!" Ned cried, looking between all our schedules. "We've got _four_ classes together," he said to me, and we did our secret handshake. MJ rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless at us.

"Unfortunately," MJ noted unhappily as she looked to me, "we've seemed to have ended up with Mr. Hurtado as our science teacher, and I've heard nothing good about him." I let out a groan in agreement. Hurtado had to be one of the worst teachers in the school. He was an older man who really should've retired several years ago. He was one of those stuck in his ways teacher who didn't do well with change. He was grouchy, had no sense of humor, and showed no understanding and leniency. I sighed unhappily as science had always been my favorite class.

"And it's our first period class, of course," MJ griped, and I let out another groan.

Ned looked at us both in sympathy, although he couldn't help but brag that his science teacher was Mr. Anyanwu, who was one of the favorite teachers of the school. Lucky duck.

We spent the rest of the morning discussing our classes and teachers before MJ and I parted ways with Ned to head to our first class of the day. We made sure to get there early enough to get a seat in the back. Rumor had it that he spits a lot when he talked, which meant the front row was the wet zone. Didn't know if this was the truth, but we didn't want to chance it. We also didn't feel like bringing attention to ourselves.

Flash walked in soon after us, and I bit back a groan. He looked glum to be here, and surprisingly, he sat himself in the back with us.

"Rotten luck, huh?" he murmured moodily, and I couldn't help but nod in agreement. "I'm going to see if I can get switched later. Come up with any excuse, or convince my parents to request a change."

I raised my eyebrows, wondering if I could get Pepper to call on my behalf.

MJ grabbed onto my arm and glared as she whispered, "Hell no, Peter. You're not going to leave me alone in this class."

I smiled sheepishly before nodding. "I guess we'll suffer together," I sighed dramatically.

The bell rang, and all humor was sucked out of the room as Hurtado marched in like a military man. He had the buzz cut, and was dressed in a suit. Aside from the principal, he was the only faculty member to ever wear a suit.

"Good morning, and welcome to Physics," he greeted gruffly. "I'm Mr. Hurtado, and whatever rumors you've heard about me are probably true," he admitted unashamedly. Clearly, he didn't give a shit about what others thought. Nice trait in some people, I supposed.

"I don't put up with childish antics, and I don't put up with whatever ridiculous excuses you lot come up with about your homework, classwork, projects, and exams," he explained, staring us all down. "I don't accept late work, period. If you're absent, check my website, because I'm not going to give you an extra day, unless you've got a note from a doctor saying you're hospitalized." I frowned, finding that rather unfair. Was he even allowed to do that? MJ and I exchanged a look, and she mimed getting hanged, which caused me to snort.

"You two in the back!" Hurtado snapped, and MJ and I both looked to the older man. "Day one and you already think you don't have to pay attention? Clearly, I can tell that I'm going to have to keep you two lovebirds apart. Names," he demanded, and I couldn't help but flush at being singled out, and that he'd described MJ and I as lovebirds.

"Michelle," MJ gave in a bored tone.

"Peter," I gave, narrowing my eyes at the man before adding, "and we're friends, not lovebirds. As a scientist, you should know better than to make assumptions with no evidence." I wasn't sure what made me say all that, but it was worth it by the look of awe MJ was shooting me. Beside me, Flash was choking on his laughter, and I saw several of my classmates shooting me approving grins. Hurtado, obviously, didn't appreciate my words.

"Peter _Parker_?" the man asked, and my brow furrowed at his tone. I gave a single nod, shooting him an expression that said, 'so what?'

"I will not stand for any cheek from hormonal teenagers, so congratulations, Mr. Parker, you've got lunch detention with me on the first day of school," he informed me, and I looked at him in surprise and dismay. "I'm sure your _parents_ will be so proud," he then remarked snidely, and I stiffened, clenching my fists tightly as I outright glared.

MJ placed a hand on my arm to keep me from saying anything, and her look of anger along with many of my classmates looking shocked and upset on my behalf kept me from speaking. Flash even wrote a note on his notebook to me that read, 'What an asshole. Way to stick it to the man, though.'

I couldn't help but smirk at him. It was so odd. It seemed the days of Flash tormenting me were over. I'd earned his respect in the lamest of ways, but I wasn't going to argue. In this class, if it meant having another person on my side, then I wasn't going to argue.

The rest of the class passed by slowly and agonizingly. I kept my mouth shut and my expression blank, despite the looks Hurtado was giving me. What the hell was his problem? Was he really that pissed by my comment? Class ended, and I ran out before we'd been dismissed. If asked, I'd claim ignorance. Whatever.

We met up with Ned for history, and informed him of what happened. He was suitably outraged on my behalf, and told me that I should tell Tony and Pepper. I waved off his advice.

"It's been one class. I'm not going to bother them because he made a stupid comment. It's not like the whole school knows about my situation, anyways," I argued, and he frowned doubtfully.

"I can't believe he gave you lunch detention on the _first_ day," he complained. "I mean, jeez, what an a-hole!"

I managed to make it through the next three classes without incident, happy to know my other teachers didn't seem like jerks. When the lunch bell rang, I unhappily bid my friends good bye before making my way to Hurtado's room. He bade me enter, and had me sit in one of the desks in front.

"Mr. Parker," he spoke thoughtfully, "Or is it Mr. _Stark_ now?"

I sucked in a breath, wondering how he'd known. Did the school tell all my new teachers who my real guardians were? But then, why the comment regarding my parents? Well, I guess Tony and Pepper were my parents, but…I looked uneasily at the man.

"It's Parker," I corrected. "We're keeping my adoption a _secret_ , so please keep that information private." I wasn't sure if I had a right to order him, so I forced out the please. I also didn't think we could force the school to keep who my guardians were a secret. I think the only reason they did so, was because the principal had a heart, and understood the dangers of the world knowing Tony Stark was my adopted father.

"So, it's true," he remarked with a shake of his head. " _The_ Tony Stark is your adopted father? How'd you manage that?"

I didn't care for the snide tone he was using. He clearly didn't care for Tony, and I realized now why he'd been treating me so poorly. Yeah, he didn't care for my comment, but he cared even less for Tony. His words also informed me that it hadn't been the principal who'd informed him of my guardianship. He wouldn't have been surprised if they had.

"None of your business," I responded rudely, and the man's eyes narrowed.

"Well, clearly he's failed to teach you about respecting your elders, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised" he said mock disappointment. "I'm just curious as to what else he's _failed_ to teach you. I've looked over your file," he continued, pulling out a manila folder full of papers, "and it seems that ever since you met Stark, your attitude has gone downhill. Social services were even contacted a one point."

I remained silent, fighting back a glare. What did he want?

"I can't believe that _man_ is considered a suitable guardian giving who he is and what he's done," he commented, more to himself than me. I couldn't help but wonder what he had against Tony. Had Tony done something to him, or was it just because?

"He's the best guardian ever," I defended hotly. "He's a great dad, and Pepper's a great mom."

"Oh, yes, of course they are," he responded sarcastically, still looking over my files. "So excellent that you ran away for a couple days, ditching school, and then being arrested. So excellent that you _choked_ a fellow classmate. So excellent that you brought alcohol to school and decided that skipping class and drinking was a good choice. Tell me, Peter, how does this make the _famous_ Tony Stark a good guardian?"

"What I do is nobody's fault but my own," I snapped heatedly. "Tony isn't to blame. Social services did show up, and they found nothing wrong with my situation. I'm sure you'll see _that_ in the file as well. If you're still not convinced, then talk to my teachers from last year."

"Oh, I did," he replied silkily. "Apparently, you're quite smart, but lazy and easily distracted. From the moment you met Mr. Stark and began that internship with him, your grades began dropping, and you were even failing multiple classes at one point."

"I was grieving," I hissed. "My aunt _died_ last year, and my grades had nothing to do with Tony. _He's_ the reason I increased my grades, and if you'll look at my final report card, you'll see that I got all As and Bs."

He just snorted, throwing my file back on the desk before leaning on his desk to look at me. "Well, looks like he's got you wrapped around his little finger, doesn't it," he mentioned rhetorically, and I gritted my teeth, not understanding what his deal was. "Let me tell you now, young Mr. _Stark_ , I don't care who your adopted daddy is, but you're not going to get away with _anything_ in my class this year. I will be watching your every move. I will be looking at everything you do and everything you turn in _very_ closely," he informed me. "Any disrespect, any hint that you're screwing around or _cheating_ in my class, and I will make your life miserable. No spoiled brat of an arrogant man who believes himself above the law will skate through my class."

"What the hell is your problem?!" I finally spat out, standing up in anger. "I said one little comment, and you're acting like I've done something awful. And, how dare you insult my dad!" I lectured furiously. "You don't know a _thing_ about Tony, so keep your goddamned mouth shut, you bastard! He's the greatest man I've ever known, and just because you're jealous or whatever, doesn't mean you can say what you want about him or take your anger out on me. I'm not a pushover that's just going to bend to your will."

Hurtado stood up, and while he clearly seemed incensed, there was also a sense of triumph. Damn. He'd been baiting me, I realized too late.

"Thank you for proving everything I thought correctly, young man," he spoke coolly. "Related or not, that man has been nothing but a bad influence on you, and you're too star struck to realize it. I plan on contacting social services and informing them of what's going on, and I'm going to make sure you get placed in a home with guardians that will teach you some respect," he threatened, and I was struck with sudden fear. He couldn't do that, right? I couldn't get taken away from Tony and Pepper, right? They wouldn't stand for it!

Outright glaring now, I stepped up to his desk. With false bravado, I then told him, "Screw you, old man. You're the arrogant one, and I'll get you fired. My dad is _Tony Stark_ , and I promise he'll make your life hell for what you're saying to me," I threatened, not really planning on saying anything to Tony.

I figured my words would further incense Hurtado, but I didn't expect for his face to turn red, and his tone to turn to raw fury as he said, "He's already made my life hell."

I fell silent, not knowing how to respond to that. I was curious, but I didn't want to ask or know what he was talking about. We stared each other down, neither one blinking before Hurtado pushed his phone to me.

"Call him," he ordered, "and go ahead and tell him why you're here. As a concerned teacher, I'd like to talk with your guardian about your attitude."

My stomach sank as I stared between him and the phone. There was no way I was going to call Tony. The man was injured, and hopefully he was resting right now.

"No," I responded quietly, and he raised an eyebrow in surprise at me before he walked around the desk. He towered over me, and he used that height to try and intimidate me.

"Call home _now_ ," he ordered, "or we will take this discussion to the principal's office."

My heart was pounding, but part of me felt that involving the principal might be helpful. The man wasn't Tony's biggest fan, but he didn't hate him. He was genuinely concerned for my wellbeing, where as this man clearly wasn't.

"Let's go the principal's office, then," I replied before walking out. I felt satisfied at the angry sigh the man gave before he strode ahead of me in order to get to the office before me. When we arrived, he had me sit down while he went in and spoke with the principal. He closed the door so I wouldn't hear what was being said, but I could hear angry tones. They weren't yelling, but both of them seemed clearly upset, if their voices were anything to go by.

Jeez, how did I end up in these situations? What was I going to do? I'd have them call Pepper, I guessed. I hated bothering her at work, but she'd be better than bothering Tony right now, especially considering how much Hurtado seemed to hate him.

The principal's door was thrown open, and Mr. Edwards stood at the doorway, motioning me in with a sharp movement of his hand. Yeah, he didn't look happy, and I hoped that was more due to Hurtado than me. When I walked in, the door was closed, and I was directed to take a seat. Since the chair was next to Hurtado, I refused.

"I'd rather stand," I stated firmly, and Edwards pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing heavily before saying in a tone just as firm as mine, "It was _not_ a request, Peter."

I stiffly decided to just sit. I needed this man on my side, so I'd have to play nice.

"Mr. Hurtado here says you've been incredibly disrespectful with him, even cursing and insulting him," the principal began sternly. "He says he was forced to give you lunch detention after you disrespected him in class, and that when he asked you to call home, you refused. Is this true?"

"He disrespected me first," I argued. "He hates Tony, and he insulted him as well. I don't know what is problem is, but he's taking his anger out on me," I informed him seriously, hoping he'd believe me.

Hurtado scoffed and looked ready to speak, but Edwards held up a hand to him. "What exactly did he say?" he asked, and Hurtado scoffed even louder as I responded.

"He keeps insisting that Tony is a bad influence on me and a horrible guardian," I told him. "He's threatening to call social services and get me removed from his care. He says I'm a disrespectful, spoiled brat, and that he's not going to put up with me using who my dad is to get away with things in class like I _apparently_ did last year." I frowned internally once I'd gotten my words out. Hurtado had really pissed me off, but I felt like what I'd said didn't accurately explain what he'd done.

"Mr. Hurtado here told me _you_ threatened to use Mr. Stark's influence to get him fired," Edwards responded in disappointment, and I sat back in my seat, unable to argue against that. I had said it.

"I was lying," I insisted, and I could tell from both men's expressions that they didn't believe me. Oh no, I thought in disappointment. Did the principal still think Tony was a bad guardian for me? I thought after last year his opinion had been changed.

"Peter," Edwards sighed wearily, "It's the _first_ day of the year, and this is how we're going to start things off?"

"It's not my fault!" I argued defensively. " _He_ started it!" I fell silent, realizing how childish those words were.

The bell suddenly rang signifying the end of lunch, and Edwards told Hurtado to go to class. The old man looked angry, but Edwards explained that he'd be called out of class when my guardians arrived. Hurtado shot me an unreadable look before walking out. As soon as he was out, I looked at the principal imploringly.

"Mr. Edwards, you've got to believe me, he's out to get me because he hates Tony," I insisted. "Tony is the best guardian ever, and he's threatening to call social services. You've already tried that, and look how that turned out." That wasn't the quite the right thing to say, because the man frowned at me unhappily. He simply stared at me as though trying to understand _me_.

He shook his head, letting out another tired sigh before saying, "I'm calling home, Peter, and one of your guardians is going to have to come for a meeting."

I clenched my fist tightly, and had to fight out a yell of frustration. Taking a breath to calm myself down, I quickly spoke up before he picked up the phone. "Please call Pepper at her work, Tony is sick right now."

He raised an eyebrow, but nodded his head in agreement before dialing Pepper's cell phone. I heard the phone ring once before it went directly to voicemail. He tried again and the same thing happened, at which point he left a message. He then attempted calling her work directly. A secretary picked up, but when pushed to give the phone to Pepper, she refused, saying that Pepper was in a very important meeting and had demanded that she not be disturbed. Edwards insisted that he tell Pepper that this was concerning her son, Peter, but at that point the secretary turned snooty, saying that Pepper had no children, before she hung up.

Oh no, I thought with a sinking heart.

Edward's eyes flicked towards me before he dialed the home phone number. I couldn't help but groan as the phone rang. My heart hammered away as I hoped Tony wouldn't answer. Luck was on my side, and the phone rang until the messaging system answered. Releasing a frustrated sigh, Edwards redialed the number and when it once more went to voicemail, he grumpily left a message, demanding to be contacted as soon as possible.

I let out a sigh of relief, and the principal shot me a stern look. "This doesn't look good, Peter," he stated. "The fact that I can't get in contact with one of your guardians is a bad sign. What if this was an emergency? There should _always_ be someone that we can contact for these sorts of cases," he informed me, and I shifted uneasily.

He tried one last number, and I realized sadly that he had Tony's cell phone number. Crap. The phone rang three times before a gruff, angry voice picked up saying, "This had better be damned important."

I winced, sinking down in my seat. This was going to end badly.

"Mr. Stark, this is Principal Edwards from"—the principal began, but Tony cut him off.

"I know who you are, why are you calling?" Tony questioned uneasily. "Is Peter alright?" I'll admit, I was touched that, that was the first thing he asked rather than asking if I'd done anything.

"Yes, he's perfectly fine," Edwards answered, "I'm calling because he's landed himself into some trouble, and I need you to come down for a meeting."

There were several moments of silence before he asked, "What kind of trouble?"

"Disrespecting and cursing at a teacher," Edwards replied, and I really wanted to grab the phone from him to defend myself to Tony.

There were several more moments of silence, and my stomach flip flopped. Silence from Tony was never a good thing.

"I'm on my way," Tony finally responded angrily before he hung up the phone. Anxiety hit me, and I glared angrily at the principal. The man just looked at me, completely unamused before telling me to wait outside the office. I gladly left, sitting myself in one of the chairs unhappily. God, how could this day have ended up like this? Why was life so unfair to me? I hadn't done anything wrong! I looked towards the door leading outside, and really wanted to just run, but the fact that Tony was having to drag his injured self here stopped me. I wasn't going to force him to come here and not be here when he showed up.

 **Tony's POV:**

I hung up the phone, gripping it tightly in my hand while resisting throwing it into a wall. What the hell, Peter? _What the hell_?! This was his first day of school, and he was already getting in trouble? Why, why, why? Disrespect and cursing against a teacher? What was going through that boy's head? Is that really what happened, or was Edward's making things sound worse?

I made my way into my room, needing to shower quickly and change. I'd attempted to sleep earlier, but it was the nightmares this time that kept me awake rather than the pain. My heart beat a little faster than usual as I quickly showered, shivering as the water hit me, despite how warm it was. I put on jeans, and a comfortable button up shirt. Buttoned shirts were so much easier to put on than ones I had to get over my head.

Out of all my injures, the ribs seemed to hurt the most, because they ached every time I breathed. I could alleviate the pain from the gunshot wound and the marks on my back, but _nothing_ alleviated the pain in my ribs.

God, things had been so freaking messed up lately, and I knew I was at fault. I was suffering nightmares every day, and I was in pain. I didn't want to take the pain pills I'd been prescribed because they were too strong that they messed with my mind. I wanted my mind as clear as could be. There were also pills to help me sleep, but I refused to take those as well because I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to wake up from the nightmares.

The nightmares were about the loss of control. It was about shame and embarrassment. Was I really no better than when I'd been kidnapped in Afghanistan? I kept dreaming about drowning. I dreamed that Peter had been kidnapped as well. I dreamed that Peter, Vis, or Nat got hurt because of me. I dreamed that I died, leaving Pepper and Peter alone. I dreamed that I was a failure, and that I couldn't protect anyone if I couldn't even protect myself.

How had I been stupid enough to have allowed myself to be drugged and kidnapped? Why hadn't I figured out a way to escape sooner? Why did I have to be rescued? Peter could've died so easily! I mean, _I_ had been shot and almost died! It could so easily have been him! And he never should've been there to see something like that.

Then, there was the UN who was riding my ass, trying to get a full story of what happened. I didn't want to talk to them. I didn't want anyone to know what had happened, let alone the leaders of the world. _Why_ did they have to be such interfering dicks? They were giving all of us a hard time for what happened all because of the fucking prick, Ross. The US was too embarrassed to admit they fucked up with that dude, so they were looking at the Avengers, like if they'd find some fault in what we did.

A flash of fear went through me when the next thought hit me. They knew about Peter. There were too many witnesses that saw him, and we couldn't deny that he'd been with us. We were all doing whatever we could to keep his identity secret. If he had to sign the accords to participate in official Avenger's business, then so be it, but his identity would _not_ be revealed!

I held a hand to my still-healing bullet wound as I exited my elevator and headed to my car. I had no idea what to expect at the school, and frankly, I wasn't in the least bit prepared. I was in pain, exhausted, and my mind was in a million different places. Why the kid had to choose the first day of school to screw around was beyond me. Why couldn't they have called Pepper? Guilt manifested itself at the selfish thought, but I couldn't help but think that she had to be in better shape than me right now, despite the stress I'd put her through as of late.

I tightened my hands on the steering wheel as I raced through the city. Pepper wasn't likely to lose her temper, but in the state I was in, I knew I could. I knew I'd had a short temper with Peter and Pepper as of late. I knew I was being a stubborn jerk, but I couldn't help it. I wanted to hide away until I was okay again. I didn't want to have any more PTSD than I already had. I didn't want to be more terrified of water than I already had been. I mean, I'd had to learn how to not freak out during showers again. I'd had to start with baths before moving on to showers, just like after Afghanistan. Rain suddenly seemed like an awful nightmare, and I knew I'd have to get through that sooner rather than later, especially if the grey skies were anything to go by. I couldn't hide indoors every time it rained while I waited for my head to get screwed on straight again. This was NYC, not Malibu.

Arriving at the school, I quickly found a parking spot before making my way inside. I tightened the jacket around me while putting up the hood. My heart hammered as I glanced up at the sky. Please don't let it rain, please don't let it rain, please don't let it rain.

Walking into the office, I immediately spotted Peter, sitting at the chair outside the principal's office. His eyes immediately went to mine, and I saw them fill with anxiety and concern. Jeez, I really, really did not want to be here. I went to stand in front of the kid, but before I'd taken two steps, he rushed over to me and pleaded, "Tony, can we just go? I'll explain everything later, I swear, but there's this _teacher_ that I don't want you to meet. He's got it out"—

"Peter!" the principal called sternly from his open doorway. Seeing me, he motioned for us both to join him, and we did, the spiderling sighing heavily.

What happened? Why did he not want me to meet this teacher he insulted?

Principal Edwards allowed us in, called out to a secretary to call Hurtado to the office, and then closed his door. He motioned for us to sit, and Peter glumly sat himself down in the one farthest from the door. I didn't fancy the thought of sitting as it seemed to aggravate my injuries, so I settled for standing behind the kid's chair.

"I prefer to stand," I explained at noticing Edward's inquiring gaze. Peter snorted loudly, while the older man pinched the bridge of his nose. I looked between the two curiously, not understanding their reactions. I didn't care enough to ask, though, just wanting this done and over with.

"Why are we here?" I asked plainly. "What happened?"

The principal leaned back in his chair before motioning towards Peter. "How about you explain to us both what happened," he suggested, and Peter seemed to look relieved before speaking rapidly. He started with class, the smart ass comment he'd made in class, and the detention he'd received in retaliation. A detention seemed a bit of overkill for what Pete had said, but to each their own, I guessed.

He then explained the conversation he and Hurtado had during this detention, explaining how the man hated him because I was his adopted father.

"He threatened to call social services so that I'd get taken away from you," he exclaimed, looking at me with fear in his eyes. I placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder as I told him, "Never happening, pal. _No one_ is taking you away."

"I take it this is when you threatened Mr. Hurtado that you'd convince Mr. Stark to get him fired," Edwards remarked wearily, and I blinked at the teen in surprise as he nodded his head. He shot me a nervous look, but I gave him a small smile to let him know I wasn't mad. If this ass clown was threatening to take my kid from me, then I was more than fine with being used as a threat back at the man.

The door burst open, and an old gentleman walked on in, slamming it shut behind him. The principal stood up, giving his teacher a glare for his rudeness. The man completely ignored his boss as his eyes landed on me, and I completely tensed at the emotion I saw. He was looking at me with utter loathing and hatred. His face was twisted into a scowl, and he was breathing heavily from sheer emotion.

I placed myself between Peter and the angry man, feeling threatened by the hostility coming off him in waves. Principal Edward looked between the both of us uneasily, clearly able to sense the same hostility that I could.

"Mr. Hurtado, why don't you take a seat," Edwards suggested with forced calm, clearly wanting to diffuse whatever situation was going on.

"So," Hurtado started speaking, completely ignoring his boss, "the _famous Tony Stark_ , here at last. I've been waiting a long time to meet you."

I frowned deeply, anxiety coursing through me at what this man could possibly want to say or do to me. I realized now why Peter had just wanted us to leave. What happened today had nothing to do with my little spider, and all to do with me.

"Instead of taking your anger out on an innocent kid, how about you act like a man and say what you want to me," I remarked coolly.

He scoffed, sneering as he responded, "Oh, believe me, I tried to get in contact with you, but I was rebuffed every time. It seems luck was upon me, though, when I ended up with your disrespectful brat in my class."

My anger flared as I took a step towards the taller man. "Don't you _dare_ insult my son," I snarled.

"Matt, that is enough," Edwards declared, placing a hand on the man's arm. "I think it's time you took a step outside," he ordered firmly, but Matt waved him off, seeming to become more incensed. He closed the distance between us, and looked down at me with eyes full of pain and hatred.

"His name was Matthew Hurtado Jr.," he spoke with fury, "and he was only nineteen years old. _You killed him_!" he snarled, and I reared back in shock, my mind flashing back to the mother from the MIT presentation.

 _He's dead, and I blame you._

Was this another one of those situations? My heart sank, and as I noticed Peter standing up, I put a hand out to keep him from moving forward.

"You know, he called me," Hurtado spoke, his voice quieter and full of pain. "He called me the night before, and he was so _damned_ excited that he'd get to meet you. He was charged with transporting you from some stupid weapons demonstration back to his base, and it was all he'd been talking about since he found out. He told me he was going to get a picture to prove to all his friends back home that he'd met you."

My heart sank, and I froze out of horror. I knew this story. I knew who he was talking about. I had never forgotten his face.

 _Is it cool if I take a picture with you?_

"He was a soldier, like every man in the family," the broken father continued hoarsely. "He fought for his country, and he _died_ because some fucking terrorists wanted _you_!" he roared. "Why did you get to live when my little boy died?! Huh, Stark? Why, you? What have you ever done to deserve to live? My boy was nineteen! He was a good kid, a great soldier, and had dreams to be a teacher like me. He'd have been a fantastic teacher," he whispered now, looking absolutely heartbroken.

My heart pounded, and I had no idea what to do or say. He was right, after all. His son was dead because of me. It wasn't fair. Why had I survived when that boy hadn't? I'd asked myself that question multiple times since Afghanistan, but I could never really answer the question. The best I could do, was tell myself that I'd survived so that I could be Iron Man; but, didn't that sound egotistical?

Neither Edwards nor Peter moved or spoke. Edwards looked stricken and pale, his arm in mid-air as he'd been prepared to grab hold of Matt. I felt Peter at my side, but he was silent.

"Don't you have anything to say to me?" Matt now asked tersely. "No words of apology or explanation. None of that famous Tony Stark wit, perhaps?"

I pulled my teeth apart and forced myself to speak. "Mr. Hurtado, I am sorry," I spoke genuinely. "It was never my intention for anyone to die for me. If I could've given my life for him, then I would've."

Matt just glared more fiercely, my words only seeming to add fuel to his fire. In a matter of seconds, he'd grabbed my jacket, pulled me forward, and landed a hard punch to my ribs. Absolute pain flared through my entire body as I temporarily lost the ability to breathe. The man was shoved off me, and I promptly fell to my knees. I heard yelling, and when I saw Peter making to move past me and towards Matt, I reached a hand out to grab hold of leg. He stopped, knelt next to me and asked in a panic, "Are you okay? Do you need me to call an ambulance?"

I shook my head rapidly at that last remark before forcing out, "I'm okay, I'm okay." I gritted my teeth, trying to force myself to stand, but the pain made me feel suddenly like I wanted to throw up; so, I remained on all fours on the floor. How humiliating, I couldn't help but think, my face heating up. A pair of feet appeared before me before I saw an elderly woman leaning down before me.

Come on, Tony, I urged myself, get your ass up and off the floor. Quit making a fool of yourself.

"Mr. Stark," the elderly woman spoke in concern, "I'm Mrs. Turner, the school nurse, are you alright? Do you need us to call an ambulance?"

"No," I spoke firmly, "I'm fine." I put my legs under me and forcefully pulled myself up with lots of help from Peter.

"Are you sure?" she asked doubtfully, and I knew I didn't look well, especially with an arm wrapped protectively around my mid-section.

"His ribs were broken and he was shot in the lower abdomen two weeks ago," Peter informed them with deep concern, and I shot the boy a withering glare, wanting to smack him for having revealed this information. The woman's face turned to shock, and she forced me into a chair. If I hadn't been in so much pain, I wouldn't have allowed it, but with her concern, and the kid's look of panic, I just gave in with a huff.

"Mr. Stark, I'm going to give you two options," Mrs. Turner spoke seriously, "allow me to look you over, or I _will_ call for an ambulance."

"Even if you call for it, they can't force me to go anywhere," I countered with little heat, and she shot me a grandmotherly look of no amusement.

Edwards appeared at this moment, his face red, his hair disheveled, and he was breathing heavily. "I sent Matt home," he informed us. "Do you want me to call the police?" he asked awkwardly. "You are well within your rights to press charges against him."

I considered the question before saying, "Make sure the bastard never comes near my kid, and I'll let this go. I don't want to bring any heat down on your school."

The man shot me a look of relief and gratefulness before straightening up and saying, "You have my word, Mr. Stark. I will make sure the union is informed, though, that he attacked a student's guardian, and that I want him dismissed from this school. As of now, he is suspended until further notice."

I nodded before looking at the expectant face of the school nurse. Sighing heavily, I decided to just humor her. If there was any further damage, then I'd take care of it on my own. I moved to start unbuttoning my shirt, and Edwards immediately excused himself to give me privacy. Peter looked at me in relief and appreciation, although those emotions couldn't mask the deep concern and guilt he felt.

"None of this is your fault, pal," I declared firmly, looking him straight in the eyes as I finished unbuttoning my shirt. I then stood up, pulling the shirt open, not feeling comfortable enough to take it off. There was still a bandage over my bullet wound, and my ribs were still tightly bandaged. The nurse's expression turned to dismay and sympathy as she looked me up and down.

"I take it this was a result of work," she commented lightly, her hands beginning to gently peel away the bandage over my gunshot wound.

"Yes," I responded, grimacing unhappily when I saw a small tear in my wound that I had been sure was already healed.

"You need stitches," she informed me, and I gave a nod of agreement. "I can't do that here as I don't have the supplies."

"I have stitches at home," I responded, and she didn't seem surprised.

"Do you have someone besides yourself that can use them?" she asked, and I nodded, thinking of Pepper.

"I would recommend an x-ray for your ribs," she then told me, "because there's no way I'll be able to tell if you sustained more injury by just feeling around."

I nodded once more as I told her, "We have one of those too." Once again, she seemed unsurprised.

"Let me get something to clean the wound and a new bandage," she spoke, and I agreed. She quickly left and came back within a minute with the needed supplies. As she worked, I looked at my spiderling, who was frozen in horror, just staring at my wound. His expression brought to my attention that I wasn't the only one traumatized by what had happened. Feeling angry with my lack of foresight, I wondered in dismay if he was also having nightmares.

"There you are, Mr. Stark," Mrs. Turner declared as she pulled off her gloves. "Make sure you get that stitched up as soon as possible, and that you get those ribs x-rayed."

"Understood," I stated, buttoning up my shirt once more.

"I'm sorry about what happened," she now spoke, looking at me with sadness, and I quirked a smile at her. She wished me a good day, and then walked out, the principal walking in at the same time. He looked at both me and Peter in concern.

"I don't even know where to begin," he remarked, looking rather helpless. "Sorry can't even begin to cover what happened. What Matt said, and what he did, there is no excuse."

"Not your fault," I stated. "Just keep your word that he won't come near Peter, and it's water under the bridge. Peter loves this school, and I don't want that to change."

Edwards reached out a hand to shake my hand, and I returned it.

"Peter, there will obviously be no consequences for what happened today, and feel free to take some time off if you need it," he told him compassionately, and Peter just gave a curt nod, his eyes never leaving me. I bid the man goodbye, placed a gentle hand on the kid's shoulder as we walked out. Peter seemed in shock while I was in pain. Admittedly, I found myself grateful for the punch, because focusing on the pain was better than focusing on the words he'd spoken to me. I'd process that later, and just add it to the things I'd have to deal with. No sleep for me tonight, I surmised, especially noticing the traumatized look on my little spider.

 **A/N: PLEASE REVIEW!**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews!  
**

 **So, you guys have nearly caught up to me. I'm currently working on chapter 29, so once again, I'll warn you that updates are going to come a little slower once you've caught me. I'm sure you'll manage, though.**

 **I will bring Steve back, but it won't be for a while. I've got an idea on how to do it rolling around my head.**

 **Chapter 27: Recovery**

 **Peter's POV:**

As soon as we'd gotten into the car, Tony had called Pepper's work, tearing apart her secretary before getting to speak with Pepper. He informed her that we needed her home ASAP, but didn't inform her why. Knowing that she'd have access to her phone now, I texted her everything that had happened so that she'd arrived home prepared.

We arrived home, heading right up to his lab, where he had just sat himself down in one of the chairs. All I could do was stare, my stomach twisting in pain as I recalled what Hurtado had said and the expression Tony had sported. He'd looked shocked, horrified, and haunted. The shock and horror were gone now, but the haunted look was not.

His face was sweaty now, and I knew he had to be in pain, so I walked to one of the tables where his medications were and held them out to him.

"Please, Tony, _please_ just take them," I pleaded, my voice cracking with the emotion I'd been trying to keep down.

He looked at my eyes, and I saw them soften before he took the pills I'd offered and swallowed them. I wanted to let out a shout of relief that he'd listened.

Pepper arrived soon after, and I wondered how quickly she'd driven. As soon as she was out of the elevator, she threw off her heels and ran over to us, placing a hand on both of us. I smiled weakly, and she turned her attention fully to Tony, running both her hands through his hair.

"Oh, Tony," she spoke sadly, cradling his head as she placed a kiss on top of his head. I quickly found the stitching material and brought them to Pepper.

"He took some pain meds," I informed her, and I saw the same relief I had felt in her eyes as she nodded.

Tony stood up, unbuttoning his shirt and stiffly sliding it off.

"This will be easier if you lay down," Pepper stated in apology, and he just went over to one of tables, roughly throwing everything off it before lying himself down.

I threw Dummy, Butterfingers, and U, reassuring looks as they chirped and whirred anxiously. When they made to approach Tony, I walked over and patted all their heads, speaking to them softly before sending them off to clean up the mess Tony had made.

When I turned back to Pepper, I saw her already stitching Tony up with practiced ease. Tony barely grimaced, his face more blank than anything as Pepper finished up in mere minutes. She next removed the wrapping from around his torso, and I was the one grimacing as I took in the painful, discolored bruises. She felt around the ribs as gently as she could, but Tony still sucked in a breath.

"We need to go to HQ to have this x-rayed," she sighed sadly, and Tony just mirrored her sigh. Pepper re-bandaged him quickly, and pulled the man in for a hug, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Peter told me what the man said," she spoke sympathetically, and I watched as Tony's blank expression seemed to fall as he rested his head on her shoulder. Pepper caressed his hair softly as Tony whispered brokenly, "I killed his son, Pep. He was just a kid, and he _died_ because of me. That man was right. God, he was so right."

"No, Tony, _no_ ," Pepper spoke firmly. "You are not at fault in the slightest. You didn't kill his son, and it is not your fault he died. It was the Ten Rings, not _you_. You have saved so many people over the years. _You are a hero_."

Tony's hands reached up to embrace Pepper, and I heard his shuttering breaths. His hands tightened, and my heart broke when I heard him start to cry. The tears started out silently, but it didn't take a long before it turned into outright sobbing. He tried to keep quiet, but he couldn't keep in the pain he was experiencing anymore.

I felt tears slide down my own face at the raw pain he was feeling. Somehow, I knew this was due to more than just what happened today. This was like the straw that broke the camel's back, and it seemed finally everything had caught up to him. I certainly knew what that felt like, but to watch Tony, my _dad_ , the strongest man I knew go through this…I couldn't handle it.

I continued to cry silently, wanting to hug him, but not wanting to risk ruining their moment. I didn't want Tony to realize I was here and clamp up in order to not appear weak before me. I also didn't want to risk hurting him.

Pepper did brilliantly, caressing his hair while softly murmuring reassuring and loving words to him; but also telling him it was okay to cry and that he should just let it all out.

Sooner than I would have, Tony brought himself under control, breaking apart from Pepper and wiping at his face. He now turned to me, and concern and guilt showed as he murmured, "Oh, kiddo, c'mere."

Overjoyed, I rushed towards him and Pepper, and allowed him to wrap his arms around me. Instead of wrapping mine around him, I just gripped onto Pepper instead, who wrapped her arms around both Tony and me.

How long we stood there, I didn't know, but when we broke apart, tension I hadn't been aware of seemed to lessen. Pepper had her hands on the back of both our heads as both Tony and I shot her embarrassed grins. She responded with a tired sigh, however, her face was full of affection.

"Things have obviously been difficult, but we'll get through it all," she declared confidently before looking at Tony. "You need to let us in, Tony. You don't need to deal with all of this on your own."

"Yeah," Tony murmured sheepishly. "Sorry about that."

Pepper just graced him with a look of fond exasperation, and I relaxed even more, feeling that now things were going to start to get better.

 **Tony's POV:**

A week had gone by since Peter's first disastrous day of junior year. We'd decided to stay at HQ during that week, Peter taking off school while Pepper worked using video conferencing. SI was going nuts, but as of tomorrow, she'd be traveling all over to make up for all the time off. She was sure now that I would be fine, and that Peter would be fine.

We'd gone to HQ that day, Pepper intent on getting my ribs checked out. They were a little more bruised, but I honestly couldn't tell as I'd started taking the pain meds. Pepper and Peter had both confessed the grief I was putting them through by watching me in pain.

Bruce and Natasha had greeted us upon arrival, looking concerned as we'd only left last night. Peter informed them of what occurred, and both my friends looked furious on my behalf.

"Give me his name, and I'll make sure he never bothers either one of you again," Natasha spoke smoothly, her eyes full of malice. While Peter had looked alarmed, I just laughed, shooting her a grin of amusement. She scoffed, rolling her eyes when she caught sight of my expression.

"I was being serious," she grumbled, and I just smiled as I remarked, "I know."

"Well, I wanted to wait until I knew for sure, but seeing as we could all do with some good news," Bruce spoke when we'd all retired to the kitchen for ice cream, "I've been in contact with Dr. Cho." I sucked in a breath, giving him a look of barely concealed hope.

Bruce smiled kindly as he then said, "I'm almost certain I've got her convinced to come here to help with your recovery."

My heart pounded at the thought of the doctor's regeneration cradle healing the scars on my back. The gunshot wound I could handle, but the scars on my back caused me shame and embarrassment. "Are you sure?" I had to ask, and he looked to me with reassurance. "I mean, even after Ultron," I said, trailing off guiltily, remembering quite clearly how the woman had torn me apart for what Ultron had done to her and her people. I couldn't imagine her wanting to do anything for me.

"It's been a couple years since then, and we've talked at length about everything that happened," Bruce responded, "and to be honest, Tony, Ultron wasn't just you, but me as well." I blinked at that, touched that he'd say it. "We worked on Ultron together, and we worked on Vision together. Neither one would have been created without me. I told this to Helen, and she yelled at me for a while."

I gave him an empathetic smile, understanding what that was like.

"I've caught her up and what's been going on lately, to a certain extent," he continued, "and she's just about convinced. She said she'd let me know tomorrow, but if she says yes, then she'd be here in a couple of days.

I leaned back in my seat, feeling a rush of relief along with affection for my science bro. I held out a fist to the man, and he gave me a small smile before reaching out and fist bumping me.

"Thanks, man," I spoke gratefully, and he nodded his head.

Peter spoke up now, asking what the heck we had been talking about. I forgot that he didn't know about Dr. Cho, and that he hadn't been around during the Ultron fiasco. For some reason, I felt like this kid had been with me for years, when in all reality, he'd only been living with me for months.

Bruce answered the spiderling's question, informing him of who she was, and of the Cradle she'd created that could cause a body to repair its own tissue. "It should completely heal the bullet wound along with the scars on his back," he explained. "It won't help with the ribs, but"—

"I don't care about the ribs," I interrupted honestly. "It's the scars in my back that bother me the most." Pepper grasped hold of my hand, shooting me a loving look.

Peter's expression was one of wonder, his mouth opened as he then remarked, "That's amazing, and it really works?"

We all nodded, Natasha saying, "Clint got hit pretty badly during one of our battles, and it healed him up in an hour and a half, and you couldn't even tell he'd been injured."

"The Cradle is also what created Vision," I added, and the teen's eyes widened even more.

"Why isn't that thing being massed produced or in hospitals here?" he asked, and Bruce frowned in understanding before saying, "Part of the reason is cost. Sounds unfair, but the cost of not only creating one, but using it is unfathomable for 99% of society. There's also the risk of the Cradle being used for non-healing purposes, like…"

"Like creating an android," I finished wryly, and Bruce grimaced as he gave a single nod. Peter frowned unhappily, but he seemed to understand.

"Just doesn't seem fair," he murmured, and I bit back the old, 'life's not fair' adage, settling instead with just placing a hand on his head.

The week passed by slowly, with many annoyingly exhausting emotional moments.

My nightmares, if possible, had only worsened after my confrontation with Hurtado. I'd woken up every single night since we'd been here, covered in sweat and panting heavily, once even with my face streaked with tears. It was awful, and Pepper was there every time, comforting me in every way possible. Once I calmed down, she'd try to help me fall back asleep, but I never could. Every night ended with me leaving the room to allow her to sleep peacefully the rest of the night.

The third night this had happened, Peter ended up out of his room, looking very much how I felt, exhausted and emotionally vulnerable. I'd silently invited him to the kitchen, where I'd made us both some hot chocolate. I didn't ask him to speak as I myself wasn't able to speak of my own nightmares right now. Instead, I just led us to the couches, turned on some cartoons and sat watching them together for the rest of the night. Peter, thankfully had fallen asleep in less than an hour, his head leaning heavily on my shoulder. I watched over him fondly for the rest of the night, even managing to fall asleep for a couple hours myself.

On the fourth day bright and early, Dr. Cho had arrived, and when she greeted me, I grabbed her offered hand in both of mine and graced her with a look of utter gratefulness. She seemed truly taken aback, but in the face of such gratefulness, whatever anger she still harbored seemed to vanish. Her Cradle was set up quickly and easily as it'd already been here when these headquarters had first been set up. When she was ready, she had me remove my shirt. The only one in the room with me besides Helen was Pepper, who looked relieved and concerned. She stared at the machine doubtfully, but I shot her a reassuring look. She hadn't seen it in action, but I had.

Helen helped me remove all my bandages, and her eyebrows rose as she took in my battered torso. Her hands gently probed at my ribs before moving down to my bullet wound. She frowned before sitting up to look at my most recent x-rays.

"Will it work?" I asked nervously, and she gave me a pointed look that simply said, 'are you really asking me this'. I smiled in amusement, recognizing the look as it was one I sported often.

"Let me see your back," she ordered, and I stiffly turned around. Exposing my back now, especially with all these scars was like baring my neck. It was like leaving myself vulnerable to an attack unarmed. I heard her give an intake of surprise, and tensed when she ran her fingers over the still healing wounds.

"Next time you end up with injuries like these, contact me straight away," she spoke after placing a hand on my shoulder to get me to turn around. "I could have saved you a lot of pain."

I smiled genuinely before saying, "I'll bear that in mind."

"Well," she stated, completely business-like, "we'll start with the bullet wound as it is the worse injury that also has internal damage. It should take about an hour to heal." I nodded, and she frowned before admitting, "As for the scars on your back, I honestly don't know how much the Cradle can do. I'd like to give you my upmost confidence that all the scars will heal completely, but I can't. At the very least, it should minimize the scarring."

"Doctor," I spoke honestly, "whatever happens, you will have my eternal thanks. I know you're doing this out of the goodness of your heart, but if you ever need anything from me, please don't hesitate to ask."

She smiled before indicating that I should lay down on the table. The healing of my bullet wound took as long as expected, and Pepper and I both marveled as we watched my body repair itself. I also couldn't help the sigh of relief I gave as the pain I had there disappeared. I turned over onto my stomach, and the healing of my back took two hours, and I once more felt relief as another pain disappeared. Even if the scars remained, at least the pain was gone.

Standing up, my ribs flared with pain, but with the removal of the pain from the gunshot and the lash marks, I could deal with the ribs. Beyond curious to see how my back looked, Helen quickly shot video of my back, which I was able to see on the screen in front of me. My mouth fell open, a lump forming in my throat as I saw the scars completely gone. My back was as smooth as it had been before my kidnapping. Whirling around, I shocked the doctor when I pulled her into a hug, murmuring over and over, "thank you". She returned the hug, patting my back before I broke away, shooting her an awkward smile.

"You're welcome, Tony," she responded genuinely, and I grinned widely before turning around and pulling Pepper into my arms and in for a deep kiss. She laughed when we broke apart, her hands caressing the sides of my face as she looked deep into my eyes.

"I have to ask," Helen now stated, pointing at my chest, "if you'd like to try to remove that scarring," she questioned curiously. I stared down at my chest where the scar from the arc reactor was, and found myself shaking my head without even thinking about it. This served as a reminder of everything that had happened to me, and everything I'd overcome. This reminded me of Yinsen, and how he'd saved my life in more ways than one. Helen nodded as Pepper looked at me with understanding. I pulled Pepper in for another joyous kiss.

I had then raced out of the room like an overjoyed child, excitedly informing the others of Helen's success. Peter had immediately yelled out in delight, grinning brightly before hugging me carefully. Bruce pulled me in for a hug as well, and Natasha just smiled in relief. A small party had ensued that night, Rhodey and Vision joining us, and Dr. Cho had immediately sequestered Vision, interrogating him for most the night. She seemed completely enamored with him, and looked at both Bruce and I with slight awe as we'd been responsible for giving Vision life.

Day five had been a delight for Peter. He'd participated in Avenger training with Natasha, Vision, and I. I donned the Iron Man suit for the first time since my kidnapping, able to ignore the pain to my ribs. Nat and Peter worked together at first while Vision and I did our own thing. We practiced maneuvering, firing, and silent communication. I was always surprised at how easily Vis and I seemed to work together. With little effort, we were able to read each other's body language, and know where the other would be and what the other would want. I wondered if this was due to a part of Jarvis that was in him somewhere. I kept that thought to myself, though, too afraid to ask Vision about Jarvis. I still mourned the 'death' of my old friend. I shouldn't be thinking about that now.

Looking towards my kid, I watched Nat put him through his paces. She was training him on his fighting skill, so she was just going through motions with him. Peter listened intently, and didn't seem discouraged when he continuously landed on his butt. I felt proud as I recalled how he'd acted during my rescue, and now of how seriously he was taking this training. My little spider was growing up right before my eyes, and I realized that I should make this sort of training for him a regularity. It was also time that I allow him out on an occasional Avenger mission, or allow him some leeway when out as Spiderman.

Tasha suddenly locked eyes with me, and motioned for me to blast my own kid. Admittedly, a year ago, I wouldn't have hesitated, thinking Spiderman needed a dose of reality for how unprepared he was for dealing with major bad guys. Now, however, I hesitated, glaring at my spider sister through my mask. As she sparred with Peter, she next looked at me inquiringly, and I sighed as I gave a nod. Making sure the blast was on its lowest setting, I waited for her to get out of the way before shooting off the blast.

Peter's spider sense alerted him to the incoming blast, but he only managed to turn and look before being knocked off his feet. I landed on the ground, looking him over in concern. He groaned loudly, looking like he'd had the breath knocked out of him.

Natasha walked right up to him and said, "Always prepare for the unexpected. In a battle, you will rarely be fighting one person at a time. Your spider sense alerted you to what Tony was doing, but you were too slow to react. You need to get better," she lectured, and Peter nodded before getting back onto his feet. I couldn't see his expression, but his body language told me that he was exhausted. I retracted my helmet, and shot the kid a proud smile.

"You did well, pal, but I think it's time you and I tap out," I said, he let out a sigh of relief, ripping off his mask. His face was sweaty, and he had a good-sized bruise on his face. Nat looked at him in concern, walking over and checking over the bruise.

"Tony is right, you did very well," she told him, and he grinned brightly.

"Next time, it's you and me, Spiderman," I remarked, and his eyes widened in both excitement and nervousness.

Dinner had been entertaining as Peter had regaled Pepper and Happy with how awesome training had been, and gracing me with a mischievous look, he finished with informing Pepper of how I'd blasted him when his back was turned.

I groaned internally, kicking him under the table as Pepper looked at me with an unamused expression. I was going to hear about this later.

That night, my nightmares centered around Peter, and the fear I felt of him being injured or killed while out as Spiderman. My realization that it was time I started preparing him and allowing him to join in on some missions had hit me hard, and had hit Pepper hard as well when I'd explained it earlier.

"Tony, please don't rush him into this life, despite what he wants," Pepper had outright begged. "I find it hard enough when he's out on his own, but if he were to start doing more dangerous things, even if properly trained, I don't know how I'd handle it." I'd felt for her, I really had. My innate desire to be Iron Man had been the main cause we'd split up originally, but she'd managed to get past that. Now, our own kid was following in my footsteps, and that same helpless look I'd seen her throw my way, was adorning her face.

"I would _never_ rush him into anything, Pepper, I swear," I assured her. "Training will only help him survive better."

"And it will make him cockier," she added, and I sighed, realizing the truth in her words. I didn't doubt that, but hopefully, his recklessness would only lead to a sore backside in the future rather than a hospital bed or, god forbid, a coffin.

"This is the life he's chosen," I replied, "and all we can do is make him as prepared as we can, and assure him that he doesn't have to do things alone."

Our heart to heart had been interrupted by a very soft knock on our door. Knowing that it could only be Peter, Pepper rushed to open the door, promptly throwing her arms around the startled teen. She dragged him in and onto our bed all before he even had a chance to explain why he was here. The little spider's look of shock quickly melted away as he just soaked in Pepper's comfort. I took in the boy's pale, shaky form, and knew he'd suffered a nightmare, so I moved aside to leave room for him to lay down.

"Hey, buddy," I called out softly, running a hand over his sweaty hair as he buried his head into one of our pillows. "Nightmare?" I asked for confirmation, and he nodded mutely. "We're going to have to talk about this eventually," I informed him, and he gave another mute nod.

"Get some sleep, honey," Pepper said gently, gently rubbing his back. She pulled the comforter up and over us all, laying her head down on the same pillow as him. I couldn't help but smile warmly at the sight. She had taken to motherhood like a duck to water. I smothered a laugh now as I recalled her remark when I'd informed her of my thoughts. She'd replied that she'd had years of practice with me, so at this point, Peter was child's play.

I lay my own head down on the pillow, not sleeping for very long before the nightmare regarding Peter had hit me. I was glad that Peter was sleeping right next to me, because right away I could see that he was very much alive and unharmed. Breathing heavily, and fighting back tears, I got out of bed and walked out of the room. I knew sleep wouldn't come again, so in order to not disturb my little family, I walked out and up to the common area. I rummaged through the fridge, pulling out several cold pieces of pizza before making my way outside onto the balcony. The cold air felt wonderful on my sweaty, clammy skin, and as I ate, I just stared out into the quiet forest.

I caught the scent of wet earth before I began to feel drops of water landing on my head. I tensed all my muscles as I looked up at the dark sky. A sudden crack of lightning scared me more than I would be willing to admit, and I flinched horribly. More water began to fall faster and harder than before, the night being illuminated every few minutes by lightning.

Before I realized it, I was drenched and shivering, but I remained outside, working on getting my unnatural fear under control. My mind kept flashing towards Turkey and Afghanistan, but I gripped onto the balcony tightly to remind myself that I was no longer in either one of those locations.

The sky seemed to open with a loud rumble, and it began to downpour. The rain was loud, and I forced my eyes to stay open so I could further confirm to myself that I was safe. Flashbacks hit me, and I bit back pathetic whimpers as the memories threatened to overwhelm me. The feeling of drowning, of chocking, of not being able to breathe.

It's only rain, I assured myself. It's only rain. You're in New York, and you're perfectly safe. You _know_ this. I reached up with trembling hands and ran them through my wet hair and over my face. I wasn't restrained or being held down. I was free. I was free, and rain couldn't hurt me. I repeated all these thoughts over and over, and I don't know how long it took, but eventually I found my fear slowly fading away.

"It's just rain," I spoke aloud. "I'm perfectly fine. I'm at HQ, and Pepper and Peter are sleeping peacefully inside. I'm okay, I'm okay, and rain can't hurt me," I repeated, my muscles slowly relaxing. There was another crack of lightning, the entire sky illuminated, and this time I didn't flinch. Spreading my arms, I looked up at the sky and began to laugh. The laughter may have sounded slightly hysterical, but I was so damned ecstatic that I had been able to overcome this stupid hurdle once more, that I couldn't contain it.

I would've stayed out longer, just reveling in my victory if I hadn't noticed that my entire body was trembling and my teeth chattering, all from the cold. Realizing that catching pneumonia from this would only lead to being killed by Pepper and Natasha, I turned and made my way inside. Rubbing my hands furiously, I was surprised when a large towel was thrown at me. I automatically began toweling off as I noticed it was Vision who had thrown it. He was looking at me with extreme curiosity, but said nothing as I worked on drying myself. I threw off my shirt and pants, leaving myself in just my boxers. Once I felt I was dry enough, I picked up a blanket from one of the couches and wrapped it around me.

"Thanks, Vis," I finally said, balling up my wet clothes and throwing them down the common laundry chute.

"Would you like some hot chocolate?" he asked, and I grinned before nodding. Vision walked to the kitchen and prepared me a cup with no difficulties whatsoever. Somebody that wasn't me had taught him that. I grabbed the cup he held out to me, and thanked him before sitting on one of the bar stools. The cup was hot and the liquid warmed my body as I drank it down.

"Where'd you learn to make this?" I asked curiously, and he smiled before telling me it'd been Bruce.

"If I may ask, sir," Vision spoke hesitantly, "what were you doing out there in the rain? Most times you humans do everything you can to get away from it."

I chuckled softly, looking at my now empty cup thoughtfully before deciding to answer honestly. "You know about my thing with water, right, and how I got it?" I asked, and he gave a single nod. "Well, those bastards in Turkey did the same thing, so my water thing has been kind of worse. I went out for some fresh air, but then it started to rain, and I felt now would be as good a time as any to get over the dumb fear."

Vision's brow furrowed, and he seemed to think over what I said before asking, "And this was the best manner in which to do so? Wouldn't it have been better to have someone with you?"

There was no rebuke in his question, but I looked away as I realized that he was right. Things could have turned out much worse than they did; however, I knew at the base here, I was safe, and I also knew that Friday was watching. Had I become too distressed, she would've contacted someone. It'd been a reckless move, I realized.

In response to Visions question, I just shrugged my shoulders, shooting him a sheepish look.

"Why are you always so reckless with your wellbeing?" he then asked, and I squirmed, not at all prepared for the serious, probing question. I stared at Vis, and I knew he was genuinely trying to understand me. He was always seeking to learn more and more, and that was a trait I remembered Jarvis having. As I looked at the android now, I couldn't help but search in his eyes for some…some _part_ of Jarvis in him. I didn't see anything, and I never did, and each time it really hurt. Sadly, this was one of the many reasons I didn't ever spend a lot of time with him as it just hurt too much. I had to look away, trying to hide my disappointment.

In order to cover the awkward silence, I decided to attempt and give him some answer. "I've kind of always been this way," I told him. "It started as me just not caring what happened to me, and then it evolved into me preferring to suffer rather than letting others suffer. I don't know," I mumbled, rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly. "After so long it's just who I am, and I guess I also forget lots of time that I'm not alone and that I can depend on others for help."

"Thank you for answering my question," Vision replied, and I realized he didn't think I would. "I have another one that I'd like to ask, but you are welcome to not answer it," he spoke seriously, and I took in a breath while motioning for him to ask away.

"I've noticed that you don't like spending too much time around me. You tend to avoid eye contact and when you really look at me, you tend to become disappointed," he remarked. "Have I done something to upset you?"

I exhaled slowly, rubbing both my hands over my face. I guess this was the night for heart to hearts. "Listen, Vis, this is gonna sound stupid, but it's not you it's me." I laughed out loud at the ridiculousness of the statement before expanding. "It's not your fault, but when I look at you I just can't help but look for Jarvis. I know you're not him, but I wonder if there's any part of him left. Sorry, I know it's not fair to either of us for me to think like this."

"I see," Vision replied, looking decidedly upset with himself. "I am sorry for not being Jarvis."

Aw, crap, I thought tiredly. Now I felt like an ass. "Hey, man, you don't need to apologize," I told him sincerely. "You're not him and that's fine. You're Vision, and that's the only person you need to be. Don't be sorry. I'm the one that's sorry, you got that?"

He gave me a small smile at my words, looking relieved, which soothed my guilt for having upset him.

"While I am not Jarvis," he spoke, "I do admittedly have some of his…knowledge? I don't know how to describe it, but I seem to know and understand you. I only asked about your recklessness to see if my own assumptions were correct, and they were."

I looked at him in happy surprise, my heart warming to know Jarvis wasn't completely gone. "I had wondered," I admitted, "if there was something of him left. I was thinking about it earlier today when we were training. We work together really well."

"Yes, we do, don't we?" he responded with a proud smile as he looked at me warmly. "Along with this knowledge, I also feel an instinctual protectiveness over you," he confessed, looking sheepish. "I don't understand it, but I've never really questioned it as I've learned that not everything has an explanation."

I was touched to know how he felt towards me, and I once more felt the need to apologize. "I'm sorry, Vis, for keeping you at arm's length. I care about you too, but I need you to know that despite that protectiveness or knowledge you have, please feel free to make your own decisions. I _know_ you're not Jarvis, and I don't want you to be. Just be you, and do what you feel is right." I gazed at him, completely serious as I decided to ask, "Did you sign the Accords and stand by my side because of these feelings?"

"No," he answered promptly, and I let out a sigh of relief. "I signed because I agreed that, given the circumstances, it was the best option available. Like you, I didn't agree with everything, but the only other option was quitting or rebellion. War as not the wise course of action, but politics were. I still stand by my decision despite everything that occurred."

Giving the android a genuine smile, I thanked him both for his honesty, and for sticking with me.

Vision and I spent the rest of the night talking about random things, and I found our bond strengthening. He could be quite amusing, I found, which surprised me. He had a mischievous side that painfully reminded me of Jarvis, but I pushed it aside. For my own sake, I settled with thinking of Vision as Jarvis's son. He wasn't Jarvis, but it was only natural that he'd have a bit of Jarvis, and admittedly even me, in him.

Natasha and Bruce appeared together around 5AM, both sporting disheveled hair and smiles. I grinned wickedly as I rose suggestive eyebrows at the pair. "Eventful night or morning?" I asked, and Natasha completely ignored me while Bruce looked embarrassed. I laughed aloud, giving the man two thumbs up. I then yelped when I felt a sharp hand smacking me upside the back of my head. Gripping my hair, she then hauled my head back so that I was looking her in the eyes.

"Enough," she said simply, and I grimaced before turning my expression into one of apology. She huffed, releasing her grip before ruffling my hair, her customary form of affection towards me. Eyeing me closely and taking in my appearance, I saw concern as she plainly asked, "What happened to you?"

"Nightmares and rain," I answered with a shrug, and she just nodded in understanding. It was nice how she just knew me, and I didn't have to explain everything.

"You should get some sleep," she suggested. "I don't think you want Peter and Pepper seeing you like this. They worry enough as it is."

"Hmmm," I murmured before sliding off the stool. I was tired, and sleep sounded nice. Maybe after the long night, exhaustion would help me sleep soundly. Bidding the trio a good day, I padded down to my quarters and into my room. Approaching my bed, I smiled fondly as I saw my two-favorite people in the world sleeping close together. They both faced each other, and they looked at peace. Shrugging off the blanket, I took a quick shower before putting on a t-shirt with cotton shorts. Approaching the bed once more, I saw Pepper open bleary eyes before looking at me in concern.

"Rough night," I informed her. "I'll explain later, but I'm going to try and sleep." She looked worried, but nodded anyways as she wrapped a protective arm around our little spider. He snuggled closer to her, looking far younger than he really was. Laying myself down, I closed my eyes, content in the knowledge that things were getting better.

 **A/N: I've gotten requests for Peter to call Tony and Pepper, Mom and Dad. Not sure if that'll happen. Even if he occasionally refers to them as that, I don't think Peter feels comfortable calling them that as of yet.**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: Thank you thank you for the continued reviews. I love hearing from each one of you guys and learning what it is that you like. I'm just starting chapter 30, so hopefully I'll get it done in time for a timely update.**

 **BTW: I will not have Pepper get pregnant at any time. They may discuss having a baby, but I don't feel either one is ready for such a commitment. Both their lives are hectic, and they want to be able to devote what time they have to Peter.**

 **Chapter 28: Anger**

 **Peter's POV:**

Natasha and I were on a morning jog around central park. She'd been staying over the past couple days, and she point-blank said it was to keep an eye on me and Tony while Pepper was working. Tony had grumbled, but I'd only shrugged, not bothered in the slightest.

Well, I wasn't bothered until she'd been waking me up at 5AM every morning to go on a jog with her. It wasn't that it was really exhausting, but I hated getting up so early. I'd only complained the first day, though, because I quickly realized that I enjoyed the one on one time with her. It didn't seem like it, but she was easy to talk to. She was a great listener, and she seemed to know exactly what to say. A couple times she told me some stories of the early days of the Avengers, when they still didn't know how to act around one another. Other times we just ran silently, but it was a comfortable silence. Each run ended with a stop at a bakery, where she ordered a bagel and I got three huge cinnamon rolls. I always inhaled my cinnamon rolls before she managed to finish her bagel.

Having Nat stay over this past week had been a relief to me. While Pepper came home every night, she was gone all day. Tony was much better than he'd been last week, but he was still healing, and he was still suffering from bad nightmares. I knew, without witnessing it, that he was awake every single night. He always looked tired, and I wasn't sure if he was eating well either. With Natasha here, I put all my faith in her to deal with Tony while I focused on school.

Missing a week, while necessary, had been a bad move. I was behind in all my classes, and wild rumors spread of why I hadn't been there. Well, I guess wild rumors is the wrong way to describe it, because the rumors were spot on. Everybody knew that Hurtado had gotten pissed with me after one class, and they also knew that I'd ended up in the office with my guardian being called in. Nobody knew what was discussed, but they did know that Hurtado had punched my guardian. As neither Hurtado nor I had been here since then, this had cemented the truth of the story, and I was swarmed by classmates, wanting to know every detail.

MJ and Ned had gotten on either side of me, and we'd pushed through the crowds. Principal Edwards dispersed the rest of the crowd, though, when he brought me in to his office. I sighed in frustration, hoping he wouldn't make me late to my first class.

"How is he?" were the first words out of his mouth, and those words along with his honest concern, calmed my ire.

"He's fine. We got him stitched up and x-rayed, and there was no lasting damage," I explained, realizing that the nurse no doubt informed him of the injuries she'd seen.

"How does everybody know what happened?" I had to ask, and the man sighed heavily.

"Well, first off, students heard the shouting going on in his room between you too, and they saw him lead you to me. Thankfully, no one knows what happened in here, except, of course for him punching your guardian; and they only know that because everyone in the office saw me drag the man out and yell at him. No one knows who your guardian is, though, I made sure of it," he spoke honestly, and I let out a breath of relief.

"Don't feel the need to explain anything to anyone, but if you do, let's agree that Hurtado lost his temper because we both felt he was the one at fault and not you," he told me, and I nodded in agreement. We both stood up at this point, and he welcomed me back while also informing me that the teachers had been informed to give me some leeway. All had agreed. I was making my way out the door, when he called out to me. I looked back curiously, and saw that he looked older than he had before.

"I am truly sorry for what happened here," he apologized sincerely. "I know I had my doubts about Stark being your guardian, but he's proven himself time and time again, and I admit that I was completely wrong. He is a great man, and was not deserving of what Hurtado said to him. He wasn't right, by the way, Hurtado," he stated, "about what he said to him. I was in the military too, and I've been on protection detail. If I'd died doing that, I never would've blamed the person, especially if they'd survived. I would've been proud that I'd done my job."

I felt immensely touched and honored that he'd shared this with me, and I felt a newfound respect for him. Giving him a small smile, I said, "I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused with my own actions, and with…y'know," I spoke with a shrug. The man smiled widely as he waved away the apology.

"Get to class," he now ordered. "You don't want to be late on your first day back."

The bell rang as I left, and I rushed to my first period class. MJ greeted me with a bright smile, and I sat down next to her. When Flash strolled on, he smirked at me before slapping my back jovially. "Welcome back, Peter. And may I say, on behalf this entire class," he spoke grandly, "thank you for getting rid of Hurtado."

There were several claps, and a few whoops as I received several more thanks. I blushed, smiling sheepishly before asking who he'd been replaced with. My question was answered at the sound of the bell when an elderly, hippy looking woman walked in and graced us all with a wide smile. I relaxed, already knowing that this was going to be an interesting year.

Classes that week went smoothly, all my teachers and friends catching me up on what I'd missed. I spent a lot of time doing homework at home, but missing last week had been well worth it. Tony was in much better shape both physically and mentally, even with the nightmares and poor eating.

When I arrived home on Friday, I was greeted to the sight of the two adults playing Mario Kart, insulting and shoving each other as they both attempted to snag 1st place. I happily sat down to watch them, loving the way in which they interacted with each other. They'd never said it outright, but I could tell that they thought of each other as siblings. They definitely acted like it with their childish bickering and constant teasing. Woe to anyone who hurt one of them, though, because they were the first to rush to each other's defense.

"Hey kid," Tony greeted, ducking to dodge a playful swipe from Natasha.

"Peter," Natasha greeted, lifting a leg to avoid a light kick from Tony.

"Children, play nicely," I mock chided, and received twin sets of narrowed eyes. They lasted mere seconds before they went back to their playful banter and fighting. I laughed loudly when I saw how their bickering led to both of coming in last place. There were moments of stunned silence before Natasha threw down her controller and tackled Tony to the ground. The man yelped loudly, and I jumped onto the couch in surprise. Tony quickly fought back, and I could tell neither one was truly trying to hurt each other. In fact, I noticed how Natasha avoided from landing a single hit to his ribs. Tony still had to be in pain, but he didn't show it as he and Nat rolled over the floor. They began to wrestle, and Tony put up a valiant fight, but he ended up with Natasha on top of him and both his hands pinned by hers.

"You know," Tony remarked breathlessly, "If I didn't love you like a sister, this would be quite a provocative state we're in." He sported a rakish grin, and I blushed at his words while Natasha just laughed. She then poked him in the side not so gently as she got up, and he let out a quiet groan of pain.

"Evil spider sister," he grumbled, though he did accept her hand, which she used to pull him up. She patted the top of his head before giving him a light shove. Tony just chuckled good naturedly before sitting himself on the couch next to me.

"How was school?" he asked casually, like the past several minutes hadn't happened. I just shook my head before telling him of the day's events. Nothing exciting had happened, but I realized over time that Tony genuinely enjoyed hearing the mundane details of my life. I lay down on the couch, placing my head on his lap and stretching out over the couch. He maintained eye contact with me the entire time we spoke, and I saw the happiness and affection in his eyes. Although I could still tell he wasn't sleeping well, I was also able to tell that my presence seemed to help him.

Natasha came over at this point, lifting my legs before sitting herself down and placing my legs on top of her lap. She stretched her own legs over the coffee table as she informed me that prior to my arriving home that she had soundly been beating Tony at Mario Kart. Tony immediately disagreed, and I got to listen to more of their playful bickering. They were rather amusing to watch. As they continued arguing with one another I finally grew bored and turned on the TV, turning up the volume when they attempted to speak over the TV. Eventually, they fell silent when I shushed them, and they decided to just watch the TV with me. An hour passed before my teenage stomach alerted me to the fact that I was suddenly starving.

"Tony," I moaned dramatically, "feed me!"

He looked at me in amusement before raising an eyebrow to Nat. She looked me over before remarking, "Eh, he looks fine to me."

"Noooo," I moaned loudly, "I'm going to die!"

Tony laughed loudly in amusement while Natasha smirked. "So, no real loss, then," she stated casually.

I pouted, glaring at both evil adults before declaring, "You'd miss me, mark my words! You love me too much to let me starve!"  
"Do we?" Tony questioned doubtfully as he and Nat shared a look.

I decided to pull an underhanded tactic. Looking at Tony with a look of utmost seriousness, I stated, "I'll tell Pepper on you."

His laughter cut off immediately, his eyes narrowing before he huffed, shoving me off him as he stood up. "Alright, Nat, let's get the little spider fed before he collapses from starvation."

Natasha laughed in amusement, smirking at Tony as she stood up as well.

I stood up at this point, yelling out in triumph as I shouted, "I want pizza!"

"So, not only do I have to feed you, but you get to choose what I feed you?" Tony complained with a mock glare.

"Yup," I said impishly, and he wrapped an arm around me as he guided me to the elevator.

"Pizza it is," he stated, and I grinned excitedly, realizing we were going out together. Usually, Tony and Nat avoided going out in the public, especially together and especially with me; so, I was excited. As we arrived down in the garage, we noticed Pepper, and I informed her happily of where we were going and asked if she wanted to go. She politely declined, explaining that she was exhausted. Disappointed, but understanding, I nodded.

We left and quickly arrived at a no-name pizza place. It was crowded and noisy, and we easily blended in, choosing a seat towards the back. The order took a while, but it was well worth it as the food had been amazingly delicious. I inhaled it like a starving boy, enduring Tony and Nat's teasing as I'd lost since grown used to it, in terms of my eating at least. I was sent to go get refills, and rolling my eyes at their laziness, I got up and made my way to the soda machine.

It was once I was there that my spider sense came alive, and I instinctively ducked as a cup was thrown at my head. Whirling around, I prepared for a fight, realizing quickly that I wasn't the intended target. A brawl had suddenly broken out, and fists were being thrown, bottles broken, and death threats yelled out. Without thinking, I immediately threw myself into the fray, intent on breaking things up. I didn't consider the fact that I wasn't in costume or that I wasn't wearing a mask. I just wanted to keep people from getting hurt, or even killed. I shoved people off each other, pulled bottles and other objects out of people's hands.

"Peter, stop!" I heard Tony yell, but I ignored him as the men's anger suddenly turned on me. I easily dodged the punches, rolling my eyes as this only seemed to infuriate them more. My own irritation grew as I realized the fight wasn't breaking up. Natasha and Tony then dove into the fight, both letting loose on the men who'd been brawling. While I'd just been shoving people apart, they resorted to kicking, punching, and tripping, and I couldn't help but huff at how easily they were ending the fight. When Tony ended up right by me, he simply said, "Leave _now_." I looked at him in angry confusion, to which he responded with a stern look. I shook my head stubbornly, and he growled before landing a painful punch on a man that promptly knocked him out. We heard some screaming, and looked to Natasha who was twisting one man's arm while others just ran. She released the man, and he promptly took off running. There were about five men groaning loudly on the floor, and two were unconscious.

A crowd was growing, and I heard people mentioning Tony and Natasha's names. Fans, I realized unhappily. Listening more intently, I also realized that people were talking about me. Not only that, but they were also pointing me out. Tony ripped off his jacket and threw it over my head, whispering to me that there was a back door and that I should go out that way.

"Go straight home," he ordered, and I nodded my head, realizing this was why he'd wanted me to leave. I obeyed, shoving past people and bursting out the back door. I sprinted out, rushing through back alleys before taking several calming breaths. Lowering the jacket, I made my way out onto the street before flagging a taxi to take me home. Arriving within minutes, I made my way onto our floor, wondering what was going on at the restaurant.

Pepper suddenly appeared in the living room, a phone pressed to her ear. "Yes, he's right here," she spoke with relief. "Turn on the—Oh no," she sighed, grabbing the remove and turning on the TV. She flipped through channels before landing on one that was discussing what had happened at the restaurant. The headline read, _Iron Man and Black Widow involved in brawl_. The newscaster was interviewing several of the patrons, who were all talking about how Tony and Natasha had gotten into a fight with several people. Some said they were breaking up a fight while others insisted they'd started it. Some said they had been helping while others accused them of making things worse. There wasn't a single mention of me, and I realized that Tony and Nat getting involved had taken all the attention away from me.

Crud. This wasn't good.

I could see police cars in the background, and I hoped they weren't getting arrested. Pepper was on the phone, but I could tell she was no longer talking with Tony. She was talking about damage control and getting PR on this as soon as possible. She hung up the phone quickly, calling someone else, who I realized was Tony. "Give no comment right now, Tony, just get home. I've got PR on this, so tell them we'll give an official statement of what happened later." He said something, and she hung up, letting out a heavy sigh.

Tony and Natasha walked out of the restaurant, and were immediately assaulted by the press, all wanting pictures and a comment. Both walked through the crowd, not making eye contact with anyone. Tony made only one comment, and that was that he'd be releasing an official statement of what occurred tomorrow. The cameras followed them to their car, but they both got in and drove off. Pepper sat herself down, a hand on her forehead before she looked at me and asked what exactly happened. I told her everything, and she frowned before letting out a quiet groan. She shot me a mildly exasperated look that I didn't quite understand, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she just stood up and went to the kitchen to prepare herself some coffee. Clearly, she anticipated this was going to be a long night.

She was pouring herself a cup when Tony and Natasha walked out of the elevator, and Tony instantly zeroed in on me. Uh oh. The look on his face told me that I was in trouble, but I didn't exactly know why. He quickly approached me, and I backed up until I reached the couch.

"What were you thinking?" he asked exasperatedly, and I suddenly realized what he was upset about.

"I was trying to help," I defended, feeling rather offended that he had to ask.

"Why?" he pressed in frustration.

"Because it's what I do," I informed him with some irritation. "I'm Spiderman, remember?"

He narrowed his eyes while sighing harshly. "You weren't Spiderman there, though, you were Peter Parker, a high school _kid_ ," he hissed angrily. "You didn't need to get involved in what happened. If anything, you just made things worse."

I glared back, feeling both embarrassed and angry with him. "I didn't make things worse, _you_ did! I was separating them apart," I argued hotly. " _You_ and Natasha were the ones who went all Rocky Balboa on them!"

Natasha gave a snort at my description while Tony's eyes turned hard as he took a step into my personal space. "We only got involved to take the heat off you, Spider _boy_ ," he said in quiet fury. "You want to keep your identity a secret, then do us all a favor and keep your hero duties relegated to when you're in costume. With us involved, everyone's focus including the media's is now on Nat and me rather than the idiot kid who showed a little too much strength and skill. A little appreciation would be nice."

"Thank you," I grunted sarcastically. "I didn't need you to come to my rescue, Tony, I was fine by myself. Once again, you're overreacting, like _always_ when it comes to me! All I did was try and break up a fight, and you're blowing it out of proportion!" I exclaimed, making to walk away, but he grabbed hold of my bicep. I refused to look at him, looking instead at a frowning Natasha and a concerned Pepper.

"Dammit, Pete, you're not listening," he growled, shaking my arm as though to shake sense into me. "There's a time and place for playing the hero, and this was an instance where it wasn't needed. Do you _not_ understand that you could've blown your cover? Did you not see the cameras being pulled out? Hell, I don't doubt some people got you on their phones."

I yanked my arm out of his grasp angrily, although I was starting to feel like a fool.

"We're Avengers and getting involved in bar brawls isn't exactly in our job description nor is it allowed. Nat and I are going to get our assess reamed by the government for this," he explained seriously, pointing a finger at my face. "But, by all means, continue and complain about how unfair and overprotective I am of you." With those words, he stalked off to the kitchen and poured himself a large cup of coffee.

Natasha's expression showed disappointment before she became distracted by the ringing of her phone. Tony's went off as well, and the two exchanged looks before answering. Pepper's phone went off seconds after they answered, and she promptly answered it. I watched all three speaking, or, well, Pepper was speaking while Tony and Natasha seemed to be mostly listening. There were a lot of "Yes, sir," and "I understand, sir" before their calls ended. Pepper walked off as she began yelling angrily into her phone.

Phone call after phone call was made, different members of SHIELD, Avengers, and the government calling. All three adults seemed to become more weary and irritated as the night went off, and feeling guilty, I didn't even argue when Pepper ordered me to bed at midnight.

Stupid idiot, I muttered to myself as I kicked at anything I had lying on the floor. I'd only been trying to help, and I ended up getting Tony and Natasha into huge trouble.

But they didn't need to get involved! I was doing perfectly fine without them! It was a small place, anyways, so who cares if I ended up on some cameras. It's not like my face was well known or anybody would be able to guess who I was, right? _Right_?

Tears of frustration and guilt hit me, but I angrily swiped them away. No, this wasn't my fault. This _wasn't my fault_! They shouldn't have gotten involved. _They_ were the ones that had been idiots, not me. Spiderman is about helping the little guy, and that means breaking up fights. I'm not an Avenger as they so often tell me.

Dumb, interfering adults who always think they know better than me.

Two firm knocks sounded on my door before it opened and Tony stepped in. He looked me over with a raised eyebrow before shaking his head. "Nat and I are heading to HQ. You are going to stay here and be good for Pepper," he said, and I was the one who raised an eyebrow now.

"I'm sixteen, Tony, you don't need to let me know every time you leave, and you certainly don't need to tell me to behave," I griped, and he smirked as he sarcastically replied, "Of course, not." He turned around and took a step before calling over his shoulder, "Oh, and you're grounded for the next two days."

"What?!" I yelled angrily, "That's not fair! I didn't do anything!"

Tony turned his head and any joviality he'd displayed was gone. "Two days, Peter," he repeated before walking away. I growled as I slammed my door shut loudly.

"Peter," Friday called out with exasperation, "Mr. Stark would like to amend his earlier sentencing to three days rather than two."

I threw myself onto my bed and yelled as loud as I could into my pillow. This was so freaking unfair!

Stupid Tony and his stupid rules and his stupid overprotectiveness! He was punishing me because he screwed up! Dumb old man.

I stewed angrily on my bed until I heard another two knocks, much quieter than before. Pepper, I mused. She opened the door and made her way to me, sitting herself on the edge of the bed.

"Hello, honey," she greeted kindly as she ran her fingers through my hair.

"Am I really grounded, Pepper?" I asked moodily, and she nodded, causing me to harrumph.

"I know you're angry, Peter, but this attitude isn't going to help make things better," she explained softly. "I know Tony can be overprotective, but he does everything because he loves you."

"He treats me like a helpless kid," I grumbled, "and so do you. You guys just want to keep me locked up and safe. You both tell me you understand my need to be a hero, but then you keep me from being able to be one!" I accused angrily as I sat up.

Pepper frowned, letting out a sigh of disappointment. "Neither one of us considers you helpless, and we're not trying to keep you from being a super hero," she attempted to reason, but I scoffed, crossing my arms and looking away as I muttered a disbelieving, "Yeah, right."

She reached out a hand to place on my shoulder, but I shoved it off, giving her a mild glare. She looked taken aback and hurt briefly, but that expression immediately became stern. She stood up and said, "I think it's best you just stay in here the rest of the night, young man, and when tomorrow comes, this attitude of yours had better be gone." I glared as she left. Of course, she'd be on Tony's side. They were both overprotective jerks. I stared up at the ceiling, stewing in my anger until I finally fell asleep.

The following day went by slowly as I'd been sentenced to my room for all but meals. Pepper seemed to think my attitude still needed to be improved, but whatever. She was just being sensitive. Both breakfast and lunch were quiet and tense with Pepper trying to talk to me, but me completely ignoring her. If she was going to be a jerk like Tony, then I wasn't going to even try and play nice.

"Peter, enough of this," she said firmly once we'd finished lunch. "I would've thought by now that this childish tantrum of yours would've ended."

"It's not a tantrum!" I snapped, and she frowned deeply. "You and Tony are being jerks!"

Her face darkened as she stood up and scolded me. "Watch your language, Peter Parker-Stark. You know better than to speak to me like that."

"Just because I know better, doesn't mean I'll listen," I retorted, standing up as well. Her eyes widened momentarily before narrowing. "Go to your room. Dinner will be brought to you."

"Fine by me," I declared with a fake smile before walking away.

Hours went by as I played video games, watched TV, and texted with Ned. It was during this texting that I received a video call from Tony. I huffed before accepting it.

"What do you want? I'm busy," I greeted, and the face looking back at me looked as unamused as Pepper's had earlier today.

"Well, hello to you too," he returned sourly. "Glad to see you're in as good a mood as Pepper said you were in."

"She called you," I complained with a disgruntled shake of my head. "Whatever. Just say what you want and then leave me alone."

Tony's expression turned cold as he outright glared. "Okay, seeing as you're so _busy_ right now, kiddo, I'll just speak plainly. You do _not_ treat Pepper as you did today _ever again_. She's your mom and she deserves your respect, so when I talk with her tomorrow, I better not hear the same report I did today. I think you know what to expect if I do."

I gritted my teeth at his scolding, biting back angry retorts. I settled instead with just saying, "Is that all?"

"Yup, pretty much," he replied, and I nodded before hanging up on him.

Behave, Peter. Be nice, Peter. Be respectful, Peter. _Whatever_.

I dropped my phone to the floor, butterflies fluttering in my stomach as I contemplated what to do. Tony had basically told me to play nice or he'd spank me. Mean old man.

I went into my closet and grabbed my suit. "Friday," I addressed, "please don't tell Tony I went out. I just need to vent for a little and then I'll come straight home, I swear."

"I will give you two hours, and if you are not home by then, I will call Tony," she responded reluctantly, and I grinned at her as I gave her my thanks. I wondered if Tony realized how much autonomy Friday had, and I wondered why he hadn't outright ordered Friday to inform him of everything I did. I quietly opened my window and hopped out, swinging away from home. Oh yeah, it felt great swinging around the city. I could already feel the tension in my muscles lessening.

Only a few minutes after I was out, Karen alerted me to a store robbery taking place. I swung down to the little thrift shop and took in the scene. There were half a dozen customers inside, two clerks, and two men with guns, demanding money. One man was threatening the clerk as he held a bag to her, and the other was holding a gun to a man who was standing protectively in front of two children. My blood boiled at the scene, flashes of bleeding Uncle Ben and bleeding Tony going through my head. I burst into the store, shooting a web at each gun and pulling them to me. Dropping them, I webbed up the man at the cashier before hanging him from the ceiling. The other man, though, I didn't bother with webs. I went over to him and began punching him in the face.

"You stupid, cruel, bastard!" I hissed furiously as I hauled him up by his jacket. "You think it's fun to threaten people with a gun? Do you even know what that thing can do? Do you enjoy ripping families apart?" The man didn't respond, though as he was unconscious. I roughly dropped him to the floor, webbed him up, and then stared at the shocked and scared faces around me.

"I'd appreciate if you'd not tell anyone I was here," I told them. "Trying to keep a low profile." There were a couple nods, and then I left. The next hour passed uneventfully. I only needed to stop a couple car accidents and a mugging. I may have roughed the mugger up a little more than usual, but I didn't care. Maybe that thought scared me, but I figured that being easy on them wasn't working. It wasn't like I was killing anybody.

I got home with twenty minutes to spare. Friday greeted me happily, expressing her happiness in not having to tell on me. I thanked her again for her discretion. I felt much more relaxed now than I had earlier, and the anger I felt had seemed to have gone away. My irritation with both Pepper and Tony was diluted, and I realized that I'd been acting like an idiot. Showering and changing clothes, I quietly made my way to the kitchen where Pepper had papers scattered all over the place. She seemed to be completely absorbed in her work.

"Hey, Pepper," I addressed quietly, and she looked up sharply, her face quickly softening as she took in my expression. "I'm sorry for how I've been acting," I told her, tentatively walking closer. "I've been angry, and I took it out on you guys unfairly. I know you're just trying to protect me, but it's just hard to understand that at times."

Pepper stood up and pulled me in for a hug. "Peter, honey, thank you for the apology, I appreciate it. I understand your frustration, but your behavior was unacceptable. I'm also not quite sure you're being sincere with me as many of the things you accused me and Tony of, you've said countless times as of late when you've been angry."

I looked down, letting out a guilty sigh. She was right. I wasn't quite sorry for what I'd said so much as I was sorry for the way in which I'd said it. Yelling and insulting wasn't the way to change anything.

"Sorry," I murmured once more, and she placed a kiss to my forehead. "We should talk about what got you so angry, so why don't you sit down." I bit back a frustrated groan. I didn't want to talk about anything. Why couldn't she just accept my apology?

"Pepper, come on," I whined, "do we have to? I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things and been so disrespectful. Can you just scold me and call it a night?" I asked hopefully.

She raised an eyebrow at me, looking both stern and amused.

"Pleeassee?" I prodded, giving her my puppy-dog eyes. She looked indecisive before seeming to come to a decision. "Look Peter, I'll let this go this time, but the next time this temper of yours flares, we _will_ discuss the reasons why whether you want to or not, understand?"

Feeling relieved, I nodded my head emphatically. "Yes, I understand."

"Go on off to bed, then," she ordered softly. "I'll call Tony and let him know that you've finally come to your senses." I smiled brightly before bidding her a goodnight. I'd dodged a bullet, I thought happily.

Several more days went by, and I went out every night for a couple hours. Tony and Natasha hadn't come home, and I was told that the UN finally demanded that Tony give them the full story of his kidnapping. I felt bad for him, but he assured me that he had everything under control. I wasn't sure he was telling me the truth, and so I worried. Would being forced to talk about this with a bunch of strangers make things worse for him. What if they pressed for more details? What if they demanded to know who I was? My stress mounted each day he was gone, and my sleep also suffered for it. My irritability flared up several times, causing me to snap at my friends and Pepper. Thankfully, the times with Pepper weren't as common as I spent a lot of time at school and she spent a lot of time working.

Happy was now staying with us to help with babysitting me, and that only pissed me off more. God, I could take care of myself! I said the same thing to the man, but he just smirked. When I continued to push the issue, his amusement turned to annoyance.

"Hmm, I see this is the temper Pepper has been telling me about," he commented. "You know, squirt, you better be grateful Tony isn't here or you would've been nursing a sore bottom by now. You're lucky Pepper has much more patience for this attitude than your dad, and me, to be honest. I'm gonna tell you right now that I've got access to one of his gloves, and if this attitude continues I won't be as forgiving as Pepper."

My eyes widened at the threat, but I kept my mouth shut tightly as I was pretty sure he wasn't bluffing with me. I mean, I knew that what he said was true. Pepper put up with more of my disrespect than Tony ever would, but she just couldn't bring herself to spank me. I hadn't heard from Tony, so I wondered if Pepper had been informing him of what was going on. I made to walk away from Happy, but he stopped me with a hand on my shoulder.

"One more thing, Peter," he stated with an expression of curiosity and concern. "There have been some rumors that Spiderman has been a little more rough than usual."

I frowned, wondering what exactly he heard. "I don't know what you're talking about, Happy. I haven't been doing anything different than usual."

He cocked his head to the side, looking a little tentative before he spoke again. "Well, a couple of the bad guys have been saying that you've been beating them to unconsciousness even after they've surrendered."

"And you believe those crooks?" I asked in angry disbelief.

"Some of the people you saved have said the same," he continued, looking more concerned now than curious.

"Look, I still think they're exaggerating, but I guess I'll tone it down," I decided to say in irritation. "They're just a bunch of whiners, and the people I save have no idea what they're talking about. I've saved them, and they're acting ungrateful," I spoke sourly.

Happy looked decidedly uncomfortable before sighing and gracing me with a small smile. "Alright, kiddo, you're probably right. This doesn't sound like you either."

I relaxed at his comment, and smiled back.

Several more days passed, Tony still not returning. I went out every night, staying out for hours, but making sure to make it back by curfew. Happy's questions made me look more critically at what I was doing. Maybe I was being a little rougher, but anybody that threatened to hurt a person, especially their lives, deserved to get beat up a little. Anyone who used a gun pissed me off the most. They reminded me of everything Tony had gone through, and all I could see was him bleeding to death right in front of me. I hadn't gotten to get my revenge on Ross. All I knew was that he was still causing problems to Tony, even after all he suffered.

It was Friday night again, a week since Tony and Nat had left, and I was exhausted from lack of sleep and the stress I was feeling over what was happening with him. I was getting ready to go on patrol when my phone went off.

"Tony!" I answered excitedly, and he smiled at me.

"Hey, little spider, how's it going?" he asked.

"I'm good, but what about you? How'd the interviews go? They didn't push you too much, did they?" I asked in concern. "Are you coming home soon?"

He smiled kindly before answering, "I'm fine, pal. The interviews sucked, but I've finally gotten through them. The old men have had their fill of me, so I'm actually not too far from home now."

"Yes!" I shouted happily, giving him a huge grin.

He mirrored my grin, seemingly happy at my excitement. The grin was dropped after several moments, though, to be replaced with one of concern. "I know Happy talked to you about this a few days ago, but I've been hearing some not-so-nice rumors concerning Spiderman lately."

I stiffened, immediately feeling on the defensive. "What rumors?" I asked quickly. "I haven't done anything wrong."

He held up his hands as he said, "Hey, hey, I wasn't accusing you of anything. I just want to know what's going on. What I'm hearing is that Spiderman has been taking things a little too far," he prodded, giving me an inquiring look.

I frowned angrily before snapping, "Spiderman—I mean, _I'm_ not taking anything too far! I'm doing what has to be done!"

"And what does that mean?" he pressed in increasing concern.

"It means I'm dealing with the bad guys and I'm saving lives," I informed him in angry exasperation. "What else do you think it means?"

"Peter, calm down, I'm not trying to insinuate anything," he argued calmly. "I'm just trying to figure out what's going on. I've heard you've been rougher on the perps than usual, and I'm concerned."

"So, you believe stupid rumors rather than me?" I snapped heatedly, giving him a glare.

His eyebrows rose in surprise before he pursed his lips for several moments. "Take some breaths and calm down," he ordered gently. "I never said I believed what I heard. I'm just trying to figure some things out."

"Sure seems like you believe it," I grumbled moodily, and he sighed heavily.

"Seems to me like you've still got that temper from last week," he mused more to himself than to me. Looking stern now, he asked, "Tell me, Peter, what kind of report am I going to get from Pepper regarding your behavior this past week?"

I openly glared at the man, no longer feeling so excited at him coming home. "You know what, you can stay gone if all you're going to do is accuse me of screwing up," I spoke furiously before hanging up the phone. He tried calling me back immediately, but I turned my phone off.

Huffing angrily, I pulled on my mask and jumped out of my window, intent on getting to work. Being Spiderman had allowed me to relieve my anger as of late, and I was looking forward to the adrenaline and endorphin rush I always got. I spent my first hour not doing anything really exciting. I helped a lost kid find his mom, and broke up a fight between a bunch of drunken teenagers.

I was swinging around Brooklyn when screams echoed, and I instantly headed towards them, blood boiling when I saw a man holding a gun to a woman.

"Peter, Mr. Stark is calling," Karen informed me, and I swore before ordering her not to allow any calls to come through.

I focused once more on the situation below me. The woman was begging the man not to shoot her. She offered him her purse, but he didn't want that. He wanted something worse. I jumped down, calling out to the sick man.

"Hey, creep, why don't you point that gun at me so we can have some fun," I stated in forced cheer. The man's eyes widened in fear, and he pointed the gun at me, immediately beginning to shoot. I laughed out loud, easily dodging his clumsy shots while at the same time egging him on. When the gun ran out of bullets, I slowly walked towards the man trying to appear as intimidating as possible. The man backed up, and when he bumped into a trash can, I suddenly froze as he pulled another gun out. Crap. He shot it off, but the bullet never came towards me, instead hitting the woman who'd I'd been saving.

Oh no, oh no, oh no, I thought in horror. I rushed to the woman, catching her before she hit the ground. In relief, I saw that the bullet only hit her arm. She'd be okay. Noticing the man starting to run away, I lost my temper. Shooting out a web, I pulled him back towards me, punching him in the chest hard. I heard the cracking of his ribs, and smirked in triumph. He rolled on the floor in pain, so I picked him up and began to punch his face and his torso. Karen began speaking to me, telling me to stop, but I muted her. The woman ran by me, screaming once more in fear, but knowing she'd be fine, I let her go. The man was sobbing, begging for mercy as blood poured out his broken nose. Raising my fist, my attention was suddenly diverted by Iron Man landing at the opening of the alley.

"I'm only going to say this once, Spiderman. Let go of the man, _now_ ," he ordered as he walked towards me. I felt shock at both the fact that he was here and that he was telling me to stop.

"Why should I stop?" I asked in a harsh tone. "This guy deserves everything I'm giving him and more!"

I heard Tony give a sigh, and he raised his arm, sonic waves beginning to come out. Both the man in my hand and myself began to scream, my own yells much louder due to my sensitive hearing. The noise lasted only seconds, but it was enough for Tony to grab the man and take off. I stared after him in utter shock.

What the hell?! What the hell was his problem?

I kicked a trash can roughly, causing it to go flying. Vision appeared now, coming out of the wall to my right.

"Peter," he spoke seriously, "I'm here to escort you home."

"Why?" I asked. "I've still got two hours before my curfew."

His expression turned stern as he approached me. "This was not a suggestion, Peter, so if you would please lead the way, I would appreciate it. If you make things difficult for me, then I will forcefully bring you home."

I jumped high, shooting a web to get me on the roof. I ran for it, doing the best I could to get away from the annoying android. I managed only one minute before he got his arms around me, and no matter how hard I tried, I could barely get him to budge. How strong was this guy? I roared out in frustration, but he completely ignored me. When we arrived home, he carried me inside, still not letting me go.

"Let me go!" I demanded loudly, and he still ignored me. I glared at the people around the room, which included Pepper, Natasha, and Happy. Natasha approached and slapped at the spider on my chest, which immediately loosened my suit. She yanked it all the way off, and I couldn't stop the blush as I was now in only my boxers. She walked away, appearing one minute later with sweats and a t-shirt. I finally stopped fighting, realizing that I wasn't going anywhere without my suit. Vision let me go, and I glared fiercely at Nat as I ripped the clothes out of her grasp and pulled them on. Seething, I looked around at everyone once more before asking, "Would anyone like to tell me what the hell is going on?!"

"That's exactly what we would like to know," Pepper spoke as she began to walk towards me. Natasha held a hand out to her to stop her from approaching, and I froze, realizing that Nat was afraid of me hurting Pepper.

"I'm not going to hurt her," I declared, feeling both hurt and angry.

"Considering your behavior as of late, it's best to be cautious," Natasha responded somewhat apologetically. "You should see yourself right now, Peter. You're out of control, and your hands are covered in blood." I looked down at my hands in surprise, my mind suddenly flashing back to when my hands had been covered in Tony's blood. I sucked in a startled breath, much of my anger seemingly leaving me. What had I done to have caused myself to be drenched in blood? Was it really from punching that man? Had I caused him to bleed this much?

My mind was a whirlwind as I heard the Iron Man suit landing on the balcony. Two seconds later, the door was opened and rapid footsteps made their way to me. I whirled around, instantly on the defensive as I glared at Tony _damned_ Stark. His expression was blank as his eyes roved up and down my torso. My body tensed as he suddenly closed the distance between us and pulled me in for a hug. His hold was tight, warm, and comforting, and I found my muscles relaxing. My hammering heart began to slow, tears prickling at my eyes as I dropped my head on his shoulder.

"Deep breaths, little spider, deep breaths," he whispered into my ears, and I followed his directions.

"I didn't do anything," I protested tearfully, and he just shushed me gently.

"No talking right now, just breathing," he told me, and I made a noise of protest, but didn't argue anymore, just enjoying the feel of his arms around me. After a couple minutes, I felt completely relaxed, my anger once more buried. It wasn't gone, but it was in control for the moment. He broke apart from me, keeping his hands on my shoulders as he once more looked me over.

"You've had us all worried as of late, pal," he stated, and my shoulders dropped as I glanced around the room to see everyone's concerned eyes looking at me. I looked down in embarrassment, once more catching sight of my bloodied hands. Tony saw them as well and took them into his own hands. "How about we get you washed up, alright," he suggested, and I nodded. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder firmly and guided me to my room. He led me into the bathroom and sat me on the edge of the tub. He grabbed a hand towel, turned the water on, and wet the towel before cleaning my hands thoroughly. I watched the towel turn red, and I felt sick. I managed to keep from throwing up as he finished quickly, though.

"Alright, I think it'd be a good idea if you take a shower before getting some sleep, kiddo," he spoke gently, and I just nodded, suddenly feeling exhausted. He stepped out of the bathroom, and I showered mechanically, not really thinking about what I was doing. I pulled on my PJs, and then walked out, happier than I'd admit seeing not only Tony but Pepper also in my room. I stood just outside the bathroom, shifting uneasily when both their eyes turned to me.

"Hi," I greeted awkwardly, and I relaxed when they both smiled at me, Pepper rushing over and bringing me in for a motherly embrace. I started to apologize to her for my attitude, but she shushed me, guiding me over to my bed. She pulled back my covers and sheets, and motioned for me to get in. She then tucked me in and kissed me on the forehead before saying, "Try and get some sleep, honey."

I couldn't help the tears that welled up in my eyes as I admitted, "I can't sleep."

Both adults looked concerned as Pepper asked me why. I looked down at my comforter before telling them, "Nightmares."

"How about you sleep with us tonight, then?" she suggested kindly, and I blushed deeply. A strong part of me wanted to, but the teenager in me balked at the idea.

"N-no, I'm fine, Pepper," I argued pathetically, and I noticed she and Tony exchange an unreadable look. Tony seemed to smirk softly before he pulled my covers back. I looked at him in confusion that quickly turned to embarrassment when he put his arms underneath and lifted me up.

"Hey!" I squawked indignantly, squirming to be released. Tony stood in place, raising an eyebrow in me that caused me to stop squirming, but also turn even redder. He smiled happily then, and walked out of my room into his. I pouted, shooting him a mild glare while internally I felt relieved. Once in his room, Pepper quickly pulled back the covers to their bed before Tony plopped me onto his side of the bed. Pepper lay down next to me and turned on her TV.

"Try and sleep, Peter, we'll both be right here," she told me, and I couldn't stop the small smile that graced my lips as I closed my eyes. I listened to the quiet TV, and the quiet conversation going on between my parents. Tony disappeared for a little bit, but I heard the water, meaning he was showering. When he was finished, he took Pepper's place while she went to shower. I opened my eyes to look at him, and he graced me with a pointed look.

"Go to sleep, naughty spider," he ordered with a small smile, and I closed my eyes while snuggling closer to him. I heard him chuckle before feeling his hand ruffle my hair. Pepper joined us not too long afterwards, and the TV was turned off as they both settled themselves to go to sleep. Feeling content and safe, I allowed myself to drift to sleep, certain that I'd have a restful night.

 **A/N: I'm gonna give a shout out to one of my guest reviewers who gave me the idea for part of this chapter. I didn't do quite what they wanted, but close. Also, sorry for not making Pepper sterner with Peter. I haven't been able to find a point to push her over the edge. I keep meaning to write it, but then something else happens that changes things.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!**


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews! As always, they are a highlight of my day and I truly appreciate each one! Right now, I am just starting to work on Chapter 31**

 **Chapter 29: Repercussions**

 **Tony's POV:**

I woke up extremely early, my phone letting me know that it was 4:30 AM. I'd actually slept straight through the night without a single nightmare, and although it was really early, I felt more rested than I had in a while. This past week had been hell. First, I'd metaphorically had my ass whooped by several high-ranking SHIELD agents for what happened at the pizza joint. God, I missed the days when Fury was in charge of SHIELD, and he was the worst I'd have to deal with. Now, there were so many government officials turned agents that I didn't have the right to mouth off at. Being owned by the fucking government sucked! I had to bite my tongue and play nicely. I had to be respectful, and couldn't get away with screwing with them like I had when Fury was in charge. I wished that old bastard would stop pretending to be dead and take back his post. At least Hill hadn't given Nat and I a hard time, especially after we admitted to her why we'd gotten into a fight with civilians. We hadn't been able to admit why to anyone else. Spiderman had been brought to their attention enough already since he'd been involved with my rescue.

So, after that chewing out, the UN decided it was time I come and give them the full story of what had happened during my kidnapping. I wanted to put it off more, but I knew that it would be best to just get it over with. Natasha, thankfully, came along with me and we'd discussed what exactly I would tell them.

"I'll be with you as often as I can, Tony, but I need you to keep your temper under control," she stated, and I frowned at her.

"I'm not the kid, Nat, you don't have to tell me about controlling my anger," I complained sourly, but she just raised an eyebrow at me.

"You don't like being forced to do anything, especially talking about something that makes you feel weak," she explained. "I know how you view this kidnapping as though it's your own fault, but it wasn't. I've given you shit about what happened, but there wasn't any way of knowing this would happen. There's no shame in what happened, and in all honesty, you were incredibly brave."

"You don't need to sugarcoat things for me," I remarked irritably, though I did feel touched by her words.

"Quit being so stubborn, Tony, and just accept what I'm saying," she spoke coolly. "Besides, when have you ever known me to sugar coat things, especially with you?"

I smiled at that question, seeing the truth. Natasha wasn't one to gloss over anything, especially with me. She said my ego was large enough as it was.

She placed a hand on my shoulder, and gave it a gentle squeeze before continuing to speak. "You'll get through this just fine, Tony. I'll probably regret saying this, but you're one of the strongest people I've ever met. You're also the biggest ass," she had to tack on teasingly, "but you can get through a little interview with some nosy, old men. Just use that famous Stark charm and wit, and you'll talk circles around them."

I processed her words, my concern dwindling as I realized she was right. After everything I'd been through, a stupid interview like this was no problem. My confidence had taken a huge hit this past year with the Sokovian Accords and the kidnapping, but I needed to remember that I was Tony Stark, and I wouldn't let _anybody_ walk all over me. I wasn't in the wrong here. I'd been the one kidnapped and tortured by the psychopath, Ross! I'd happily reveal everything that man and his men did to get him locked away for as long as possible.

The week had been long and extremely tiresome. I was interviewed a dozen different times by different people each time. All asked nearly the same questions, and I made sure to reveal only what I wanted them to know. Natasha had been allowed in on some of the interviews, and she'd been asked as well to explain her part in the rescue attempt. Every time some asshole thought it a good idea to scold her for going to my rescue without permission, I shot them down with a vicious look before innocently asking if they were condoning my torture and attempted murder.

Talking about everything over and over again had, unfortunately, only made my nightmares worse. Natasha had been a godsend as she'd been there for me every night. I wondered if she was getting any sleep. She forced me to talk, and realizing that I'd never sleep again if I didn't talk about my nightmares, I obliged. It was difficult, more so than if I'd talked to Pepper about this, but I managed, and she'd been great. I confessed my shame in being kidnapped. I confessed to the terror I felt at Peter getting hurt or dying because of me. Finally, I confessed to her about the teacher and his son who'd died years ago when I'd been kidnapped in Afghanistan.

Natasha wasn't one to give hugs and comforting words, but I knew that, so I didn't mind. She offered solidarity and understanding, though. She listened and didn't judge. Each night, we ended up both laying on my bed, the TV turned on low to some movie or cartoon, and we ate tons of junk food. After I'd talk, she'd tell me about some of her nightmares, and then the conversation would turn light. We always made sure to end the night on a lighter tone. In fact, the second to last night we were there, a smirking Natasha had turned up with a Nintendo Wii, and we'd had a blast playing that. After the first night, Natasha had never returned to her room adjoined room, and we'd just shared my bed, finding comfort in each other's presence.

While I'd been stressed by the interviews and nightmares, I was also getting stressed by the calls from home. I was hearing from both Pepper and Happy, and while they seemed to be doing fine, it seemed Peter wasn't doing as well. The teen seemed to be in a perpetual bad mood. He'd been disrespectful with Pepper right after I'd gone to HQ, but after a day, Pepper had told me he'd apologized. However, every time I called, I could see from Pepper's expression that Peter was still causing problems. She didn't give me specifics, though, as she was no doubt trying to spare me from more stress.

Happy had been more forthcoming, saying that the kid seemed to get angry easily, snapping when pressed a little. I felt frustration, and wanted to call and speak with Peter, but both insisted I not, insisting it probably wouldn't help. I gave in, knowing that my own stress would probably lead to me having less patience with the teen than usual.

What Happy told me next was more concerning.

"Have you seen the news lately regarding Spiderman?" he asked hesitantly, and I looked to him in confusion.

"No, why?" I asked.

"There have been some reports of Spiderman being a little…rough with the criminals he's stopping," he informed me reluctantly. "Guys being beaten to unconsciousness and broken bones. I talked to the kid, but he denies everything, saying they're exaggerations. He got short with me, so I let it go."

I sighed heavily before letting out a soft groan. What a mess. "Thanks for letting me know, Hap, I'll look into it. Just keep an eye on him and let me know if you hear more."

"No problem," he replied with an apologetic smile.

I'd immediately searched up all news regarding spiderman, and felt mounting concern as I read what Happy had been talking to me about. Natasha sat herself next to me, and her eyebrows rose in surprise when she read the article I was looking at.

"Exaggeration or reality?" she asked, and I frowned deeply before answering, "Reality, I think. I've got to call him," I said, and she nodded her head.

"I agree, but unfortunately, we've got several more meetings today," she replied.

We made it through two more days of meetings, having no down time at an hour I could call my kid. Finally, the day came to go home, and when we were in the jet close to home, I called the boy up. His joy at seeing me and knowing I was coming home calmed my concerns, and I almost thought my worries were for naught, but when I asked him about the rumors, the way his attitude quickly did a 180 shocked me. I realized right away that something was wrong, and that his anger was out of control. When he hung up on me, I'd called back right away, but it'd gone straight to voice mail, which meant the kid had turned his phone off. My next call went to Pepper, who after being pressed, finally admitted to what had been going on lately.

"He's been in a terrible mood most the time you've been gone, and frankly, he's spent more time angry at us than anything else," she informed me in frustration. "I've been gone a lot, so I didn't think much of it, but Happy says he's been the same with him, and after contacting Ned, he reluctantly admitted that Peter has been the same way at school. Thankfully, it seems he's managed to keep his temper under control with his teachers. Lord knows, we don't need any more trouble at that school."

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, and she looked at me apologetically. "I'm sorry, Tony, but I just felt you needed your mind to focus on what you were going through rather than what was going on here. Peter is angry, but he's not endangering himself, so I felt this could wait."

I next asked her if she knew about the rumors spreading regarding Spiderman, and she looked taken aback. "What?" she gasped in surprise. "No, I had no idea! God, I feel like an awful mother. I've been so busy with the company that I haven't had as much time to spend with him. I come home, and I'm just exhausted. Why didn't Happy tell me?" she asked herself, more than me.

"He probably felt you were under too much stress," I mused, and she groaned.

"I guess we need to stop keeping things from each other because we assume the other doesn't need to know," she remarked seriously, and I nodded in agreement.

"We just can't seem to catch a breath lately, huh," I remarked wearily, and she gave me a soft smile.

"No, but I wish our messes didn't affect Peter so much," she spoke guiltily. "I feel like I've really screwed up, Tony. I doubt he would've been this way if you'd been here."

My arms ached to wrap around her in comfort. I hated seeing Pepper beat herself up because of this, and I suddenly wanted to strangle the boy for putting her in this position.

"This isn't your fault, Pepper," I assured her. "Peter is sixteen he knows better than to act like this. Clearly something's bothering the him, but instead of talking to anybody about it, he's acting out." She sighed at my words, nodding, but she still didn't look convinced.

Ugh! Kids! I was going to bust that boy's butt when I got my hands on him for the stress he's been putting Pepper through. The little brat had a lot of explaining to do.

Pepper and I finished our conversation, and I leaned my head back tiredly. The kid's attitude bothered me, but it was his actions as Spiderman that were more concerning. It was one thing when he hurt himself, but if he was taking out his anger on other people, he could accidentally kill one; and I knew he'd never forgive himself if he did that. I wondered where all the anger could be coming from. Had he been sleeping? I knew he was suffering from nightmares, and I felt guilt that I hadn't been there to help him with those.

A part of me realized that had I been home, this attitude of the little spider would've been dealt with earlier than today. I knew, however, that Pepper wasn't comfortable taking on that role with Peter, and the little brat took advantage of that.

I looked down at my kid, smiling warmly when I saw him pressed up tight against my side, his hand gripped on to the hem of my shirt. It was hard to imagine that last night I'd arrived to see this kid repeatedly punching a grown man in the face until his hands were covered in blood. I ran a gentle hand through his hair, and he leaned into my touch, pulling on my shirt. I chuckled softly, feeling an overwhelming sense of affection as I leaned over and placed a kiss on the top of his head. I still couldn't fathom how this kid had wormed his way into my heart. Never did I think I would ever love someone besides Pepper as much as I did him. Never did I think I would be a father, but here we were. This naughty little spider was mine.

That thought both elated and terrified me. Peter brought so much happiness to my life, but I was terrified of messing up with him. I was scared that I'd make a mistake that couldn't be forgiven, or that would really screw him up. He looked up to me so much, and I had to watch everything I did. I couldn't let him down. I couldn't lead him down the wrong path. I couldn't be the old Tony Stark, the selfish, reckless idiot who did what he wanted. I had to be a responsible dad. I had to be someone worth looking up to.

"Hey handsome," Pepper greeted sleepily, and I looked to my left and graced her with a loving smile.

"Morning, beautiful," I greeted back in a whisper, leaning over and kissing her on the lips. "I missed you," I murmured against her lips, and I could feel her smiling before she placed her hands on the side of my face. She looked to the side of me, and when she saw Peter, her eyes softened and I could see how much she too loved the kid. Her eyes turned back to me, and they were sadder now as she said, "We need to talk." I groaned quietly as I placed my forehead on hers.

"Let's go out, then," I said in a whisper. "Junior needs his sleep." She snorted in amusement before nodding in agreement. We both quietly got out of bed, Pepper pausing to readjust the covers over the kid. She handed him my pillow, which he immediately latched onto like it was a stuffed animal. She placed a kiss on his head before walking out with me. We made our way out into the living room and saw Happy sleeping on the couch with Vision standing out on the balcony. Smirking at Happy's open-mouth snoring, Pepper and I moved over to the kitchen. Natasha was there in her pajamas, looking like she'd barely woken up. She grunted a good morning before taking her huge bowl of cereal and walking out.

I set about making coffee as Pepper began to explain her interactions with Peter over the past week. I told her the information I'd found in the news, what Karen had showed me, and then what had happened last night. Her eyes were wide and horrified.

"I don't understand," she stated, looking upset with herself. "This doesn't sound like Peter at all. God, this must be my fault."

"No, Pepper, it's not your fault," I argued, but she shook her head sharply.

"No, Tony, don't. I should've forced him to talk to me or at the very least grounded him from going out. Instead, I just put up with the attitude. I'm horrible at this mother thing."

"Hey, don't be like that," I chided mildly as I sat myself down next to her. "Just cuz you're not great at disciplining the kid doesn't make you a horrible mother."

"He knows he can walk all over me," she stated, and I wrapped a comforting arm around her.

"You're too hard on yourself," I told her, "but, if you really feel that's true, then I recommend you deal with the mouthy spider's disrespect seeing as it's you who he's disrespected more than anyone else."

She frowned mildly, biting her bottom lip before nodding. "You think I should spank him?" she questioned, and I gave her a sad nod. "After how long it's gone on, yeah, I think you should."

"I want to know why he's been behaving like this, though, before I punish him," she insisted, and I agreed. She looked nervous and conflicted then as she asked me for advice on how to do it. I pulled her closer as I explained, informing her of what I did the first time to make sure I didn't hurt him.

"You'll know you're close to finishing when he stops struggling," I informed her. "He'll be crying and pleading with you through most of it, but push on through," I encouraged. "Now, don't do this if you don't think you can go through with it. It'd be horrible for the kid and you if you started and weren't able to finish the punishment."

"I'll get through it," she declared firmly, although I could see she was nervous. That was understandable, though, as I still felt nerves when I punished our son.

Happy walked into the kitchen now, yawning widely as he nodded to us in greeting. He poured himself some coffee before remarking, "It looks like it's an early morning for everybody. How you two doing?"

"We've been better," I replied with a wry smile, and he looked at us in sympathy. Pepper informed him of what we'd discussed, and his look of sympathy deepened.

"When do you plan on doing it?" he asked, and we exchanged looks.

"We should talk to him when he gets up," I decided, feeling there was no use in putting this off. "We'll also need to talk about last night, but I'll be the one to deal with that punishment."

"You planning on spanking him for last night?" Natasha asked, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. She was now showered and dressed, dropping off her bowl in the sink before leaning on the counter.

"Most likely," I replied unhappily, rubbing a tired hand over my face. "I've got to get an explanation from him, but I've already got a feeling he's allowed his anger to take control during his patrol, and that's unacceptable. If I hadn't shown up last night, he could've killed that guy."

"Are you going to punish him first?" Pepper asked, and I shook my head.

"I'll let you deal with the small stuff this morning, and I'll deal with his violent streak tomorrow morning," I explained, knowing it'd be best for Pepper if she got through her portion of the punishment first.

"I don't envy you two," Happy remarked, and Natasha nodded in agreement. "Would you like us to stick around for moral support, or should we give you all some privacy?" he then asked, and I pondered over the question, exchanging an inquiring look with Pepper.

"It'd probably be best if you guys left us alone," she answered, giving them apologetic smiles. "I have no doubt he's going to be embarrassed enough with the spankings he's going to receive, and it'd only be worse if he knew all of you were here to hear it."

"We understand," Happy remarked. "Truthfully," he added with a sheepish smile, "I really don't want to stick around for any of this. I'm not a fan of hearing the kid cry."

I smiled in understanding, feeling the same way. I'm sure Peter wouldn't believe it, but we suffered as much as the kid every time we had to punish him. His tears tore at our heartstrings.

Natasha left, and I watched her go and speak with Vision. He entered, and I thanked him for bringing Peter home last night. He told me it was no problem before he wished us both luck. The three left shortly afterwards, and Pepper and I shared weary looks. We decided to make breakfast to distract ourselves when a piercing scream echoed throughout the house. Exchanging looks of alarm, we both rushed to our bedroom to find Peter tossing around the bed, fighting with the sheets.

"Tony! Please don't die, please don't die!" he pleaded in his sleep, and with a sinking heart I immediately rushed to my boy and pulled him into my arms.

"Hey, pal, wake up, wake up," I spoke to him. "It's me, Tony, and I'm okay. I'm not in danger anymore," I assured him, and as he woke up and looked at me, he began to cry in relief. I continued to assure him that I was just fine, and that he was fine as he sobbed into my shirt. Pepper sat herself on the bed, placing a comforting hand on the boy's back.

"You died, Tony, you died," he cried, and I shushed him, telling him over and over that I was here and that I was okay.

"You saved me, remember?" I asked. "You kicked butt, my little spider, and you saved my life."

"I-I did?" he asked tearfully, and I nodded my head emphatically. "Yeah, you did. You're a hero, Spiderman, and you rescued me."

He sniffed loudly, taking in shuddering breaths as he sat up. We sat with him as he took several more breaths in order to completely calm himself. I relaxed when I saw his expression smooth out, but almost immediately I noticed the way his eyes widened and he tensed. He groaned, closing his eyes and covering his face as he leaned back against the backboard of the bed. I assumed he was recalling last night's events.

"We've got a lot to talk about, Peter," I stated, and he groaned again while shaking his head.

"Yes," I said firmly, before patting his leg and saying, "Get up, kiddo."

"Don't wanna," he mumbled, turning over and burying his head into a pillow.

"Peter, come on, get up now," Pepper insisted, pulling at the kid's arms, but he refused to budge. She continued to try and coax the boy, turning stern with him, but he stubbornly refused to get up from his bed. I frowned deeply before deciding to end the childish attitude. I reached over to my dresser, grabbed my Iron Man watch and put it on before activating it. I then raised my hand and swatted the boy once hard on his backside.

"Ow!" he yelled, jumping and turning around to give me a glare. I just crossed my arms and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Like I said, kid, time to get up," I said, and he pouted before quickly getting off the bed. "Tyrant," he grumbled without heat, and I snorted, reaching over to swat him once more, but he ran out of the room before I could. Pepper chuckled, looking at me in amusement as she walked out of the room.

"Living room, Peter," she called out, and when we arrived there, he was already seated on a couch, nervously shaking a leg up and down. Pepper and I both sat ourselves in chairs across from him, which seemed to make him even more nervous. His eyes flicked to Pepper, and I knew he was used to having her there to comfort him during these types of conversations.

 **Peter's POV:**

I stared from one parent to the next, an uncomfortable pit settling in my stomach. This was going to be a terrible conversation, I knew. Both of them looked stern and determined, and I really didn't want to be here. I felt the strong urge to just run, but the single swat from Tony had really stung, and I didn't want to invite any more of those swats. As it was, his Iron Man gauntlet was still activated, and I knew it wasn't by accident. Last night he'd been more intent on calming and comforting me. Today, it seemed he _and_ Pepper were ready to kick my butt.

From the get-go, the conversation started off uncomfortably. Tony informed me of what he'd heard from Pepper regarding my attitude, and how disappointed he was. He seemed like he could've lectured me for ages, but Pepper cut him off, taking over the lecture instead.

"Peter," she said, "I know I've been more lenient with you than Tony would have, and I know you've taken advantage of that fact; but enough is enough. The disrespect you've been showing me this past week has been completely unacceptable. You do not yell at me. You do not lie to me. You do not curse when speaking to me. I've known you long enough to know that you can be a very polite and well-spoken young man, but I haven't seen that side of you in over a week," she scolded sternly, and I looked away guiltily.

"I'm sorry," I apologized genuinely. "I don't mean to be disrespectful."

"You never mean to be disrespectful or disobedient or anything, honey, but you _still_ did it," she responded. "I want to know why. I want to know where this attitude has been coming from, because it didn't just appear out of nowhere."

I sighed, shrugging my shoulders helplessly. "I don't know," I replied, but the twin looks of disapproval I received meant this wasn't the answer they wanted.

"Not an acceptable answer," Tony asserted, and I groaned.

"I don't have an answer," I insisted. "I'm a teenager. There's your answer," I stated moodily before hunching down at the stern glares I got in response.

"Alright, we'll come back to the attitude soon, but now, I'm going to ask you what's been going on as Spiderman?" Tony questioned. "I've been reading the news, I've seen Karen's footage, and I saw you yesterday. You're out of control, spiderling. I hate to say it, but I'm afraid that you would've killed that man last night if I hadn't been there."

I reared back in surprise, glaring as I snapped, "No, I wouldn't have! I was in complete control! Did you know what that bastard was going to do to that woman? I saved her!"

"You mean the woman who was running away screaming her head off with a _gunshot_ wound to her arm?" he asked back angrily. "Karen showed me the footage," he declared, and I shifted uneasily as he continued to speak. "You were cocky, playing with the man so much that you didn't notice he had another gun. The woman got in the way to save _you_ , and what do you do? You see she's alive, and instead of getting her to a hospital, you attack the man. A month ago, you would've webbed the guy up before he even got off a single shot, Pete, but last night, you not only got your rescue victim shot, but you nearly got shot as well. Not to mention how you were beating the man to death."

My mind worked furiously as I attempted to justify my actions. He was right, and I didn't want to admit it. A month ago, I would've just webbed the guy up. I had been so angry last night, though. I'd wanted him to suffer. I didn't want to admit that, though.

"The footage from earlier in the week shows you beating several different men into unconsciousness, and you want to know something else I've noticed besides your increase in violence?" Tony asked rhetorically, his brown eyes boring into mine. I shook my head, honestly not wanting to know, but of course, he didn't listen. "It didn't hit me until now, but every time you went overboard, it was with men who had _guns_ ," he told me, and I suddenly felt he knew more about my own actions than I did. "Every time you saw a man with a gun, you seemingly lost your temper and your self-control. Why?"

I hadn't really put the pieces together, but at hearing his words, I suddenly realized the ridiculousness of what I'd been doing. Yeah, I'd been angry lately. I wasn't sleeping well. I was constantly stressed. Then, when I'd be out and see somebody threatening someone with a gun, all I'd see was my dead uncle, and a dying Tony. My heart clenched, tears welling in my eyes as the images that had been haunting me as of late rose up. Swallowing back a sob, I forced my mouth open.

"I can't sleep," I told them, my tone taking on a note of agony. "I have nightmares every night, and so I just don't try anymore. I've been stressed about both of you," I admitted. "You're going through so much, and all I do is add more stress. I can't help. Then… _Then_ , when I go out as Spiderman, it's like I'm free to do what I need. I don't have anybody holding me back. I can help people. I can save people's lives," I attempted to explain. "Lately, though, when I see a guy with a gun, I just see red," I whispered, my fists clenching. "I-I see my Uncle Ben first, lying in a pool of his own blood, just like I found him…and…I see _you_ , Tony. I see you falling to the ground, barely realizing that you'd been shot." My breaths started coming out more rapidly as I became more upset. "I see all the blood coming out, and I tried to stop it, but it wouldn't stop. _It wouldn't stop_. I see you passed out, _dying_ because Ross had shot you. The man who shot my uncle, and Ross, they're both still alive, and I don't feel they deserve to be," I confessed, feeling awful for thinking it.

I felt the couch dip next to me, so I lifted my head to see Tony sitting there. He looked weary and sad, and just so un-Tony like it was wrong. "I'm sorry, pal," he stated, turning his head towards me. "I've known you've been struggling with what happened to me, and I haven't been there to help you. I'm grateful to you for saving me, but I wish to god that you'd never had to do it. You shouldn't have had to witness any of that, and I'm sorry you had to."

I swallowed back emotions, and he wrapped an arm around me to pull me into his side. "It's not your fault," I mumbled, and he nodded.

"I know," he sighed. Pepper moved her chair right to us now, and she took one hand in each of hers, giving us comforting squeezes.

"Why haven't you told us what you were going through?" Pepper asked, and I grimaced as I looked down at my lap.

"I dunno," I murmured with a shrug, and Tony's voice was stern as he said, "You know we don't accept that as an answer."

I glared mildly at him as I said, "You don't talk to anybody about your problems."

He shot me a pointed look before correcting my statement. "No, little spider, I don't talk to _you_ about my problems. I've talked to both Pepper and Natasha about what happened and about my nightmares."

"But you still aren't sleeping," I accused, and he shot me a wry grin as he replied, "Because my nightmares stem from a lot more instances than just the kidnapping. I'm pretty screwed up, and it's only in the past couple years that I've started to rely on other people to help me."

Sympathy coursed through me at his response, and I felt guilty for what I'd said.

"I ask again, Peter, why haven't you talked to any of us?" she pressed in curious concern. "I know Tony wasn't here this past week, but you could've talked to me or even Happy. Hell, you could've talked to Tony over the phone. You know he would've taken your call no matter what."

"I didn't want to bother him," I retorted, only answering the last inquiry.

" _He_ wouldn't have minded," Tony responded with some sarcasm, giving the both of us looks that said, 'I'm right here, guys'. "Now, please answer the question, kid," Tony stated firmly.

I grumbled unhappily to myself before taking in a deep breath. "I thought I could handle it on my own," I confessed. "Everybody's been dealing with their own stuff, so I didn't want to bother anybody. I also didn't realize how bad my anger was. I mean, I knew I felt better after my patrols because I was able to let loose, but…okay, so maybe I did realize I was really angry, but I never really thought about why."

Pepper nodded in understanding before thanking me for finally being honest. "You need to realize, honey, that everything that has happened recently with you is because you've been bottling up your emotions."

"We get that sometimes you'd like to deal with stuff on your own," Tony spoke up, "but there's a time when you've got to realize that it's time to ask for help. When it got to the point where you couldn't sleep at all, and that your anger was so bad that you were disrespecting your family and hurting people, you should have said something. You're smarter than this, son."

"And that's why we're disappointed," Pepper added seriously. "The fact that you haven't been taking the best care of yourself, and that you allowed your anger to get the best of you rather than talk to someone is unacceptable. You do not treat your family and friends as disrespectfully as you have been recently. We all love you, and you've been acting like we've all been out to make your life miserable."

"You also can _never ever_ allow your anger to get the better of you when out on patrol," Tony lectured, his voice stern and his eyes hard. "You are a super hero, and as such, you are held to a higher standard. You went too far several times, and last night, you almost crossed the line permanently. You nearly killed that man, Peter. Do you have any idea of what that would've felt like? Not to mention what that would've looked like to the public, and to the government," he informed me, and as I digested his words, I suddenly felt sick to my stomach.

I recalled my blood-stained hands from yesterday, and how even after Tony had demanded I let the man go, I'd only wanted to continue. I could have killed him. I _never_ would've forgiven myself if that'd happened. And god, what would the government have done? They would probably come after me, and they'd probably have forced Tony to bring me in; which, of course he would've refused. My breath hitched, and I buried my head in my hands as I stated over and over that I was so sorry.

"We know you are, Peter," Pepper responded softly, "we know you are." She had both my hands in hers, while Tony rubbed my arm comfortingly.

"I'm an awful person," I declared, making eye contact with each one of them.

"You are no such thing," Pepper countered immediately, shooting me a disapproving look. "You are a wonderful, caring, and brave young man who we are both proud to call our son. You made mistakes, and that's all. Nothing you did can't be forgiven."

"She's right," Tony said in agreement. "You're a great kid. You've just been a naughty little spider recently," he continued with a teasing look, which caused me to blush.

"I'm not naughty," I grumbled, shooting him a disgruntled look. That was a word reserved for little kids, not a sixteen-year-old.

"We're going to have to talk about those nightmares," Tony then stated in complete seriousness, and I nodded my head dismally. "But first," he stated, releasing his hold on me, "we've got to take care of your attitude and behavior." My stomach flip-flopped at his words, and I felt anxiety hit me. I threw Tony a pleading look to not do what I knew he wanted to do. He responded with a look that silenced any verbal pleading.

"I'm spanking you for your behavior while out on patrol," he informed me, and I groaned out loud. "Your actions were completely unacceptable and will not happen again. I'm going to make sure you think twice before letting your emotions control your actions." Please don't, I wanted to say, but I knew arguing with him was futile. Every time he decided he was going to spank me, nothing I said had been able to convince him not to.

Pepper squeezed my hand now, and I turned my attention to her, stomach clenching at the determined look she was gracing me with. Uh oh. "I am going to be dealing with your disrespect," she told me. "You've been taking advantage of my leniency with you, and I've had enough. _I_ will be spanking you for the attitude."

I balked at her words, sliding back in my seat as I gave her a wide-eyed look. "No, you can't!" I stated in horrified shock.

"I can, and I will," she countered calmly yet firmly. I continued to stare at her, uncomprehending of the fact that _she_ would be spanking me. I wanted to continue arguing, but when I saw Tony stand up with his hand still gloved, my protests died on my lips. I was surprised, though, when he retracted the glove. That surprise quickly turned back to horror when he took the watch off and handed it to Pepper. Oh god. No, no, no, no, no. A lump formed in my throat as Tony explained to her how to enable it and use it. She nodded her head before looking at me sternly.

"I think we should deal with the disrespect right now," she declared, and my mouth fell open. For once, I actually looked to Tony pleadingly, hoping he'd save me from this. His expression showed brief amusement as he shook his head.

"Let's go, Pete," he said, motioning for me to stand up. I made an embarrassing whining sound, really not wanting to go through with this.

"Peter Parker-Stark," Pepper snapped, hands on her hips, "stand up and come with me. Enough with this childish attitude." I immediately found myself standing, staring at her with disbelieving eyes, never having seen her like this. I had honestly thought she'd never spank me. I cursed my assumption, as it was part of the reason that had landed me in this awful predicament. She pointed towards my room, and with sagging shoulders, I finally obeyed, my face feeling hot.

When we got to my room, she shut the door and sat herself down on my couch. She motioned for me to stand at her side, and my heart pounded rapidly as I realized this was really happening, and that it was happening _now_.

"Pepper, please," I spoke pitifully, and though her eyes softened, she still looked resolute.

"Why are we here?" she asked, and I held back a groan of misery before dutifully responding, "It's because I was disrespectful to you, Happy, Nat, Tony, Vision, Ned, and MJ," I admitted guiltily, and she nodded her head.

"Over my lap," she ordered, and I couldn't help the whine that escaped my lips as she lay me over her knees. I didn't think this could get any more awful, but then she pulled down both my sleep pants _and_ boxers.

"No, please not on the bare," I pleaded, feeling as I'd never get over this humiliation. She was my mother, for god's sake!

"Hush," she scolded, and I felt tears of embarrassment falling down my cheeks. I heard her take in a deep breath before the first swats began to land. I shifted uncomfortably as she was figuring out how to properly use the gloved hand. Sooner than I wanted her to, she found the right intensity, and I quickly began to feel the heat building up in my rear end. I squirmed now from the pain, tears of guilt now beginning to fall down my cheeks. The swats continued to fall harder now, and my cries intensified into outright sobbing. I was now past embarrassment as I apologized profusely and begged for her to stop. My backside burned, and I cursed my stupidity for feeling I could act like a jackass just because Tony wasn't around to pull me in line.

The burn was fierce and nearly unbearable when Pepper declared the punishment done. My cries were now of relief as she righted my clothing. I lay over her lap as she rubbed my back, and only stood up with her help. Unlike Tony's first time, she immediately enveloped me in a hug, showering me with praises and kisses to my head. Her comfort did wonders for my guilty conscience, and I relished in her open and obvious love. I held onto her long after I finished crying, desperately needing the comfort and reassurances that I was forgiven and that she wasn't upset with me.

When we finally broke apart, she held my face in her hands, her eyes looking turmoiled and guilty.

"I'm okay, and I'm not mad at you," I told her honestly, realizing that she too needed reassurances. She looked utterly relieved as she pulled me in for another hug. A hesitant knock on the door roused our attention, and we both grinned when we heard Tony say, "Hey Pep, the kid still alive?"

"Of course, he is," Pepper replied with a good amount of exasperation, and the door opened, Tony poking in a hesitant head. He looked between the two of us, and let out a sigh of relief as he walked in. "Everything good?" he now asked more seriously, and I nodded my head first before Pepper nodded hers.

"Excellent!" he crowed with a wide grin. "Now, come eat, I've made breakfast." I followed him happily, feeling lighter and more content than I had in a while. The simple act of confessing my issues had done wonders, and knowing that they were both going to help me made things even better. I did feel butterflies as I knew I still had another spanking coming, especially since I knew Tony's punishment would be harsher than Pepper's. I wondered nervously when it would happen, and hoped I'd have a chance to heal from Pepper's spanking before facing Tony's.

Breakfast was an enjoyable event, despite my embarrassing squirming that both parents thankfully ignored. I felt an overwhelming sense of love and affection towards them right now as we went through a normal, family moment. This was a simple family breakfast, but to me it just seemed to cement that we really _were_ a family. I recognized that we'd come a long way in the last year, and when I really thought about it, I marveled at the fact.

When breakfast ended we all worked together to clean up. Afterwards, Pepper told me I should call up my friends in order to apologize for my behavior. I agreed, and while their chewing me out had been difficult to bear, they'd also easily forgiven me afterwards. They were the best friends I could ask for, and they were incredibly understanding. I loved them.

I'd been through some tragic events in my life, but I realized that I'd been through some incredible events as well. I'd lost a family, but I'd been lucky enough to gain a new one that loved me unconditionally. I'd also been lucky enough to end up with two friends who meant the world to me.

After speaking with Ned and MJ, I went back into the living room to see Pepper and Tony talking in the living room. Tony looked to me with a wide grin of excitement as he eagerly called me over.

"Peter, Peter, Peter!" he yelled enthusiastically, and I wondered what had him in such a mood. "Pepper finally told me the date of our wedding!" I grinned widely now, feeling my own sense of excitement.

"When?" I questioned eagerly.

Pepper smiled as she responded, "It will be April 15th, and it will take place in Costa Rica."

My eyes bugged out and my mouth fell open. "Costa Rica?! Woah, I've never been there!"

"Me neither," Tony remarked with a shrug, and I could tell he could care less where the wedding was, just as long as it happened.

Pepper, having actually been to Costa Rica, immediately began to gush about why it was such an amazing country. The gorgeous, lush rainforests with so much color and animals. The people were kind, there was so much to do from ziplining, hiking, boat tours, natural spas, visiting volcanoes…The more she spoke, the more excited I became.

"How long will we be there?" I questioned, and she answered, "A week. We will arrive on a Monday, the wedding will take place on Friday, and we'll head home on Sunday."

"Uh huh," Tony responded with raised eyebrows. "And the honeymoon?" he pressed, his tone far too suggestive for me, which caused me to blush.

"I've decided to leave that up to you," she replied, and Tony's eyes lit up in excitement, his back straightening as he literally vibrated with energy. Looking at him, I suddenly wondered if Pepper had made the right decision. She too seemed to have the same doubts, because she placed a hand on his shoulder, forced him to look her in the eyes, and said firmly, "Don't overdo it, please. I don't want to be gone more than a week, okay? And I definitely don't want to be a spectacle for the media."

Tony rapidly nodded his head up and down, attempting to look serious as he replied, "I understand completely, you can count on me!" He immediately stood up and made to scamper away, but after a few steps, he returned to Pepper and pulled her in for a deep kiss. Breaking apart, I could see her cheeks were red as he took off straight for his lab.

"You've unleashed a monster," I remarked, and Pepper stared after her crazed fiancé with a fond look.

"So, who all is coming to the wedding?" I asked curiously, knowing that as one of the most famous couples in the world, there were bound to be hundreds of people who would want to attend. Pepper looked to me as she answered, "In all honesty, we're keeping it _very_ low-key with only close friends attending. We'll release a few photos to the press afterwards, but I will not allow media to be there. Despite what I warned Tony, I'm okay with the media bothering us during our honeymoon rather than the wedding. We don't need your face all over the media.

I blinked in surprise, not having thought of that.

"By the way, feel free to invite Ned and MJ and their families," she informed me. "We will cover all expenses." My eyes widened once more, and I felt excitement course through me as I profusely thanked her. I ran back to my room to video message with my friends once more. When I informed them of the wedding and their invitations, they both became excited like me. Ned yelled in excitement, and MJ actually sported a huge grin. I let them know that they could invite their families, and they both said they'd talk to their parents/sister, and get back to me ASAP.

The rest of the day passed by uneventfully, Pepper and I hanging out while Tony holed himself away in his lab. We didn't know if he was working or planning for the wedding. Around dinner time, though, he appeared looking quite satisfied, so Pepper and I exchanged amused looks. We worked together to make homemade pizzas, which was really fun as we ended up throwing flour at each other and making fun of Tony who'd tried to flip the pizza in the air and ended up with it landing on top of his head and getting all over his hair. As we ate, he still was grumbling about the flour and dough in his _precious_ hair.

When dinner ended and we were cleaning up, my nerves about when my second spanking would take place hit me once more, and I gathered up the courage to ask.

"Hey, Tony," I called out in a small voice, and he broke off his teasing with Pepper to look over at me.

"What's up, spiderling?" he asked curiously, and I bit my lip before nervously asking, "When are you going to…uh, punish me?"

All amusement left his face to be replaced with sympathy and understanding. "Tomorrow morning," he answered, and I frowned before hesitantly asking, "Can we just get it over with tonight?" I was already healed from Pepper's spanking, and I knew if he punished me tonight, I'd be able to sleep through the worst of the pain.

"Sorry pal, but I want you to feel it for the hour or two afterwards," he told me honestly. "What you did was serious, so I'm hoping to make this a lesson I only need to teach once."

My stomach flip-flopped at the words, and my anxiety shot up as I realized this punishment was really, really going to suck. I thought of arguing with him, but before I could even open my mouth, I noticed Pepper giving me a firm shake of her head behind Tony. I looked down sadly, no longer feeling very joyful. Realizing this, I heard Tony sigh before he came and placed his hands on my shoulders.

"We'll get through this," he stated softly, giving me a comforting squeeze.

"It's going to really hurt, isn't it?" I asked nervously, and he frowned before nodding.

"Tony," I whined, but he cut off whatever else I was going to say as he pulled me into a brief, tight hug.

"Hush, little spider, you'll be fine," he assured me, placing a kiss to the side of my head before letting me go. He then walked away, saying he needed to go back to his lab. I wondered if he was being honest, or if he just wanted to avoid further pleading from me.

Pepper and I spent the rest of the evening watching Game of Thrones, and without intending to, I fell asleep on her shoulder…

…I awoke with a gasp, filled with fear, but not quite knowing why. I couldn't actually remember my dream. Looking around wildly, I stared in surprise at the fact that I was practically sleeping on top of Pepper. We were both still on the couch, a large blanket placed on top of us.

"Hey, kiddo, you okay?" Tony called, suddenly appearing before me. I noticed he was in PJ's, and looking behind him, I saw a blanket on the other couch. It seemed he'd been sleeping out here as well.

"Y-yeah, I'm good," I replied, giving him a smile.

"Go back to sleep," Pepper suddenly murmured sleepily, running a hand through my hair. I relaxed, lying back down as Tony covered us both once more with a blanket. I closed my eyes and he rubbed my back comfortingly until I fell back asleep.

The next time I woke up, daylight was shining, and I was alone on the couch. Looking towards the second couch, I saw Tony yawning loudly as he sat up.

"Morning," I greeted sleepily, and he nodded in agreement, rubbing both hands over his face as he mumbled, "Coffee."

I laughed lightly, knowing that he wouldn't really wake up until he had his morning dose of caffeine. I followed him into the kitchen, the smell of coffee already hitting me.

"You're a goddess," Tony spoke reverently as Pepper immediately handed him a large cup. I just shook my head in amusement, before my eyes lit up as she then handed me a cup of hot chocolate.

"I concur," I now spoke in the same tone, and Pepper laughed loudly as she thanked us both.

All three of us drank our beverages in silence, slowly but surely waking up. As both Tony and I completed our drinks, he threw me a serious look. Knowing what was coming, I made to back away, but he stopped me with a firm grip on my shoulder.

"Come on, kiddo, let's get this over with so we can put it all behind us," he stated, beginning to steer me towards my room. I made pitiful noises, giving him pleading looks as we walked, but I didn't attempt to stop him or refuse. He steered me to the bed, saying, "You know why you're here, so let's not waste time hashing it all out again." A part of me wanted to say that we should hash it out, if only to delay this, but I knew it wouldn't work.

He sat himself down, pinning me with a look that said, 'you better not move a muscle', as he released his hold in order to activate his gauntlet. I really hated that thing. He then pulled me to his side before guiding me over his lap. Pulling my pants and boxers down in one swoop, he wasted no time in beginning to pepper my backside. I yelped from the get go, the swats harder than usual, like the time I'd been punished for stowing away on the quint jet. Whimpering in misery, I reached a hand down to grip onto his leg while the other gripped onto the comforter as I tried to deal with the rapidly growing pain. When the swats only continued in tempo and intensity, I couldn't stop my legs from kicking while wriggling desperately to avoid any more of the punishing smacks. I was sobbing heavily, alternating between apologies and pleads. He paused only once to order me to stop struggling so much, and I nodded into the comforter as I tried desperately to listen. By the time the punishment ended, I'd already stopped struggling, my energy completely spent as I just accepted the swats.

My backside was absolutely burning, throbbing painfully as he pulled my pants up and stood me up on my shaky legs. I latched myself onto him immediately, sobbing into his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around me. He held me tightly, not bothering with loving kisses and reassuring words like Pepper did, but I didn't mind. It wasn't a Tony thing to do. He showed me his love and reassurances by simply hugging me, and that's all I needed. It took me a long time to bring myself under control enough that I felt comfortable letting go. A few tears still trailed down my face, and I was hiccoughing as Tony looked me up and down. His eyes were sympathetic as he reached up and brushed away the tears.

"How you doing, little spider?" he asked in concern, and I took in a shaky breath before replying, "I'm o-okay." He looked relieved before he pulled me in for another tight hug.

"That was awful, Tony," I felt comfortable enough to complain, and he nodded as he said, "I know, pal, I know."

"It was the worst spanking _ever_ , and it really hurt, and my butt feels like it's on fire, and I hated it, and I don't ever want another spanking for as long as I live," I rambled pitifully, not caring how childish the words sounded. I felt comfortable enough with him to know that he wouldn't tease me or look down on me for my complaints.

"Well, I'm glad to know I delivered an effective punishment," he responded to my words, and I glared in response, not really angry, but upset that I didn't get more sympathy.

"I'm telling, Pepper," I threatened weakly, and his lips quirked as he fought back a smile.

"Aww, buddy, come here," he sighed heavily, once more pulling me in for a hug. "I'm sorry it hurt so much, but I hope you remember how awful this was the next time you think of losing your temper when going out as Spiderman. You've got to be the better man," he chided lightly, rubbing my back comfortingly. I soaked in that comfort like a dry sponge, inhaling his soothing scent.

"I'm still telling, Pepper you were too hard," I threatened, and I felt his chest vibrating as he chuckled quietly. That wasn't quite the reaction I was hoping for.

"She's just going to say you deserved it," he informed me knowingly.

"I hate spankings," I grumbled again, and he simply responded by murmuring, "Mhmm."

Eventually, I felt composed enough to follow him out to the kitchen for breakfast. Pepper greeted me instantly with a loving hug, and I immediately complained to her that Tony had been too hard on me. She sympathized with me, but as Tony had anticipated, she told me I had deserved the spanking. I pouted, but quickly got over it when I saw that she'd made me homemade banana nut muffins. I sat myself down, giving an embarrassing yelp at the pain of sitting on a well punished backside. Aside from sympathetic looks and a ruffle of my hair, Pepper and Tony made no acknowledgement of the fact that I decided to eat the rest of my food standing up.

The conversation was light, and I immediately became excited when Pepper began to speak of the wedding once more.

"I've already asked Natasha to be my maid of honor," she informed us, and Tony grinned before saying, "I've asked Rhodey to be my best man, and he said yes!"

Pepper looked to me and Tony before saying, "We need to get all you boys fitted for tuxes. I need to make sure you match with my dress."

"Oh, and you're going to be standing up with me along with Rhodey, Pete," Tony informed me, and I looked at him in surprise. "You're our son, so you belong up there." I was genuinely touched by the gesture and his referral to me as his son, so I just grinned and gave a nod.

"Am I going to be invited along for the bachelor party?" I asked, and Tony hesitated, looking conflicted. I laughed before informing him that it was fine that I wasn't. "I already figured you'd be doing adult stuff, so it's okay," I assured him, and he asked if I was sure.

"If you want to be with us, I can totally manage that, so please don't lie," he insisted with concern, but I waved away his concerns.

"It's cool, Tony, don't worry," I spoke firmly. "Have a crazy night. Go all _Hangover_ , and wake up with a tattoo on your face and a tiger in your bathroom."

Tony burst into loud laughter as Pepper glared at us both. "I swear to god, if I get a call that says one of you is missing or have been arrested, I'll get married without you." Tony laughed even more, me joining with him at the ridiculous image that presented in my mind. I imagined Pepper marrying a life-size cut out of Tony, and ended up laughing even harder. At their curious looks, I informed them of my thoughts, and they both laughed in amusement, Pepper even remarking that it would certainly be less stressful. Tony gave us both mock glares.

All in all, apart from the horrendous spanking, this day was awesome. Hanging out as just the three of us, doing regular things like any other family was something we hadn't been able to do in a long time, and I loved it. Well, maybe we weren't like every other family, I mused in amusement as I stared at Tony running around our living quarters chasing after Dummy and U, who had somehow gotten up here on their own, and were currently shooting off spray paint all over the place. Somehow, I felt Friday had something to do with this, as I could swear I heard a laugh from her as Tony yelled at her to help control her siblings.

I really loved my crazy family.

 **A/N: Hurray for another chapter! PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW!**

 **Guys, I need ideas again! I have some, but I don't want to get to those yet, so don't suggest anything with Steve or the wedding**


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews and all the suggestions. I got some good ideas, so I'll see what I can incorporate. I'm still working on chapter 31, so you've officially caught up to me. Patience is a virtue very few of us have! I'll write as fast as I can!  
**

 **Chapter 30: Homecoming: Let's Try This Again**

 **Peter's POV:**

I stared up at the large homecoming sign in the cafeteria. It was that time of year again. Seeing the sign brought back so many memories from last year, most especially The Vulture and Liz. I wondered how she was doing right now. God, I couldn't believe it'd only been a year since all that had happened. So much had changed since then, and my life was nearly unrecognizable.

I looked to my right to see MJ staring up at the sign with her normal expression of no interest, but I knew her well enough by now to realize that was a defense of hers. She pretended to be uncaring of a lot of things, so nobody ever could know what she was feeling and use it against her. I recalled seeing her briefly at last year's homecoming, and I wondered if she'd want to go this year. Nervously, I then wondered if she'd want to go with me…as a couple. MJ seemed to notice my staring because she was giving me a weird look. I immediately looked away, embarrassed as I felt my cheeks heating up.

The bell rang, and we groaned before she bid both Ned and I goodbye. Ned and I both had PE together, so I decided to ask him for advice. Like last year, we were going through the Captain America physical challenge right now, and we were working on sit ups. This made talking easy.

"What would you think if I asked MJ to go to homecoming with me?" I asked out of the blue, and Ned's eyes widened as he responded, "Huh?"

"MJ. Dance," I said impatiently. "Would it be weird? Do you think she'd say yes?"

Ned paused, a slow grin forming on his face as he said, "Wait a minute, you're crushing on MJ?"

I blushed, realizing I'd never actually told him this. Oops. I'd just been thinking about it for so long that I'd assumed he knew.

"Oh, yeah, I guess," I mumbled, wishing he'd stop staring at me with such amusement.

"Dude, why haven't you told me?" he asked incredulously. "How long have you felt this way? What the hell? I thought we were best buds?"

I rolled my eyes, letting out a huff as I replied, "I'm sorry, I thought you knew. It's been a few months, so I just assumed I'd told you."

He still looked at me with shock, but he thankfully didn't tell me I was ridiculous or stupid for feeling this way.

"Wow, man, this is so unreal," he murmured. "I mean, it's cool and all. She's definitely awesome, but I so didn't see this coming. Do you remember last year how we were talking about Liz and how much you liked her? Weird how things change in a year, huh?"

I stopped doing my sit ups, just lying on the floor as I said, "Yeah," in agreement. "So, what do you think?" I pressed again more anxiously. "Do you think she'd say yes, or do you think she'd laugh in my face? What if she doesn't like me back like that?"

Ned sighed as he traded places with me to start his own sit-ups. "Honestly, Peter, I don't know," he answered, giving me a sympathetic look. "She's MJ," he stated, as though that explained his answer, and truthfully, it did. "I don't think she'd laugh in your face, though," he added knowingly. "She's not like that. I know she cares about you, but I have no idea if she likes you like that. I mean, if she doesn't want to go to the dance with you as a couple, you can always just go as friends."

I frowned, just thinking of how mortified I'd be if she said no. I could always lie and say I meant as friends, and that I meant for her to go with Ned and me. She'd see through that, though, I thought sullenly. She was too smart to be fooled. I bit my lip, feeling frustrated. MJ wasn't like Liz. She was beautiful, but in a different way…in every way, I realized. Ned left me to my thoughts as he found it difficult to talk while doing his own sit ups. I should just muster up the courage and ask her. That was the obvious choice, but it was also a petrifying one. If she said no, would our friendship turn awkward? I didn't want to lose her.

When Ned finished his sit-ups, he sat up, panting slightly. "Why don't you ask Tony?" he questioned curiously. "He would know better than me."

"He would," I agreed slowly, "but, he's _Tony_ ," I added with emphasis, and Ned grinned in understanding. "He's never had issues with asking a woman out, and he's got all the confidence in the world. In fact, he's got too much confidence. We've both heard the stories of what he used to be like," I explained, and we both shared awkward looks, embarrassingly uncomfortable with the thought of Tony's playboy days, as he'd so casually dubbed it once.

"You could ask Pepper, then," he suggested, and I pondered that thought. "Maybe," I hedged, having a feeling that she'd react like Aunt May would have. She'd no doubt get so excited, cooing over how adorable I was being, and emphasizing that I needed to be a gentleman, and that MJ couldn't help but love me. She was motherly like that. No, Tony was still a better option.

"Or, there's always Happy, Rhodey, and Bruce," he remarked, and I considered those options as well. Out of the three, I felt most comfortable with Happy. He was the only one who I could even see myself talking to about this, but I still felt embarrassed at the thought. Would I feel more comfortable asking Happy or Tony? At least I knew Happy had never been like Tony. He was a normal guy like me. Yeah, I decided, I'd call Happy and see if he wanted to get together tonight. Every couple of weeks or so, we'd hang out, just the two of us. It sort of started as him just getting me out of the house to give Tony and Pepper some alone time ( _gross_ ), but we'd realized that we both enjoyed hanging out, so it became more often. I took out my phone and texted Happy if he wanted to get together today. He texted within minutes saying that he'd pick me up from school, and that he'd already informed my parents.

School ended, and getting into Happy's car, I gave him a cheerful greeting that he returned.

"So, what'd you like to do?" he asked, and I told him I was craving ice cream, which caused him to laugh.

"Sounds good to me, but know that if I don't give you some actual food before I return you home that I'll be in trouble," he commented, and this time I was the one to laugh. We arrived at our favorite ice cream parlor, and I immediately ordered a large sundae, while Happy got a shake. We were enjoying our dessert, catching each other up on what we'd each been up to when I mustered up the courage to ask my question.

"Hey, Hap," I began nervously, "can I ask you a question, and can you promise not to make fun?"

He smiled while looking curious. "Sure thing, squirt," he assured me, and I inhaled a deep breath before telling him about my predicament. True to his word, he didn't laugh, but he did sport a smile of amusement.

"Girl troubles," he remarked, sitting back in the booth and looking thoughtful. He remained silent for a few seconds before looking me in the eye and simply saying, "Ask her."

"But what if she says no?" I asked desperately. "What if it ruins our friendship or makes things weird?"

He chuckled softly, but his eyes were kind and understanding rather than teasing. "Look, Peter, do you trust her?" he asked, and I frowned before answering, "Of course I do. I mean, she knows about me being Spiderman," I added in a whisper.

"Think about everything you know about her, and ask yourself, do you really think even if she didn't like you in that way that your friendship would be ruined?" he asked seriously. "Is your friendship really that tenuous?"

I chewed on my cheek as I thought over what he'd asked. After all we'd been through, I'd definitely say we were close. We hadn't been friends for long, but we'd instantly connected, and I'd found it easy to talk with her and confide in her. If she didn't feel the same way about me, would it really be so bad that our friendship would be shattered? No, I think she'd be fine, but would I?

"I guess it wouldn't ruin our friendship," I admitted, "but I'd have troubles not feeling mortified every time I was around her."

He nodded, replying that he understood that. "I still feel you should ask her," he insisted. "You can't change how you feel, and you'll regret it if you don't ask. You've got this, Peter," he declared with confidence, and I felt my heart warm at his belief in me.

"Besides, you're a Stark now, so how could she possibly turn you down," he commented teasingly, and I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Not that I'm not touched that you felt comfortable enough to ask for my advice," he continued genuinely, "but I'm curious if you plan on asking Tony."

"Um," I murmured hesitantly, "I don't know. I mean, I know how he is or was, and I just don't feel he'd get this. He'd probably just tell me to buck up and ask her."

Happy's smile was kind as he replied, "I totally get why you feel that way. It's no secret the way he used to be with women, but Tony would never encourage you to be like he was."

"Maybe," I hedged doubtfully. "He's just always so confident in what he does, and he's good looking, rich, and charming, so what girl wouldn't want to go out with him. I doubt he even knows what it feels like to be turned down," I explained, and I was taken aback when Happy's expression turned to disappointment.

"Listen, Pete, I think you've known Tony long enough to know that he has different personas," he said seriously. "He's got the persona for the public and media, and he's got the persona for the government. Then, there's the real Tony that you've seen more of than even me. Like I said, I'm happy that you asked for my advice, but I know Tony well enough now that I'm pretty sure he'd be hurt by you not asking him, especially if he heard your reasons why."

I honestly hadn't expected these words, and I found myself squirming guiltily as I digested this information. I knew Tony had his masks, but I still assumed he didn't know how it was to be turned down. I was really bothered, though, that Happy felt Tony would be hurt by me not asking him.

"I don't plan on telling Tony about this conversation, so there's little chance of him finding out about this, but I'm not lying when I say he'd be hurt," he insisted, noting my hesitation and doubt.

"I guess I'll think about it," I spoke softly, and Happy smiled before changing the subject. We spent the rest of the afternoon bowling, Happy and I tying for number of wins. He asserted that he technically was the winner as he'd won on pure skill, while I'd used my abilities. I'd argued back that my abilities were a part of me, and it wasn't like I could turn them off. Happy dragged me off for dinner then, which was hot dogs off the street before taking me home. Instead of coming inside, he dropped me off, wishing me luck in asking MJ.

When I arrived in the penthouse, I smiled when I spotted my parents. They were sitting at the kitchen table, and there were papers spread all over. I assumed it was business stuff for Stark Industries. They both smiled brightly when they saw me, Pepper giving me a huge hug while Tony just grinned.

"How was your outing?" he asked, and I told him I'd had a great time.

"Have you eaten?" Pepper asked, and when I nodded she then asked if I had any homework. I sighed before admitting that I did, at which point she shooed me to my room to get it done. "Hanging out with Happy is fine," she stated, "but it doesn't excuse you from school work."

I groaned loudly as I said, "But I need to go on patrol."

"Not tonight," she replied firmly, and I frowned unhappily.

"I'll do it when I get back," I compromised, and she frowned right back at me.

"Absolutely not, young man," she spoke sternly. "You will go and do your homework now."

I sighed harshly, giving her a mild glare to which she responded with an unimpressed raised eyebrow. "Do as I say, or there will be no patrolling until the weekend."

I balked at the idea of such a harsh sentence, and quickly held up placating hands as I shook my head. "No, no, that won't be necessary," I informed her. "I'll go do my homework right now." She gave a satisfied smile as I began to walk away. Tony smirked at me, and I couldn't help but shove him playfully as I walked by, but that only resulted in him laughing. Annoying old man.

My homework took longer than expected, and by the time I finished, it was 10:00, so I just went to sleep. I had another nightmareless night, so I woke well rested. When I exited my room, Pepper was exiting as well, ready for work. We shared a quick breakfast, and we both left at the same time. School went slowly, and my heart hammered every time I looked at MJ. Anxiety flowed through me, and MJ kept giving me concerned looks as she asked how I was doing. I responded over and over that I was alright, and the situation was never helped with Ned choking back laughter every time she asked. This just caused her to throw us both suspicious looks, certain that we were keeping something from us. The day ended with her getting angry with us both and marching away in a huff. I sighed sadly, feeling like an idiot that I couldn't manage to ask her.

"So, what'd Happy have to say?" Ned questioned after MJ left, and I informed him.

"Well, when do you plan on asking her?" he then asked. "The dance is next Friday."

"It's not that easy," I argued, "and she hasn't mentioned the dance once. What if she doesn't want to go?" I asked, a new fear arising.

Ned just shook his head bemusedly, and I glared as I knew he had no idea how nerve wracking this was. It wasn't like he was planning on asking anybody.

"Are you planning on going?" I inquired, and he shrugged. "Well, if you two go as a couple I don't want to be a third wheel."

"Is there anybody you'd like to ask?" asked curiously, and he shook his head negatively.

I drove Ned home then, before heading to my place. As I walked out of the elevator, Friday informed me that Tony was in his lab. I dropped my backpack and made myself a sandwich, and as I ate, I thought back to the conversation I'd had with Happy yesterday. Should I talk to Tony? What could it hurt, I eventually thought with a shrug.

"Hey, Fri," I called out, "can you ask Tony if it'd be okay for me to go to his lab. I want to, uh, talk to him about something." She relayed my message, replying that I was welcome to go up. I took the elevator up, nervously wondering if this was a good idea. What if he laughed at me? No, that's a stupid thought. Tony wasn't mean, and he wouldn't do that, especially since he'd no doubt be able to tell I was nervous. He had the uncanny ability to know how I was feeling. I arrived in his lab, marveling, as always at how awesome his lab was. There were always cool things lying about.

"Over here, spiderling," Tony called out, and I walked over to see him typing away on his computer. There were several screens up, and I barely gleaned the word Wakanda before he waved his hand causing the screens to disappear. My curiosity piqued, as I knew he didn't want me to see what he'd been looking at. I filed that away realizing that asking questions would be futile. If he didn't want me to know, then I wasn't going to know.

"What's up?" he asked, kicking a rolling chair over to me, signifying I should take a seat. I sat myself down, deciding to just get right into it because stalling would only make me more nervous. I explained to him my concerns after gaining his promise that he wouldn't laugh. I then explained what Happy had advised before falling silent. His head cocked to the side, and he seemed deep in thought. I was glad to know that he was taking me serious.

"I agree with Happy," he eventually stated. "From the short time I've spent with MJ, and from what you've told me about her, I know the girl will be straight up with you; and I know that she's not going to end your friendship if she doesn't feel the same way as you."

I nodded, relieved to know he agreed with Happy, but still feeling nervous to ask.

"I'll feel like an idiot if she says no," I admitted shyly. "I don't think I'll be able to stand being around her without feeling embarrassed and awkward."

He leaned forward, resting his arms on his legs as he graced me with a sympathetic look. "Yeah, I can see why you'd feel like that, but I doubt it'd last. Besides, I have a feeling that girl wouldn't put up with you acting like that, and she'd do her best to help you get over those feelings."

"When do you plan on asking?" he questioned, and I just shrugged as I sported a sheepish grin. "I honestly don't know. I thought I'd ask today, but every time I was around her my nerves would get the best of me, and I ended up just staring at her. Ned, the dork, kept laughing at me, and so MJ felt we were keeping some secret from her. She ended up getting mad at us," I recounted, and Tony couldn't help the short laugh of amusement that escaped him. I couldn't blame him as it was pretty funny when you thought about it.

I felt myself relaxing as we talked, feeling bad for having doubted Tony's ability to offer advice on this topic. Feeling comfortable, I decided to ask him questions to see if my assumptions had been correct.

"Have you ever been turned down?" I asked somewhat nervously, as I wasn't sure he'd be offended by the question.

He ran a hand through his hair as he shook his head and answered, "No, I haven't. Any girl I ever asked out always said yes. I'm hard to say no to."

"Yeah, I figured," I mumbled, and he frowned before adding, "Hey, I was a famous rich kid, so lots of the girls I went out with were after my money and the fame being with me brought them. In all honesty, besides Pepper, nobody I ever asked out really meant anything to me, so our situations aren't similar. Even if I'd been turned down, I honestly wouldn't have cared."

I looked at him in surprise, not having expected that. "So, you never had a crush on anybody?" I asked incredulously. "Why did you ask all those girls out, then?"

Tony leaned back in his chair, rubbing the back of his neck before shooting me an embarrassed look. "Let's just say I was looking for a good time," he responded slowly, and I blushed, kicking myself for being a naïve idiot.

"Oh," I murmured, looking away with a blush, and Tony replied with an awkward, "Yeah." Several moments of uncomfortable silence passed as I wondered what to say next. Thankfully, Tony spoke up.

"Look," he told me, "I can't say I regret what I did, but I can say that right now after being in a real relationship, I do feel ashamed; and I definitely don't want you to be like me," he stated seriously. "I remember being your age and younger and having crushes on girls. I was never brave enough to ask them out, though, and I regret it," he admitted, and I was once more shocked. He correctly interpreted my thoughts for he rolled his eyes, an exasperated sigh escaping his lips.

"This is why you went to Happy first, isn't it," he commented rather than ask, and I shot him an apologetic look that he waved away. "I've told you before, kid, that I wasn't always like I am now; and while I may always come off as having all the confidence in the world, it isn't always true. Fake it till you make it," he remarked with a wry grin. "I know how to put on a show."

"Sorry," I felt the need to apologize, "but I just find it so hard to imagine that you'd never have asked someone that you had a crush on out."

"Then you'll be surprised to know that the first time I asked someone out, I was nineteen," he responded, and my jaw actually fell open.

"What? No way!" I exclaimed in disbelief.

"You never went to a school dance?" I asked, before I suddenly remembered how old he was when he was in high school. "Never mind, stupid question," I stated before he could respond.

He smiled in understanding before dryly saying, "Nobody would want to go out with a little kid who barely hit puberty."

"You never went to a dance alone, though?" I found myself asking, once more saddened by the experiences he had in school. In elementary and junior high, it'd been recommended to my aunt and uncle that I skip a grade, but they'd always refused, and I was suddenly very glad.

Tony looked decidedly uncomfortable as he replied softly, "I made it to one dance only, winter formal during my junior year, but I was only there for ten minutes at the most."

"Why'd you leave?" I had to ask, and he seemed to look hesitant about continuing. Letting out a sigh, he then said, "It wasn't by choice." Several moments of silence passed, a million questions going through my head, but at the embarrassed look on his face, I kept my mouth shut.

"I'm going to tell you an embarrassing story, and I need your word, Peter, that you won't tell _anyone_ ," he stated, his eyes boring into mine. "Nobody except the people involved know what happened, and I'd prefer to keep it that way. The only reason I'm telling you is because I need you to understand that I'm not some-some person who doesn't know what it means to be the little guy."

"I won't tell anyone, I promise," I assured him, before feeling the need to say, "You don't need to tell me this if you don't want to, Tony. I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

He snorted as he shook his head. "You worry too much, little spider." He then took in a deep breath before beginning to tell his story. "So, it was my junior year of high school, and I was thirteen. My voice had finally changed the summer before, and I had a bit of a growth spurt," he recounted, smiling in some amusement. "I started to feel more confident, and like I could actually fit in as I was now as tall if not taller than some classmates…well, the freshman at least. Anyways, ever since I'd started at this school, I'd had a crush on this girl named Allison Miller. I was pretty pathetic, staring at her like a creep when I was pretty sure she didn't even know I existed."

I let out a short laugh as how he'd described himself was what I was like the past few years with Liz. "That's what I was like with Liz," I admitted, and he chuckled along with me.

"Allison was one of the popular girls, of course, because it's always gotta be like that, right?" he asked rhetorically, but I couldn't help but agree. "She was a cheerleader, and she'd been dating this football dude since freshman year. He was an idiot who enjoyed making my life hell," he stated with a shrug. "Anyhow, it was a couple days before the winter formal, and I was on my way back to my dorm when I noticed Allison with a bunch of her friends walking towards me. I figured they were just walking by, but then Allison called me out by name and asked to speak to me privately. I'll admit, it took me longer than it should have to respond as I was so shocked. Obviously, I agreed, and we went to my dorm room (by the way, I was at boarding school). It was totally surreal having her there, and I remember all I could think about was how embarrassed I was by the mess my room was." I couldn't help but grin, knowing I would've been the same way.

"So, she's standing there, and I'm mentally freaking out, wondering what the hell she wants to talk to me about," he continues with an amused smile. "She's looking around my room, and then she stares at me, smiles in that gorgeous way of hers and asks me if I'd like to go to winter formal with her. I'll admit, I nearly died of shock on the spot. It was like a dream come true. I asked her why she wasn't going with her boyfriend, and she said they'd broken up. I didn't ask why, choosing instead to ask why she wanted to go with _me_. She fed me some bullshit story of how she'd been watching me for years, but had been too shy to ask me out, and blah blah blah," he spoke mockingly. "I was so easily taken in by her words that I didn't stop to think about how ridiculous they sounded. I didn't stop to think about how much this situation didn't make sense. I simply said, yes, and then I received my first kiss." He shook his head in bemusement before ruffling his hair.

"I would've been the same way in your situation," I told him honestly, thinking about if Liz had said something like that. Tony's lip quirked before he continued his story. "I was so excited by what happened that I felt like I was walking on the moon. Allison told me to pretend she'd never asked me because she wanted to surprise everybody at the dance. I, of course, had no problems with that. The day came, and I made sure to get the nicest tux I could. I got a corsage for her and even rented a limo to take us to the boat where our dance would be. I remember thinking about how beautiful she looked, how great she smelled, and how lucky I was. I finally felt like I was fitting in."

I listened, my stomach curling up in anxious anticipation. I didn't want to know what happened next, but I also couldn't bring myself to tell him to stop. His eyes were closed now as he recalled the events of that night. The sheepishness was gone now as his voice turned more serious. "We walked up the boat together and into the ballroom. The place was already pretty crowded, and I was kind of overwhelmed. I'd been to parties, but the kind my parents went to with boring adults talking about business and politics. This one looked fun, but I wasn't sure what to do, so I allowed Allison to guide me through the mass of people towards her friends. I went over, feeling really nervous because I wasn't sure how they'd react to seeing me with Allison. Uh, they ended up giggling and cooing at how _adorable_ I looked, and saying I looked like a kid playing dress up. I was really offended, so I told them off, saying that I was there as _Allison's date_. God, I was such a fucking idiot," he said with exasperation, covering his reddening face with his hands. My heart was already breaking, and I didn't even know what happened yet.

"Her stupid boyfriend showed up at that point with his friends, and they were all laughing loudly, even Allison, which confused me," he said. "He came up, shoved me aside and brought her in for a kiss, which she very happily returned. The laughter started then, and they all began to tease me, calling me a dumb little idiot for believing that _anybody_ , let alone Allison would want to go to a dance with me. I was so taken aback, that I still looked to Allison, as though hoping she'd stand up for me, but she only laughed louder before putting her hands over her eyes like a crying baby. I didn't realize I was crying, but they certainly did. The guys picked me up, telling everybody that I was crying and that it was obviously past my bed time. I struggled to get out of their grasp, but they were too strong, so they managed to drag me out of the ballroom and outside to the back of the ship. Allison's boyfriend warned me to stay away from his girl, and then they threw me overboard," he stated with a shrug. At my look of horror, he quickly added, "The ship hadn't taken off yet, and they threw me down a life jacket, so I was fine."

I still couldn't help but look at him in horror. "That's the saddest story I've ever heard," I stated, feeling like _I_ wanted to cry on his behalf.

"Embarrassing is how I'd describe it," he corrected with a frown. "Nobody ever let me forget it."

I felt tears of sadness for him welling up in my eyes. He must've been so hurt and humiliated by what happened. "Did you tell your parents?" I asked, and he scoffed, rapidly shaking his head. "No way," he responded in disbelief. "My dad would've told me to man up, and my mom would've freaked."

"That's so sad," I murmured, feeling overwhelmed, so I stood up and gave him a tight hug. "I'm sorry you had to go through that alone."

"H-hey, I'm okay, kiddo, it was a long time ago," he spoke, working on reassuring _me_. "I didn't tell you that story to make you sad. Wait, are you _crying_?" I tightened my hold on him, shaking my head, and he groaned before saying, "Oh, little spider, I'm so sorry. Please don't cry, I feel like a total idiot, now. I'm okay, I swear. Come on, kiddo, come on. Pepper's going to kill me if she finds out about this." I laughed at his last comment, wiping at my face when I pulled away. He was looking at me with kind, apologetic eyes full of concern.

"You okay?" he pressed, and I nodded my head, embarrassed that he was having to comfort me when he was the one that had experienced that sad story.

"I'm sorry," I said thickly, and he hugged me tightly before saying, "Don't worry about it. You're such a good kid, you know that?"

"I know," I replied with a small grin, and he smiled back with relief and affection.

"Come on," he then said, standing up, "Let's go stuff ourselves with junk food and end up in a food coma." I laughed lightly as I stood up. We went up, and literally took out every bit of junk food we had in the refrigerator and cupboard. Tony then ordered pizza with cinnamon sticks, so we had a great time stuffing our faces. By the time we finished, we were both lying on the floor, groaning with how uncomfortable we felt.

"Not my best idea," Tony moaned, and I just groaned in agreement.

"What in god's name is going on in here?" Pepper suddenly shrieked, and I covered my ears while Tony muttered a scared, "Uh oh."

"Did you two boys really eat all of this?" she asked incredulously before frowning down at the both of us. "You two look pitiful," she remarked before she stepped over me and walked to Tony. She reached down and literally yanked Tony to his feet by his ear. "Tony Stark, what was going through your mind? Honestly, you should know better than to eat like this, and I can't believe you'd allow Peter to stuff himself with all this crap. It's not good for either one of you," she lectured, and I couldn't help the burst of laughter I gave at seeing Tony grimacing and apologizing as Pepper continued to speak. This was the wrong move as Pepper released her hold on Tony and came towards me. She hauled me up by my ear now and began to lecture me on knowing better than this, and how I shouldn't let Tony talk me into these kinds of things. Now I was the one throwing out apologies and puppy-dog looks. Eventually, she released me and gazed at the both of us with a look of fond exasperation.

"Sorry, Pepper," we both spoke in unison, and she sighed before smiling at us both. "Boys," she sighed, and I smiled as I knew she wasn't upset with us anymore. She then sat herself on the couch and began to eat our leftover pizza. Tony and I exchanged amused looks before we sat down with her and continued watching our movie. The evening passed quickly, and I didn't even bother with going out on patrol, just wanting to hang out with them. Night came, and unfortunately, I ended up with a nightmare, and it was about the story Tony had told me. Unlike the truth, where he easily swam back to shore, though, the kid Tony in my dream ended up panicking, calling out for help but nobody hearing him. I screamed for someone to help, but nobody listened, and I couldn't move. Tony's little head fell under the water, and it didn't come back up.

"Noooo!" I yelled, jolting up in my bed with my hands reaching out as though to grab him. I was gasping heavily, adrenaline coursing through me as tears fell down my cheek when the door burst open, Tony rushing on in.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," I insisted, although I probably looked anything but, so he immediately came over and pulled me into his arms. I ended up sobbing into his chest, the picture of him drowning stuck in my mind. It took me nearly half an hour before I could calm myself, and when I did, Tony looked at me with deep concern.

"Sorry for waking you," I spoke tearfully, and he waved away the concern. "I wasn't asleep, but even if I was, I wouldn't care. It's been a while since I've seen you have a nightmare this bad. What was it about?" he asked delicately.

I hesitated before just telling him. I knew he'd feel guilty, but then I also knew that not talking about it would make things worse. As expected, his expression turned to guilt when I finished explaining what my dream had been about. He sighed heavily before settling himself fully on my bed before wrapping an arm around me. I rested my head on his chest, and focused on the steady beat of his heart

"Would you feel better if I told you I got a couple of those guys expelled?" he asked, and I nodded my head.

"Did you tell on them?" I asked curiously, and he snorted.

"No way," he replied. "They already thought of me as a little kid. Telling on them would've made things worse. No, what I did was hack into one of the teacher's computers, pulling out compromising photos of the old dude with Allison. I'd heard rumors of this before, but anyhow, I posted those photos all over the school, which pissed off the boyfriend. He grew furious, and so he and his buddies went out and trashed that teacher's cars before going and confronting him. I may have snuck around to see what happened, and I watched as they began to beat up the teacher. Worried, they were going to really hurt him, I called security. They all ended up arrested, the teacher prosecuted, and the boys expelled. Allison was then looked down upon because she'd been going at it with an old man." He shrugged before looking down at me inquiringly.

"Feel better, or are you now disgusted with me?" he asked hesitantly, and I grinned up at him as I replied, "I feel better. They deserved what they got and worse. I'd have beaten them up for you."

"No, you wouldn't have, but that's sweet of you to say," he replied, placing a kiss on the top of my head.

"I'm sorry for giving you nightmares, Peter," he said with genuine sadness, and I just poked him in the side as I said, "Stop that. You didn't do anything. Now, stop feeling guilty or I'm telling Pepper on you."

He laughed, ruffling my hair as he said, "One of these days that threats not going to work on me." I just smiled in response before he told me to go to sleep. I closed my eyes, feeling at ease, so I fell asleep quickly.

When morning came, I found myself alone, but I was fine with that. I figured Tony had gone to his own bed when I'd fallen asleep. I quickly got dressed, deciding that today would be the day. I was going to ask MJ to the dance. I texted this to Ned, so he'd make sure I didn't chicken out. This was happening today one way or another.

When I got to school, Ned was giving me a huge grin. He patted my back, his grin somehow widening even more when we spotted MJ. We approached her, and she looked at us with narrowed eyes. "So are you going to tell me your little secret, or am I going to have to put up with your weird looks," she said to me, "and your weird laughs," she said to Ned. Ned, the awesome friend that he was, gave one of his weird laughs before slapping me on the back harder than necessary. He then walked away, giving me thumbs up when he was behind MJ. Why was he my best friend? MJ watched him go with a raised eyebrow before pinning me with a look that said, 'spill the beans now or I will eviscerate you'.

Heart pounding, all the ways I had planned on asking flew out of my head as I stared at her. God, she really was beautiful. Why had it taken me so long to realize this?

"Peter? Hello, anybody home?" she asked, waving a hand over my face.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry, I'm here," I mumbled, my voice cracking annoyingly. For god's sake, I went through this stage years ago!

"What is going on with you?" she pressed in both exasperation and concern. "You've been acting really weird lately. Is everything okay?" I squirmed uneasily, glancing behind her to see Ned spying on us from a distance. He threw me thumbs up once again, and I had to fight from glaring at him. Looking into MJ's eyes, I decided to just bite the bullet.

"Will you go to homecoming with me… like, together?" I asked awkwardly, and her eyes widened in surprise. "I mean, it's okay if you don't want to, but I was just wondering, but it's okay if you say no, I'll understand," I rambled, and she cut me off by placing a finger on my lips. Taking a step towards me, she asked, "You want to go to the dance with me, like as a couple?"

I fought back a pathetic whimper as I gave a single, hesitant nod. She just stared at me, her expression unreadable before she simply said, "Okay."

"Really?!" I burst out in happy surprise. She gave me a pretty smile as she nodded her head and said, "Yeah, it'll be fun. Truthfully, I was thinking of asking you if you didn't get around to it by Monday."

"Huh?" I responded in shock, and she smirked in amusement, but didn't respond. She just began to walk towards Ned, who tried to pretend he hadn't been spying on us, but failed miserably. MJ just smacked his arm as she walked by, and Ned pouted as he shot me an inquiring look. I grinned hugely, and he shouted a loud, "Yes!", which garnered a lot of attention. I shushed him, giving him a shove as I followed after MJ towards our first class. I felt over the moon the rest of the day, which caused several people to look at me weirdly as I had a stupid grin on my face, but I didn't care. She'd said yes. MJ had said yes! MJ just giggled every time she looked at me, which didn't help, because I thought her giggle was rather cute.

When I got home, I immediately asked if Tony was home, and I was informed that both he and Pepper were home. Pepper had apparently bought this new shelving unit, and she was having Tony set it up for her. I vibrated with excitement, bursting out of the elevator as the doors opened and yelling out, "She said yes!" at the top of my lungs.

Pepper looked at me in complete confusion while Tony jumped up to his feet, hopping over the couch and giving me a hug.

"Awesome! I'm so happy for you, kiddo!" he shouted, and I grinned widely before looking to Pepper and explaining, "I asked MJ to homecoming and she said yes!" Her eyes lit up in excitement, and she immediately ran to me and hugged me tightly, offering me congratulations before exclaiming how happy she was for me.

"We've got to get you a suit," she spoke when she let me go.

"Do you have plans?" Tony asked. "Are you going to take her out to dinner? Do you want a limo cuz I can get you one."

"Do you need lessons on dancing, because Tony and I can show you how," Pepper stated, and I blinked, none of these questions or concerns having crossed my mind.

"Um, I haven't really thought about any of that," I admitted, feeling a little lost.

"When's the dance?" Pepper questioned, and I told her it was next Friday. She nodded, letting me know that we'd be going shopping for a suit tomorrow. "Find out what color dress she's going to be wearing," she ordered, and I told her I would.

"I can get you reservations at a place, so find out what's her favorite kind of food," Tony told me, and I nodded, not remembering things being so complicated last year with Aunt May. I quickly pushed those thoughts away, not wanting to be hit with depressing thoughts in this happy moment. They both continued to throw different questions and comments to me, overwhelming me before Tony got a teasing look in his eyes as he asked, "Does your school need any chaperones for the dance, because I would totally be willing."

"Tony, no way!" I shouted, giving him a horrified look. Although he was amused by my reaction, he also looked affronted. "What? Do you think I'd be an embarrassment? Do you know how many kids would be stoked to have _Tony Stark_ at their school dance?"

"Well, I'm not one of them," I grumbled, not in the mood to stroke his ego. "You're my dad, and nobody wants their parents at their dance. It's so uncool." I noticed the way his eyes lit up when I told him he was my dad, however, they turned to shock at the thought that I considered him uncool. Putting a hand over his heart, he feigned a hurt look as he placed his head on Pepper's shoulder and fake cried.

"I'm an embarrassment now, Pep," he whined. "When did I get so uncool?" Pepper just rolled her eyes, smothering laughter as she caressed the back of his head.

"I have no idea, Tony," she responded mischievously. "I mean, you've always been embarrassing and uncool to me."

Tony's head shot up, and he looked at Pepper with an open mouth. I burst out in laughter, completely amused by their antics. Tony narrowed his eyes while Pepper just raised an eyebrow at him. The two had a staring contest before Tony's expression turned sheepish and Pepper's triumphant. I shot the two a confused look before Pepper responded, "I know _many_ embarrassing stories of Tony, so he knows better than to challenge me."

My eyes widened as I immediately asked her to tell me, but both she and Tony said, "No," in unison. I pouted, but Pepper just kissed me on the forehead before asking what I'd like for dinner. I knew the conversation was over, but I filed this knowledge away. I'd have to ask Pepper someday when Tony wasn't around for these embarrassing stories.

The next week passed quickly, and it was the day of the dance. Tony was in my room assisting me with my tie. A lump formed in my throat as I recalled using YouTube last year to learn how as Aunt May hadn't been able to help. As I looked down at my expensive and stylish suit, my shiny new shoes, the silver cufflinks Tony was letting me borrow, and my professionally styled hair, I got hit with an overwhelming amount of emotion. I now couldn't help but compare everything to last year, and I imagined how ecstatic Aunt May would've been for me, especially since she loved MJ.

Tony's hand's stilled, and they moved to my shoulders where he pushed me until I was sitting on my bed. I looked into his concerned eyes, and couldn't bring myself to even speak as I was afraid I'd start talking. Tony didn't talk either, instead, he just sat himself down next to me and rubbed my back until I felt comfortable enough to talk.

"I miss May," I whispered, my voice sounding choked up. "She was so happy last year when she found out I was going to the dance. I wore an old suit jacket of my uncles with a dress shirt, and I had my converse that I'd just cleaned. We used YouTube to figure out how to put on my tie. She taught me this dorky little dance, admitting that she didn't know much about dances, but she tried. She lectured me on being a gentleman and how I should tell Liz she looked pretty, but not to overdo it or it'd be weird." The more I spoke, the thicker my voice got, and I couldn't help the tears that began to fall down my face. Tony's arm went around my shoulder, and I leaned into him as I began to cry. "I miss her so much, Tony," I sobbed, and his arms tightened around me.

"I know, pal, I know," he spoke softly as he rubbed my arm comfortingly. "I'm sorry that she can't be here for this, but know that she'd be just as happy for you now as she was then; and she'd definitely be proud of the young man you're growing up into."

"I know," I murmured, "but it's so hard sometimes, especially times like this. So much has changed in the last year that it just overwhelms me when I stop to think of it."

Tony continued to comfort me in silence before saying, "You're right, you've been through so much this last year, and you've handled everything with more strength and endurance than I had at your age. Moments like this will hit you, so don't be embarrassed. It happened to me a lot the first few years after my parents died, and it hasn't even been a year since May died," he said gently, and I sniffed noisily. He stood up, walked away, and came back with tissues for me, that I gratefully accepted. He knelt in front of me and looked at me with kind eyes.

"You okay now, pal?" he inquired in concern, and I wiped at my face as I nodded my head. "Yeah, I'm good," I assured him with a small grin. He smiled back before finishing up with my tie. "Let's go subject you to Pepper's approval, and prepare yourself for pictures."

I laughed lightly, but he was right to prepare me because as soon as she saw me she let out a short squeal before hugging me tightly and expressing how handsome I looked. The camera was out and she took several dozen photos of me, and two dozen of those were of just me alone. Eventually, Tony came to my rescue and told Pepper that I needed to get going or I'd be late for picking MJ up. I threw the man a grateful look, and they both wished me luck before I left.

I drove my own car, convincing Tony that a limo was just overdoing it. MJ lived in a small two-bedroom house, but it was well kept and cozy I'd noticed from my previous visits. MJ ran out of the door the second I pulled up, and I didn't even have time to open the door for her. She was giggling loudly as she told me to drive, and I wondered what that was about until I saw her older sister running out of the door with a camera. "Michelle! Come on, give me pictures!" she screamed, but I quickly gunned it. I'd had enough pictures from Pepper. As we drove, we both laughed loudly, and I relayed to her how Pepper had been.

"Yeah, I knew my sis would be like that, which was why the second I saw you, I ran for it," she admitted, putting a loose strand of hair behind her ear. We ended up getting pizza for dinner at some loud, grungy restaurant where we looked really out of place. It was awesome, though, and we had a great time. Tony hadn't been happy with me turning down his offer for getting me a reservation at some fancy restaurant, but I had to remind him that we were sixteen and not the fancy schmancy type. He'd given in with a dramatic sigh.

"You look beautiful," I finally told her as we walked back to my car. "I mean, you always do, but now you look even more so," I explained awkwardly, and she smirked before telling me I looked good as well. I grinned brightly.

We arrived at the school and went into the cafeteria to see it decked out in the Hollywood glamour scene. Ned was there laughing with some of our classmates, and we both waved over at him. We spent most the dance talking with Ned and other people, occasionally poking fun at what some people were wearing, and more so at the way some people were dancing.

"They really should just get a room at this point," MJ whispered as we watched two seniors 'dance' with each other. "I mean, neither one is hiding how _into_ each other they are." Gross.

Occasionally, we'd dance a little, making fun of each other's lack of ability. We were really into it when the music was paused in order to announce the homecoming king and queen. Not interested at all, we both went and got some drinks. Without planning it, I realized that I'd been holding her hand for the past several minutes. I blushed, letting go, but she just rolled her eyes as she grabbed hold of my hand again. I grinned goofily, which caused her to laugh. Heart pounding and adrenaline coursing through me, I felt the sudden urge to kiss her. I hesitantly took a step forward and slowly leaned towards her, giving her plenty of chance to stop me or push me away, just like Tony had taught me. Instead of doing that, though, she placed her hand on my tie and closed the remaining distance between us. As we kissed, cheers were shouted, streamers bursting as the prom king had been announced at the exact moment. It was a totally cheesy yet amazing moment that I couldn't begin to comprehend.

When we broke apart, we were both a bit breathless as we looked into each other's eyes.

"You guys aren't going to be doing that a lot when I'm around, are you?" Ned asked, and we both jumped, shooting our friend a glare.

"Jesus, Ned!" MJ snapped, slapping his arm, which caused him to wince. She walked away with a huff while I rolled my eyes. "Nice timing, bro," I drawled, and he just shrugged.

The much-anticipated slow dances began, and I held out a hand to MJ, exuding more confidence than I felt. Tony and Pepper had taught me how to slow dance, so I was confident I wouldn't make a fool of myself, but dancing with my arms around her waist would still be nerve-wrecking. MJ took my hand, and for the first time tonight, she looked nervous, and I suddenly found myself relaxing as I realized she had to be as nervous as me. Offering her an encouraging smile, I placed my hands at her waist while she looped hers around my neck. Instead of really dancing, we just swayed to the music, at first looking at each other awkwardly before conversation started to flow easily. We avoided any heavy topics like my job as Spiderman or the situation with her brother. It was a surreal experience, and it will sound dumb, but at one point I felt like we were the only two in place. Eventually, the music picked up in tempo, and we blinked looking around once more like suddenly realizing we weren't alone.

I grabbed hold of her hand as we walked towards Ned and other friends. Getting into a huge group, we all just started dancing around, yelling and generally just trying to look as dumb as possible. It was a blast, and when the dance ended, all our faces were flushed from exertion and excitement. I offered Ned a ride, but he said he'd driven himself here. MJ and I got into my car, and I slowly drove towards her house. When we arrived, I turned off the car, getting out so that I could open the door for her. She rolled her eyes, but had a smile as she let me help her out of the car.

"Thanks for going to the dance with me," I told her honestly. "You have no idea how nervous I was about asking you," I admitted, the events of the night taking away my anxiety. She smiled back before squeezing both my hands.

"I had a great time too, Peter, and I'm glad you asked," she responded with a somewhat embarrassed smile. Her front door opened, and I chuckled at the sight of her sister standing in the doorway with crossed arms.

"Peter Parker, you better have treated my sister to a damn good time, boy, or you and I are going to have problems!" she yelled and MJ let out a loud groan.

"Oh my god, I'm going to kill her," she whispered in embarrassment, turning around and yelling, "Shut up, Cassie!" I laughed before gaining the courage to give her a goodnight kiss on the cheek.

"Night, MJ," I said, and she wished me goodnight as well before turning and walking away. I heard her yelling at her sister for embarrassing her as I got into my car and began to drive away. I arrived home and was unsurprised to find the lights on and both Pepper and Tony awake. They were both sitting at the kitchen counter eating ice cream right from the carton, and I immediately went over and joined them.

"How was the dance, stud muffin?" Tony asked with a smirk, and I rolled my eyes, stealing a scoop from his ice cream.

"It was great," I responded, Pepper giving me my own carton of butter pecan.

"Were you a gentleman?" Pepper asked while at the same time Tony asked, "Did you kiss her?" I glared at Tony before nodding my head at Pepper.

"So, when's your next date?" Tony pressed, and Pepper sighed, giving him an exasperated look as I just shrugged my shoulders. "I have no idea," I responded, "we didn't talk about it."

"Are you guys officially dating now?" he then asked, and Pepper now glared as she scolded him for being nosy. I thought the question over, though, suddenly wondering the same thing. Were we dating? Grabbing my phone, I quickly shot off a text to MJ.

 _Want to be my girlfriend?_

I didn't know where I'd suddenly gained so much confidence, but I guess it was just the adrenaline from the night still coursing through me. Two minutes passed before I received a response.

 _Sure_

I grinned widely before looking up at Tony and proudly saying, "She's my girlfriend. I just asked her." Pepper rolled her eyes at me now while Tony held out a fist for me to bump.

"That's my boy!" he crowed with pride.

"Do you guys mind if I go out on patrol," I asked curiously. It was already 11AM, but it was Friday, so my curfew was 2AM. My parents exchanged looks before Tony nodded.

"Sure thing, kid, but one question first," he said, and I gave him a curious look.

"Mind if I go along?" he asked, and my eyes widened, excitement coursing through me as I shouted, "Oh, wow, really? Of course, you can come! This is awesome!" I immediately took off for my room, throwing off my expensive clothes before yanking on my costume. I got back to see Tony barely throwing away his empty ice cream carton. He motioned for me to follow, and we went up to his lab where he put on his Iron Man suit.

"Alright, Spiderman," he stated, "lead the way."

 **A/N: So, what'd you think? Please, please, please review!  
**


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: Still find it hard to believe how much you guys are loving my story. Your reviews make my day! Keep them coming!**

 **Chapter 31: I'm an Idiot**

 **Tony's POV:**

"You've gotta be faster than that, Spiderman!" I lectured as I sent a blast towards the kid. He managed to avoid it, but the debris ended up knocking him off balance, so I sent another blast that sent him flying through the air and onto the ground. I could hear his groan before he cursed, and I knew he was okay. Flying towards him, the kid managed to get to his feet and jump, barely avoiding me snatching him up. He shot his web, which attached to the back of my helmet. He yanked hard, stopping me in place, but I immediately twisted, grabbing hold of the webbing and yanking the kid towards me. The spiderling allowed himself to be pulled towards me, and used that momentum to hit me in the chest feet first.

"Oomph!" I groaned, mentally giving the kid props for his move. I didn't fly very far, though, before I managed to stop myself midair, dodging one shot from a web. Peter began to shoot off more webs rapidly, and I went from just dodging to dodging and blasting. The little genius managed to throw a web grenade during this time, which wrapped me up and stuck me to one of the trees. He shouted joyously, which caused me to grin before I blasted the webbing off me. I destroyed the tree then as I shot off towards the teen, and before he could react, I beamed the ground beneath him, causing him to jump in the air, which was when I grabbed hold of him. He yelped in shock before beginning to punch and kick me.

"Let me go you overgrown tin man!" he hollered, and I chuckled. He shot webbing at me, and activated the electricity, but it had no effect on me. In retaliation, I activated my external shockers, which caused a small burst of electricity to go through him. He loudly yelled, "Ouch!" before I asked, "Do you yield?"

He was panting heavily as I climbed in altitude, and Karen alerted me to his rapidly increasing heart rate.

"Okay, okay, okay, I yield!" he finally shouted, and I immediately wrapped him more securely in my arms before diving back down towards the ground. I descended more slowly than I had ascended before landing as gently as I could in the suit. I set down my boy, who immediately collapsed to the ground, yanking off his mask and breathing heavily. I let my mask retract as I knelt to look him over. Karen let me know that he had no broken or sprained bones, just a few bruises. He seemed pretty tired as well, I mused as I looked at his sweaty face and tired eyes. He looked happy, though, if his huge grin was anything to go by.

"That was fun," he declared happily, throwing a fist into the air. "I almost beat you."

I laughed lightly, not feeling the need to crush his spirits right now. The kid had done well, but he'd been no match for me. "Ready to head home?" I asked, and he sat up as he grunted out a, "Yeah." I held out a hand, which he took, and before I could pull him up, he yanked me down hard, causing me to land on all fours. He laughed heartily as I groaned, but his laughter turned into a pained yelp when I decided to land a swat on his vulnerable backside.

"Hey! We're training! You can't do that," he complained, rubbing his backside after having jumped to his feet.

"Then don't pull cheap shots with me," I argued with a smirk, and he pouted before grumbling, "Nat would be proud of me."

I laughed outright as I knew he was right. Nat would be proud. "So am I, little spider," I spoke, putting an arm around his shoulder. "You did well."

"You still kicked my ass too easily, though," he stated, looking unhappy with himself.

"I've been doing this a lot longer than you, kiddo, and my suits designed to withstand super strength," I explained, hoping to make him feel better. "Besides, I know your fighting style."

He sighed as we walked back into the jet. I got out of my suit and placed both my hands on the young hero's shoulders. "Listen," I spoke seriously, "Don't be so hard on yourself, Peter. You've come quite a way from when we first started training you, okay? A few months ago, you wouldn't have even been able to land a hit on me. You had some pretty good moves out there, so be proud of yourself. I sure am."

His frown slowly morphed into a smile, and he hugged me. "Thanks, Tony," he stated, and I grinned at him. Ruffling his hair affectionately, I then went to get the jet started on its way home. When I had it set to autopilot, I went and sat back with the kid.

"I can't believe you guys would actually fly to Canada to do outdoor training," he murmured, and I shrugged my shoulders. "We needed a lot of open ground, and the trees worked great as both cover and obstacles," I explained. Today, had been the first time I'd taken Peter to the Avenger's training grounds. It'd been some time since it'd been used, but I figured it'd be a safe place for Peter to train with me. He, technically, didn't need so much space to train, but in my suit, I didn't want to risk damaging any populated areas, so this remote region was the best. I'd been training with Peter regularly these past two months, so I felt this would be a good treat and test for the kid.

"Man, that was awesome," Peter sighed as he lay flat on one of the benches. "We should invite the Hulk next time!"

"Not gonna happen," I informed him. "The Hulk doesn't need training."

"Aww, but I want to see the Hulk," Peter whined, looking at me with wide eyes. "Why doesn't he need to train?"

"Most missions don't require the Hulk," I explained, "as he's not the easiest for Bruce to control. Truthfully, Bruce never has control of his alter ego. We've just managed to convince the Hulk to be on our side. He likes us, Nat especially. Anyhow, bringing him out for training would only irritate him and exhaust Bruce. He really doesn't like it when he transforms."

"Hulks cool, though," he argued quietly, and I chuckled softly. "I want to meet him. Do you think if I asked nicely Bruce would hulk out for me?"

I nudged the kid with my foot as I said, "No way, little spider, so don't bother asking. You'll meet the big guy someday, but he's not a plaything."

"What would happen if Bruce hulked out at home?" he asked curiously, and I sighed, narrowing my eyes at the mischievous kid.

"Don't even think about it," I warned, my voice suddenly stern, and he looked at me innocently. I knew I sounded hypocritical as I'd pushed for Bruce to hulk out on a freakin helicarrier, but I knew more now than I did then. I knew how much Bruce _hated_ turning into his alter ego, and I finally saw what the Hulk could do when pissed off. "Leave the Hulk alone."

"I'm not going to do anything," he stated defensively. "I was just curious."

"Sure you were," I spoke sarcastically, and he huffed, grumbling about mean old men. I just rolled my eyes in amusement.

We arrived back at HQ in no time at all, and while Peter went to shower, I went into the common room where I found Nat and Bruce playing chess with each other. I couldn't tell who was winning because they both had blank expressions on their faces.

"How'd baby Stark do?" Tasha asked without even looking up from her game.

"He put up a good fight," I informed her. "He came up with some pretty cool moves, so he managed to land some hits."

"Progress," Nat mused with a small smile as she moved one of her pawns. I walked up to glance at the board, and chuckled as I already knew who would win. Both my friends looked up at me, and Bruce sighed while Nat smirked. "I win," she said in satisfaction, and Bruce just shook his head. "She's won the past three games," he told me. I patted his back comfortingly before slapping hands with Nat.

I decided to go and shower, but before I did, I looked to Bruce and said, "My kid seems really interested in seeing the Hulk, so be prepared for some questions. If he tries and push you into turning, feel free to spank him as I've warned him not to. If you're not up to disciplining him, let me know and I'll bust his butt."

The man raised his eyebrows in surprise before frowning. "You really sure he's not your _biological_ son, Tony?" he asked skeptically, and Natasha chuckled while I rolled my eyes. "Trust me, the world is not ready for another me to be running around. I may be a bastard, but even I know one if me is more than enough," I remarked, and Nat just snorted while Bruce laughed.

"Well, thanks for the warning," Bruce said gratefully. "It's been a while since I've had an incident, and I'd like to keep it that way. If I see him pushing me, I might just take you up on your offer," he informed me. "I don't fancy having to punish Peter, but if he pushes me like that, it might just be the best course. Hopefully, it won't be necessary. He does seem to have more sense than you."

I grinned before agreeing. "Yeah, he does, so I don't expect any problems, but I still felt the need to give you a heads up. The spiderling has surprised me too many times with his actions for me to discount what he's capable of."

"If you'd like, I can take him down for some intense training, and he'll be too tired to get up to any mischief," Natasha suggested with a mischievous smirk. I just raised my eyebrow before shaking my head. "Kid hasn't done anything deserving of _that_ , but I'll be sure and allow it if he's dumb enough to push Bruce." She shrugged before standing up and stretching.

"Alrighty, boys, enjoy the rest of your day," she stated. "Hill, Pepper, and I are going out for some female bonding. Too much testosterone in this building." And, with those words, she just walked out.

"How did I not know about this?" I asked Bruce. "I _live_ with Pepper, and didn't know about this."

Bruce cleaned his glasses before remarking in bemusement, "I'm a scientist, but even I don't pretend to understand the female mind." I couldn't help but agree. Shrugging my shoulders, I headed into my room for a quick shower. I had SI business to take care of, so afterwards, I immediately went to my lab to finalize the schematics for an efficient energy source for houses. The arc reactor powered this building and the former Avengers tower with no problems, and I was working on something that the average man could afford. It was still a work in progress, and I would have to gain board approval before going through with the plans. I had a feeling they'd push for me to market to businesses before moving onto homes.

When dinner time came, I was unsurprised to see my kid interrogating Bruce about the Hulk. It seemed he was finally over his too-awed-to-speak stage. Shame, as it'd been rather hilarious to watch him stuttering around Bruce. I walked over to the two and smacked the spiderling upside the head. He gave me an affronted look, to which I responded, "Quit bugging Bruce, and help me with dinner." He grumbled unhappily, glaring, but listened nonetheless, and helped me make some chicken fettuccini alfredo. He inhaled the food like a starving kid, and I barely refrained from teasing him. Afterwards, while we were cleaning up, he asked me if he could go out on patrol, and I agreed, so he disappeared for the next several hours.

Shortly after he left I asked Bruce how the interrogation went.

"Just fine," he responded with a smile. "He was respectful, and while definitely intrigued by what I'd told him, he understood that the Hulk wasn't someone he wanted to meet unless in battle. I don't think we'll have any problems," he stated, and I gave a sigh of relief.

"So glad that boy doesn't have my genes," I stated, and Bruce laughed. We then went to Bruce's lab, and we worked together on one of his projects. We'd worked often enough together that we were in perfect sync, sort of like Vision and I were in battle. We were able to assist each other without even having to ask questions or tell each other what to do. It was awesome, and I made a note to myself to do this more often as I both thoroughly enjoyed myself and found it relaxing. It seemed that Bruce felt the same way, because he gave me an uncharacteristic pat on the back as we finished up for the night. Bruce was even worse with physical contact than I used to be.

The next day, my little family returned to NYC, and the week progressed with Peter going to school, Pepper going to work, and me fluctuating between Avenger and SI work. As the week came to an end, the Avengers were called away on business. It wasn't a mission, but business regarding the Accords. We were barely starting to work on reversing the decisions to label Steve, Clint, Wanda, and the others as fugitives. Mad as I may be with them, they didn't deserve to be labeled as criminals. All the Avengers besides Bruce went on this trip as Bruce still wasn't looked on upon highly by many politicians of the world. The public may love him, but world leaders were afraid. Stubborn, blind, old idiots. Instead of going with us, Bruce stayed at the penthouse with Pepper and Peter in order to help babysit the kid. Peter pouted about this, but it didn't last long after Bruce showed up and began to talk to him about what he was up to. Teenagers, I thought ruefully.

 **Peter's POV:**

I was bored, so, so bored. Bored out of my mind. _Sooooo boooorrrreeed_! Bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bor—

"Bruce!" I shouted in joyous relief as I saw him walk into the living room with a cup of tea in his hand. He froze before looking at me with a raised eyebrow. "I'm _sooo boorreeed!_ " I told him loudly, jumping over the couch to stand in front of him. "What're you doing?"

The older man smiled at me, and I was surprised by the amount of affection I saw in his eyes, so I gave him a curious look.

"You sounded just like Tony right now," he remarked in mild amusement, and I grinned proudly. Bruce snorted, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter before he answered my question. "I'm planning on heading up to the lab to check on an experiment of mine. You're welcome to tag along."

"Yes!" I exclaimed, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I jumped up and down, full of energy and excitement to not only be going into Tony's lab, but also to be with Bruce. I followed after the man into the elevator and then into the lab. Tony _still_ wouldn't let me in here unsupervised. Talk about _unfair_! It'd been over half a year since I'd screwed up, but he wouldn't let up. Even when he was around, he still wasn't a fan of letting me in here.

"You think you can convince Tony to let me come in here again unsupervised?" I asked Bruce with wide eyes, and he chuckled while shrugging.

"Yeah, that's not up to me, Pete. You broke Tony's rule, so you're going to have to hash out your rules with him," he told me. "However, if you can behave yourself while I'm here, then I'll let him know about how responsible you were."

I smiled, nodding my head in agreement. I didn't think he'd be able to convince Tony to change his mind, but if he was willing to put in a good word for me, then I was happy with that.

Bruce approached the right side of the lab where all sorts of chemicals were set up. He grabbed a several flasks, all different colors and began to examine them. I watched curiously, trying to figure out what he was doing without having to ask. I was just about to ask when another thought hit me.

"Hey, Bruce, did you ever find anything out about my DNA?" I asked, and he paused in his work to look back at me.

"Yeah, uh, I did," he murmured, readjusting his glasses before shooting me an apologetic look. "Sorry, Pete, a lot has been going on, I guess, that I forgot to even tell you or Tony what I found." He went over to a computer, and in under a minute he pulled up a folder with my name on it.

"Well, to start things off, you're still human," he announced with a teasing grin that I returned. When Bruce had originally taken my blood, Ned had been insistent that I was the first human spider, whatever that meant. "Your DNA is definitely altered from the average human," he continued more seriously, and he pulled up documents with genetic markers being pointed out. "This is your DNA compared to Tony's, who despite being who he is, is actually a normal human being…genetically speaking that is," he added with a laugh. "Now, I've highlighted several areas that all human have in common, and you have those, but you also have some extra genes, I guess you could say. Whatever that spider had, it caused a mutation that activated certain genes that are responsible for the abilities you possess."

"Wow," I murmured, looking at the 3-D image of my DNA compared to Tony's. "So, the spider bite just caused, like, light switches to turn on in my DNA?" I asked, and he nodded. "More or less," he remarked, although he was frowning now as he gazed at me. "Radiation…Mutation is random," he stated, and I nodded as I'd recalled learning that. "Peter, you're incredibly lucky that this happened to you, because there's no guarantee that this would've happened. If the spider had bitten Tony or Ned or Pepper, or even me, there's no guarantee that the same thing would've happened. I doubt this could be replicated."

I sat down, rather stunned by what he'd said. I'd never thought that this was something that could only have happened to me. I always figured that anybody that had been bitten by one of those mutant spiders would've ended up with the same abilities. What was different about me? I found myself thinking again like I had when I'd first attained my powers: Why me? What was so special about me that I'd been the one to get these powers?

"I remember when I was bitten that I got really sick," I decided to tell Bruce, and he nodded. "I was taken to the hospital the day of, and then released because I felt better. The next day, though, I collapsed at school, and I was taken back. I felt awful, and then all of a sudden, I was just fine. I never thought much about it…" I trailed off thoughtfully.

"Your DNA was changing at that point," Bruce mused aloud. "Your body was fighting the changes, but thankfully for you, it eventually accepted and assimilated the new changes. You'd be dead if it hadn't."

"Meaning, if someone else had gotten bit, like MJ, she could've died?" I asked in horrified disbelief, recalling how after the spider had bitten me, it'd landed on MJ's blouse before she'd slapped it off. Bruce gave a sad shrug. "I honestly don't know, but it's possible. Like I said, mutation is random, so what the spider did to you is unlikely what the spider would have done to MJ. That doesn't necessarily mean she would've died, but it could've been possible."

I digested his words, stunned by everything I'd found out. I mean, I guess this didn't change anything. I was still human. I was still me. It was just so strange to think that what happened to me was _unique_ it probably couldn't be recreated. A terrifying thought suddenly occurred to me.

"Bruce," I spoke softly, and his eyes turned concern as he caught the tremor in my voice. "If people knew what had been done to me, do you think they'd want to experiment on me so that they could make other Spidermans? I mean, people have been trying to recreate Captain America's super soldier serum since the 40's, and you…" I trailed off awkwardly, realizing that one of those people was kind of sitting in front of me. Bruce, thankfully, didn't look angry at all, just understanding.

"The short answer is, yes, if people knew that it was a spider that led to your powers, then they'd want to recreate that with other people; which, would mean they'd want to experiment on you," Bruce answered honestly, and I appreciated that he did so. "But, people don't know this, and even if they did, you're no pushover, Peter. You're not someone they could get their hands on easily, and you'll always have the Avengers on your side. Not to mention that Tony alone would move heaven and hell to make sure you're alright." I smiled at his words, my heart warming that I had so many people looking out for me.

"Speaking as someone whose blood is highly sought after, just try and keep a hold of yours," Bruce added with a small grin. "Don't donate blood, and if you can help it, don't give any blood to a doctor not working for the Avengers. You don't want people studying it, or giving it to other people. Who knows how that could affect them." I blinked in surprise, never having thought of this.

"Thanks for telling me, and for being honest with me," I told the older man, and he gave me a smile as he patted me on the shoulder once.

"I'll leave this open for you to look at on your own," he said. "I've got to get back to my experiment." I nodded in understanding, turning to the computer and looking more closely at my DNA. It was so weird seeing it, and I wished I had my DNA from my pre-spiderman days to see how I was different. I guessed it would be similar to Tony's…That was also weird, being able to see Tony's DNA. To see how similar and how different we were. I sighed, exiting out of the screens. I was just about to get up when a file marked _Wakanda_ caught my eye. I recalled several weeks ago walking in on Tony look at something to do with Wakanda…something that he hadn't wanted me to see. Without pausing to think, I clicked on the button.

Different pages appeared on the screen, and they were all about the supposedly missing Avengers, who according to Tony files, weren't exactly missing. They were in Wakanda, being hidden by T'Challa. What the hell? Why would T'Challa hide them? I thought he'd wanted to kill Barnes. He had fought against them all in Germany.

If Tony knew where they were, why hadn't he done anything about it? I mean, I didn't think he'd sell them out to the government or anything, but why hadn't he gone to them or at least tried to contact them? What were they doing in Wakanda, anyway? Had they been there the whole time?

I scanned through the pages, and there was one about Barnes being cryogenically frozen until they could find a cure for his brainwashing. Tony had been in contact with doctors in Wakanda, and he'd given them glasses with the acronym of BARF (what?) that were supposed to help with overcoming traumatic memories. How would that help Barnes? Would there be any way to _cure_ Barnes's brainwashing? How was it triggered, anyways?

Looking at another page, I saw that it contained correspondences between Tony and T'Challa. Some were about the Accords, and some were about the other Avengers. T'Challa was telling Tony about what they were up to, and how they were doing. Apparently, they weren't doing so great, emotionally speaking that is. Barton and Lang were both really missing their families. Wanda seemed lost and angry with herself. Steve fluctuated between moments where he would isolate himself, and moments where he would try and lift the other's spirits. Sam seemed to be in the best shape as he worked to keep up moral. Thing was, it was hard for all of them as they were just biding their time; but, for what? Even they didn't know. They were fugitives, so it wasn't exactly like they could go around being heroes, because they would risk getting caught. I guess, they were just waiting for the Accords to be amended. Upon further reading, it seemed they were waiting for Tony and T'Challa to get their supposed crimes forgiven, so they could all come back to the States. Tony and T'Challa seemed to think they'd only get this to happen, though, if the others would agree to signing the Accords, which obviously was a problem as it was this issue that had led to the Avenger's split originally.

Reading about how they were all suffering, my heart went out to them. The Avengers were a team and a family. They needed to be together. I looked at the Avengers here, Tony specifically, and I saw how terribly they missed the others. There were regrets, but there was still anger as well. The others coming back wouldn't fix everything, but it would be a start. Tony should at least start talking to the others…talk to Steve, because in the end, it all came down to those two. Tony and Steve were the leaders, and if they couldn't mend their break, then the others would follow their lead.

I took my phone out and took pictures of several of the pages, one of which held the coordinates for the other Avenger's location. I wasn't sure what I'd do with that information, but I felt better for having it. As I continued to read through the emails, it seemed while T'Challa was telling Tony about the other Avengers, he wasn't telling those other Avengers about what Tony was up to. He seemed to feel it his duty to shelter the heroes, but he also seemed to not agree with their choices. For the moment, Steve and his friends were safe, but unaware of what was going on outside their haven.

When I got through some of their correspondences, I saw a copy of a letter from Steve to Tony. Looking at the date, it was written about a month after the incident in Germany. As I read through it once, twice, then three times, I wasn't sure what to think. He cared, I could tell, and that was good. It was weird, though how he described the Avengers as more Tony's family than his own when he took half of them with him. The Avengers were both those guys' family. He kind of apologized, but also kind of didn't. It sounded like he was settling for agreeing to disagree. He did mention, though, that Tony should contact him if he ever needed him. I wondered if Tony ever responded, but then figured he hadn't. If he was in contact with Steve, we would've heard about it by now. There was a number at the bottom of the note in Tony's handwriting. I wondered if it was Steve's. I took another picture of this letter. Again, I wasn't sure what I'd do with this information, but I figured it was a good idea to have.

I closed out of the letter and the Wakanda folder, and began to look to see what other files Tony had on his computer. I was surprised they were so easy to access, but I guess Tony figured that the only people down here were him, Bruce, and occasionally Pepper, so he didn't really need to encrypt anything. I saw folders regarding SI business, his Iron Man suits, but I didn't bother clicking on those ones. I opened a file named, Jarvis, because I'd remembered hearing that name, but I found the screen suddenly filled with code I couldn't even begin to understand, so I clicked out of it. I smiled when I saw Dummy, Butterfingers, and U, had their own folder. There was a 12/16/1991 folder, which I assumed contained information regarding Tony's parent's deaths. There was a folder marked honeymoon, and I blushed, making sure _not_ to click on that. That was not something I wanted to know anything about. It looked like each Avenger had their own folder, and as I clicked through I noticed schematics for armor and weapons, along with notes about the person. I started to read a couple, but then stopped myself as I felt uncomfortable knowing such personal bits about these people, especially when I didn't know some of them.

There was a file marked Ultron and one marked Vision. There was another marked Extremis, and since I didn't know what that was, I clicked on it. Videos, newspaper clips, official documents, and notes popped up. The videos caught my attention first, and I realized this program was on limb regrowth. I watched in fascination as someone grew an arm. It looked incredibly painful. I then grew horrified when I saw someone turn completely orange before blowing up. I was glad the sound wasn't on, because that wasn't something I would've wanted to hear. I looked through a few more videos when I came upon one including Pepper. My heart seized and I froze as I saw footage of her being injected with this stuff. She was screaming, and I quickly closed the video, not being able to stand any more of it. Heart pounding rapidly, I wondered when this had happened. Obviously, Pepper was fine now, but what had happened to her? Was this stuff still in her? Looking through the files quickly, I found several documents concerning Pepper. It looked like Tony had found a way to take Extremis out of her. The image of Pepper screaming wasn't going to go away any time soon, so I quickly searched for something else to look through.

Arc Reactor. That's the thing that used to be in Tony's chest! I clicked on the folder and the first thing that popped up was a schematic. There were different versions of his reactors, and I realized he changed the core from palladium to starkonium at some point. I snorted at the name. That was such a Tony thing to do, to name an element he discovered after himself. Looking through the files, my humor vanished though, when I pulled up x-rays of Tony with the arc reactor in his chest. I wasn't a doctor, but even I knew what I was seeing was bad. He was missing a couple ribs…How had he been able to breath with that thing in there? It looked huge! Had it hurt him? I searched through more files, and saw notes on the damage his rubs, lungs, and heart had taken from the shrapnel, and from having the arc reactor in his chest. He was lucky to be alive. How had he survived all those years with it in him? Apparently, he nearly didn't survive, I realized as I found his notes on palladium. He'd actually been dying from it several years ago, and that's why he'd created a new element. This had been around the time of the Stark Expo, and when that dude, Whiplash had attacked him. So, Tony had been dying and fending off bad guys at the same time, and had sometime managed to create a new element in his downtime?

"Peter, what're you doing?" Bruce asked, and I jumped before whirling around and looking at him. I realized right away that my expression must've looked guilty, because Bruce looked disapproving as he walked towards me. I quickly closed out of everything and morphed my expression into one of innocence by the time Bruce was at my side. The man looked at the computer before looking at me with a raised eyebrow.

"What were you doing?" he inquired, his voice turning stern, and I bit my lip before responding, "Nothing, I was just looking at the DNA stuff."

"Really?" he asked doubtfully. "Because your expression says you were doing something you're not supposed to be doing, like snooping through Tony's _private_ files," he replied, and I just frowned in forced confusion.

"I wasn't doing anything, Bruce," I insisted, and he crossed his arms.

"You know what, how about you just head upstairs then," he ordered rather than suggested, and I barely resisted glaring.

"I didn't do anything," I repeated more firmly, and he just pointed to the elevator. "You're a horrible liar, Peter," he stated tiredly, "so just do as I say before I decide to get your father involved." Irritated, yet not wanting him to follow through with _that_ threat, I got into the elevator and thanked my lucky stars that Bruce hadn't pushed for details on what I'd been doing. Clearly, he'd assumed I'd been snooping, but at least he didn't know what I'd been snooping at.

Curiosity was eating away at me now, and I wanted so bad to get back on that computer. I wanted to know more about the arc reactor, and there were still several files that I wanted to glance through. There was one for somebody named Obadiah Stane and another for somebody he called Peggy Carter. I'd heard those names before, but I didn't know who they were. There was also a file on Avenger missions, and I wondered if it was only old missions or recent missions in there.

How could I get back on the computer, though? Friday would tell on me straight away, and what explanation could I give? I knew I wasn't allowed in the lab, and there was no reason I'd need his computer when I had my own. I huffed in defeat, knowing there would be no way I could get back on Tony's computer without him knowing I had…wait, but Tony didn't have _just_ computers. He probably had a tablet or something. I walked down the hallway, pausing outside his bedroom door. Biting my lip, I hesitated. Was I really ready to go into their room _without permission_ , take Tony's tablet _without permission_ , and go through his files _without permission_? Thinking it over, I decided that no, I wasn't ready for that. Stupid, stupid plan.

My mind clearly wasn't feeling like keeping me out of trouble because the next thoughts going through my head were about wanting to meet the Hulk. I'd heard Tony's warnings and I'd heard Bruce's warnings, but my curiosity was burning. The Hulk was dangerous, they warned. Out of control. Untamable. Blah blah blah. I wasn't a pushover, though. I wasn't just a regular human. And, if the Hulk was so dangerous, then why was he a part of the Avengers? How could they trust him to help rather than just cause destruction? I'd asked Bruce if he'd hulk out for me last week, but he'd said no. He'd laughed, saying I reminded him of Tony, which I thought was weird as Tony told me _not_ to ask Bruce to hulk out.

I went to my room and called Ned up, and we talked about the information I'd found out, and then on what I could do to instigate a hulk out.

"Peter, are you sure that's a good idea?" Ned asked, and I sighed in exasperation at his over cautiousness.

"Yes, I'm sure," I replied with forced patience. "I wouldn't be talking to you if I wasn't."

"I mean, it would be totally awesome to see the Hulk, but how are you not afraid of him going after you, especially if you're the reason he hulked out in the first place?" he questioned in concern, and I thought it over before answering, "He won't see that it was me. I'll make sure to be watching from a distance."

"Well, I do have an idea, but you'll have to steal some potassium from the school," Ned stated, and I grinned, suddenly knowing what he was thinking about. Potassium was _highly_ reactive when exposed to water, and it would cause a quick little explosion. It would be pretty simple for me to get into the ventilation system and drop a piece of potassium into some water, which would startle Bruce and hopefully cause him to hulk out.

"I'll get it tomorrow," I told him excitedly, and he just grimaced. "I'm going on record to say this is a bad idea." I rolled my eyes, ignoring him. He always worried too much.

School the next day moved too slowly for me. Ned, had thankfully stopped bugging me about what I was going to do, and now wanted me to take video so he could see what happened. MJ noticed something was up, so she dragged out of me what I was going to do. When I finished, she looked at me with a disbelieving raised eyebrow.

"You're going to steal potassium from the school so you can cause an explosion to hopefully cause Dr. Banner to turn into the Hulk?" she questioned, and I nodded my head.

"Peter, you're an idiot," she stated blandly, and I narrowed my eyes.

"Why?" I asked indignantly, and she shook her head while answering, "Do you know how many things could go wrong with what you're doing? Both Stark and Banner have told you not to push him, and you're doing exactly what they said not to; _and_ you're stealing from the school."

"I steal chemicals from the school all the time," I informed her with a shrug. "How do you think I've been able to make my webbing?"

MJ looked surprised. "You live with one of the richest men in the world, and you're stealing chemicals from our school to make your webbing?" she asked incredulously.

"Uh, yeah, I guess I am," I responded somewhat sheepishly, not having ever really thought about it. She shook her head at me once more before once more calling me an idiot. I grew irritated at her words, not enjoying being lectured by her.

"Look, I'm not asking you to tag along or do anything, so just keep your judgments to yourself," I snapped heatedly, and she looked momentarily surprised, before her own eyes narrowed.

"Fine," she said with a shrug. "Do what you want, but don't come crying to me when you realize how _stupid_ you've been." And with those words, she walked away. What right did she have to tell me my actions were dumb? She was the one I caught drinking last year, and I'd never called her dumb. _Girls_!

Ned and I had our last class together, and he inquired as to what happened between MJ and me. I told him, and he looked sympathetic. "She'll get over it," he assured me. "You guys will be fine by tomorrow, I'm sure."

I made a noise of agreement, still stewing over the stupid argument. School ended, and Ned was my lookout as I easily snuck into the school's lab supply room. I'd snuck in here often enough that I knew where everything was. I found the potassium, and took one of the closed containers with a piece of potassium just a little smaller than the size of a golf ball. I figured this would be enough to cause a good reaction. Exiting the lab room, Ned and I left the school.

"Let me know how things go," Ned told me, and I assured him I would. "And, be careful, okay? I've seen Hulk footage, and he's not someone to play around with."

"I'll be fine," I told him confidently. "The Hulk won't even know I'm there."

We parted ways, and I drove on home. In the elevator, I asked Friday for Bruce's location, and she told me he was in the lab.

"Hey, Friday, if I crawl around the vents, you're not programmed to tell anybody I did that, are you?" I asked curiously, and she paused longer than usual before answering in an odd voice, "No, I am not. May I ask why you are planning to crawl through the vents?"

"I'm planning on pranking Bruce," I admitted, "but I don't want you warning anybody or telling anybody that it was me. Can you keep a secret?" I asked hopefully.

Sounding more relaxed, Friday responded, "Of course, Peter. Have fun." I grinned brightly, glad to have the AI on my side. Running to my room, I carefully took out the container with potassium before tossing my backpack aside. Kicking off my shoes, I went out into the hallway as the vent in my room wasn't large enough to crawl into. Jumping up onto the ceiling, I crawled through the vents, asking Friday to lead me towards the lab. Thinking I was only pulling a simple prank, she agreed. I figured if she knew why I was doing this, she wouldn't have agreed so easily. I arrived above the lab, and quietly made my way towards Bruce. Recalling that he'd had a large beaker full of water yesterday, I smiled in relief when I saw he still had it. Unscrewing the cap off the container in my hand, I pulled out the chunk of potassium. I waited until Bruce walked a little closer, and then I threw the piece of metal into the water.

The reaction was instantaneous. The water and potassium reacted, causing a much larger explosion than I expected, the glass beaker along with many nearby glass items shattering and going flying. Bruce yelled in surprise, covering his face with his arms as he reared back and fell onto the floor. My breath caught in my throat when I saw that he'd been hit with glass, and that he had cuts on his hands and arms. He was breathing heavily, and I immediately kicked out the vent cover and jumped down into the lab, intent on helping him out. This prank had been meant to startle him, not hurt him.

Bruce's eyes snapped to mine, and I froze when I saw they were green. His expression turned horrified briefly before turning furious as he yelled in a much deeper voice than was natural, "Peter, _leave now_!" He got onto his feet and rapidly moved clumsily towards a cabinet, throwing it open and roughly searching through it. He took out a syringe, shakily stuck it into a bottle, sucking up some liquid, before stabbing the needle into his chest. His angry eyes landed on me once more, and he once again yelled, "Get out NOW!" It wasn't his voice or tone, but the look of fear in his eyes that had me doing as he said. I jumped back into the vent and followed it all the way back to the hallway. I ran into my room and closed the door. What had I done?

I was shaking now, and I wasn't sure if it was nerves, guilt, or fear. I'd screwed up, I realized. MJ had been right. Ned had been right. Tony and Bruce had been right. I shouldn't have done this. Why had I thought this would be a good idea? That explosion had been larger than I'd expected. I knew that potassium and water reacted badly, but I didn't think a small piece like that would cause the reaction it had. Bruce had gotten hurt. He looked like he'd been ready to hulk out, but instead of feeling satisfied or excited, I'd felt scared and guilty, especially with how afraid Bruce himself had looked. Fear for me, fear for himself, I didn't know, but he had been afraid. My heart pounded now, and I didn't know what to do. Grabbing my phone, I called Ned.

"Hey Peter, how'd it"—

I cut him off, feeling the need to tell him what had happened. He gasped, asking if I was okay and if Bruce had hulked out.

"I-I don't think s-so," I stuttered, nervously staring towards my door.

"Ask Friday," Ned ordered, and I cursed my stupidity. Why hadn't I thought of that?

"Hey Fri, what's going on with Bruce?" I asked anxiously. "Is he okay?"

"He is, but no thanks to you, _Mr. Parker_ ," she replied coldly, her words sounding eerily like the ones Tony had said to me a year ago after the Ferry incident. "Dr. Banner is calm and currently tending to his wounds. Rest assured, young sir, that this is the last time I aid you in _anything_."

I stared at the ceiling, feeling both hurt and extremely guilty. "I'm sorry, Friday, I didn't know that was going to happen. Please don't be mad at me," I begged. "Bruce is mad, I'm sure, and I know Pepper will be mad and so will Tony," I told her, my stomach curling in on itself at the thought of my parents finding out what I did.

"You told me you were going to prank Dr. Banner," Friday responded, and she sounded hurt now. "That was _not_ a prank. What was your objective, Mr. Parker?" I flinched at being called, Mr. Parker instead of Peter, before honestly replying in a soft voice, "I wanted him to hulk out." My admission was greeted with silence, and I felt tears well up in my eyes.

"Please, Friday," I pleaded tearfully, "please don't hate me. I'm so, so sorry," I told her. "I was stupid and I wasn't thinking and everybody is going to be pissed with me, and I just can't stand it if you are as well." There were several more moments of silence before Friday spoke again. "I don't hate you, Peter, I never could. I'm upset that you used me, and I know that Mr. Stark will be angry with me as well."

"I'll tell him I lied to you," I quickly informed her.

"That is kind of you, but I doubt it will help," she remarked, and I was relieved to hear she no longer sounded so angry. "Very well, Peter, I forgive you, but only because I know that Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts will punish you for what happened." I swallowed a miserable whimper, knowing she was right. Tony was going to kill me, and I knew Pepper would be pissed. I didn't know if she'd just lecture or if she'd spank me. Part of me hoped she would as I knew she'd be easier on me than Tony.

"Fri, can you tell Bruce that I'm sorry?" I asked, and she told me she would.

"Peter? Hey, Peter, I'm still here!" Ned spoke from my phone, and I quickly answered him. "Sorry, Ned, I was talking with Friday."

"Yeah, I heard," he replied. "Can't believe you pissed her off." Me either, I thought sadly. I was about to say something when Friday told me that Bruce wanted to see me in the lab. I froze, heart beginning to hammer once more.

"I gotta go," I told Ned in a small voice, and he told me to call back as soon as I could. I just hung up before asking Friday if Bruce looked mad.

"He is Bruce Banner," she answered in mild amusement, "he looks quite calm. He also looks very disappointed, though," she added more seriously, and I groaned before slowly making my way out of my room and to the elevator. I took a deep breath before entering. My palms were sweaty, so I wiped them on my jeans as I ascended. I arrived at the top way too quickly for my liking, and the doors opened. I tentatively walked out to see Bruce waiting for me with crossed arms and an extremely displeased expression. I swallowed nervously, concern rising in me when I saw bandages on his hands and forearms.

"I'm sorry," I told him, my shoulders drooping. He arched an eyebrow before saying, "Come on in and take a look at the damage you caused." I groaned internally, not having thought things could get worse, but they did when I caught sight of what I'd done. There was broken glass from beakers, flasks, and other science equipment. The entire table Bruce had been working on was decimated, and there were some chemicals on the floor. I winced when I saw his laptop was destroyed.

"Potassium?" he asked, and I gave him a single guilty nod.

"Where did you get it? Here?" he then asked, and I bit my lip before answering in a small voice, "School."

"So, you stole it," he stated rather than asked, and I gave another guilty nod.

" _Why_ did you do it?" he now pressed, his arms once more crossed.

I didn't want to answer. I briefly looked at his face before looking away. The man stepped closer to me as he once more repeated his question, his voice now more insistent and stern. "I wanted to see you turn into the Hulk," I confessed quickly, my shoulders hunching as I looked anywhere but at him. I could feel the disappointment coming off him in waves, and I heard as he walked away from me, taking in several deep breaths.

"Even after I told you not to, and Tony told you not to, you _still_ felt the need to push," he remarked, his voice full of disappointment. He sighed heavily, and when I looked at him, his expression of hurt stabbed me more than his disappointment.

"I'm so sorry," I told him again, but he just shook his head, seemingly at a loss for words.

"Tony warned me you might try this," he finally spoke, "and I thought you wouldn't. I thought you were smarter than this." I looked down in shame. "He also told me that if you tried, that I was free to spank you." I looked up with wide eyes, feeling sick to my stomach at that thought. He shook his head again as he said, "I don't feel comfortable doing that, though. I'm honestly too angry with you to be able to do that, and I feel that Tony would make a better impact on you than me. In fact, we're going to call him right now, and _you_ are going to tell him what you did." My insides froze at his words, and I suddenly wished he'd decided to spank me. I didn't want Tony to know, and I certainly didn't want to be the one to tell him. I didn't want to hear his disappointment and anger with me.

"Bruce, please don't make me do this," I begged, even though I didn't have the right to. "He-He'll kill me," I declared, and the older man actually snorted as he walked over to the computer. He pulled up a large holographic screen, and I groaned as I realized this meant I'd get to not only hear Tony's disappointment and anger, but _see_ it as well. Once again, things turned out worse than I thought they could.

The call rang only twice before Tony picked up, giving Bruce a cheerful greeting. "Hey, Bruce, what's going—Are you alright?" he suddenly asked, his voice now tinged in concern.

"I'm fine, Tony, just some scratches really," Bruce replied reassuringly. "They'll be healed by tomorrow."

"What happened?" Tony asked, and I saw that despite his friend's words, he was still really concerned.

Bruce turned to me now, motioning for me to come closer, and I shakily took the few steps towards the scientist. "Peter here is all set to explain what happened to you and _why_ ," he stated, and I immediately saw Tony's eyes narrow as they met mine.

"Peter," Tony greeted, his voice sounding wary, and I gave a short wave. "What happened, kid?" he asked, and I opened my mouth to answer, but couldn't manage to get the words out. I looked to Bruce beseechingly, hoping he'd bail me out, but he just gave a firm shake of his head. Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I realized that there was no getting out of this. He was really going to make me tell Tony what I'd done and why.

"What caused the explosion?" Bruce asked, throwing me a small, unhelpful bone.

"Potassium in water," I answered, staring straight down at the floor.

"Where did the potassium come from?" Bruce then questioned.

"School," I answered.

"Did they give it to you?" he asked, and I couldn't help but throw the man a mild glare before murmuring a quiet, "No." I winced as I heard a heavy sigh come from Tony.

"Now, why don't you tell your dad the reason you did this," Bruce told me, and I could hear a tinge of anger in his voice. I shifted uneasily, really, _really_ not wanting to say the next part.

"Answer the question, Peter," Tony ordered firmly, and I flicked my eyes briefly to his already disappointed eyes. He hadn't even heard my reason why, I thought morosely.

Taking in a huge breath, I braced myself for the explosion that would no doubt follow my explanation. "I wanted to see the Hulk," I told him, my face heating up in shame. Absolute silence greeted my words, which not only surprised me, but caused me to become even more nervous. A silent Tony was a very bad sign. The uncomfortable silence continued, neither of the older men saying anything. It was only when it became unbearable that I forced myself to look up at Tony. His face was closed off, and he was just staring at me. Silence and unreadable expression. _Extremely_ bad sign. I was so, so dead. Dead and buried.

I had to look away to hide the sudden tears that were welling up in my eyes. My heart was pounding, and I fought the urge to fidget.

"Go to your room and stay there," Tony finally spoke, his voice unnaturally quiet. "When I call you later today, you better pick up. Go." I didn't even bother looking at him or Bruce as I practically ran out of the lab. I couldn't get out of there fast enough. Arriving in my room, I closed my door and sank to the floor, pulling my knees up to my chest.

He had to be furious with me. So furious he was afraid to express it. God, I'd really screwed up. Bruce was like his brother, and I'd hurt him. Bruce was pissed with me and hurt, and it was all my fault. Tony was so protective of those he loved, and I'd hurt one of those people. I gripped my hair tightly, cursing myself over and over.

"Hey, Fri," I called out hoarsely, "are they still talking?"

"Yes," she answered, and I groaned quietly.

"How mad is Tony?" I then questioned nervously.

"Very mad," she answered, and I was pleased to note the sympathetic tone in her voice. It seemed she'd really forgiven me.

"He's going to kill me," I told her tearfully.

"I highly doubt that," she responded in mild amusement. "He loves you too much to do that. It does sound like he will be spanking you, though," she informed me, her voice even more sympathetic now.

I made a whining noise in the back of my throat, although I wasn't surprised at all by her words. The question was really, how _bad_ was I going to get it?

 **A/N: PLEASE REVIEW! I'm currently working on the next chapter right now.**

 **Question: I've seen lots of images of Tony from Infinity War, and it almost looks like he's got an arc reactor again. There are images with it in, and then there are images where there's a hole in his shirt like they'd do for his previous films when he still had the arc reactor. Theories? If it is the arc reactor, why is it back in?! How did it happen? Let me know your thoughts. If you haven't seen these pictures, search them up. I saw them all on Pinterest.**


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: I kind of feel the need to apologize for how** _ **incredibly stupid and reckless**_ **I made Peter out to be the last chapter. It was probably OOC for the Peter I've been portraying. I've also noticed that I make him pretty childish, but as I'm certain I said before, I just feel with everything he's gone through, he's feeling needier than is normal for a kid his age. He's been through a lot in the past couple years, and this is just one of the ways he's been dealing with it.**

 **Chapter 32: Overwhelming Fears**

 **Tony's POV:**

I watched my kid practically run out of my lab without even a single look to me or Bruce. I was glad, because right now I didn't think I'd be able to hide how _furious_ I was with him. I didn't want to risk saying something I'd regret, so the best course of action was to get him out of my sight. Once he was in the elevator, I let out a heavy sigh as I looked at Bruce. He had bandages on his hands and forearms, and he actually _looked_ angry, which was a rarity.

"I'm so sorry, Bruce," I apologized, "I really never thought he'd do something like this."

"It's not your fault, Tony," he responded, and I noticed how the second the kid was gone, he seemed to relax. "Peter did this all on his own. We were both very clear on why me hulking out was a terrible idea, and he disregarded both our warnings," he spoke in disappointment and frustration.

I ran a hand through my hair. "How much was damaged?" I asked warily, and I groaned internally when Bruce's jaw clenched.

"All my experiments were ruined along with my laptop," he answered, his tone clipped. I looked down, feeling more and more disappointed in my disobedient teen. What the hell had been going through that boy's head?

Bruce sighed, and he seemed to let go of all his anger in that single breath. "It's nothing that can't be replaced," he spoke, his tone now calm. "I'm just glad that I was able to keep from turning into the Hulk. I would never have been able to forgive myself if I hurt Peter."

My heart seized at the mere thought of that happening, and I couldn't help but share his relief.

"Jesus, I can't believe he did this," I stated, my concern for Bruce now morphing into anger towards Peter once more. "What the hell was he thinking?! Potassium in water? I thought he was smarter than this! And, he stole it from school? He acted like a complete idiot!" I exclaimed, rubbing both my hands over my face in frustration.

"I honestly have no idea," Bruce remarked, taking a seat in one of my chairs. "I know you gave me permission to spank him, but I just can't. I'm afraid of letting my anger get the best of me, and I just don't feel comfortable enough to do it," he informed me. "Besides," he added with a slight smile, "I really feel you'll make a bigger impact on him. He was quite petrified about me contacting you."

"I bet he was," I commented with a slight smirk. "He's got to know I'm gonna whoop his ass when I get home. There's no excuse for what he did, and I'm going to make sure I give him a lesson he'll never forget," I declared, my voice deepening in anger.

Bruce just nodded at my words before pinching the bridge of his nose. "I don't envy you," he spoke with a sympathetic look. He knew how much I detested punishing my little spider, but I sure as hell wasn't going to allow him to get away with this. He'd hurt Bruce both physically and mentally. He'd _known_ better, yet he'd pushed anyways. No apologies, pleads, or tears were going to stop me from delivering an effective punishment.

"Is Pepper home?" I asked, and he shook his head.

"She's been getting home around 7 lately," he informed me, and I frowned. She was staying later than usual. I hoped she wasn't overworking herself.

"Alright, I'll call her and let her know what happened. The kid is grounded until further notice. No electronics and no Spiderman. He's confined to his room except for meals and school," I told Bruce, so he'd know what to expect. "If he breaks the grounding, call me or Pepper right away."

He nodded in agreement.

I once more asked him if he was really okay, and he gave me a genuine smile before reassuring me he was just fine.

"Keep me posted on how things are going," I requested. "I'll be home in a day. I've got another meeting I'll attend, and then I'm taking the suit home. The others can take care of themselves for the rest of the meetings."

"You don't have to rush back, Tony," Bruce said. "I doubt Peter will dig himself into any more trouble."

I shook my head at him in disagreement. "You don't know the spiderling like I do, Brucie. That kid knows what he's got coming to him, and when he realizes that I'm on my way home, he'll start to panic. When he panics, he does stupid things."

Bruce's eyebrows rose in surprise before he just shook his head with mild amusement. "It's hard to believe that the same hero that goes out taking down bad guys is the same kid who I saw today. He's just so _young_ sometimes," he mused aloud, and I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah," I spoke with a smile. "Peter won't hesitate to jump into the heat of battle, but when I tell him he's about to get his butt tanned, he turns into a little boy."

Bruce's smile widened, and I was glad to see him looking like himself. I bid my science bro goodbye then, knowing I had to call Pepper before calling the aforementioned little boy.

"Oh, one more thing," Bruce suddenly stated right before I hung up. "Peter was down here with me yesterday, and I went on your computer to show him what I'd found out about his DNA. I left him to check on my experiment, and I left him alone too long, I guess, because I'm pretty sure I caught him looking through some of your files. I don't know what he saw," he informed me, his look apologetic. "I'm sorry," he said. "I should have been watching him more closely."

I waved away his apology, letting him know that Peter wasn't someone who should need to be constantly monitored. When we hung up, I lay back on my bed, wondering what the kid had been looking at. Anger rose up in me again at the invasion of my privacy, but I forced these thoughts out of my head. This would be a conversation for another time. I had to focus on the incident with Bruce now.

I dialed up Pepper now, and she picked up after several rings. We exchanged happy greetings before I let her know what our son had done.

"He did what?!" she shrieked in outrage, causing me to wince. She then went on a rant of how reckless and idiotic the teen's actions had been, and how disappointed she was. I agreed with everything she said. When she finally finished, I informed her that I was grounding the boy, and that I'd be spanking him when I got home.

"Do you want me to handle that?" she asked, and I felt proud of her for being willing to, but I immediately told her, no.

"I appreciate the offer, love, but I think it'd be best if I handled it. He deliberately disobeyed me," I stated, withholding that I felt she'd most likely be too easy on the kid.

"He disobeyed you when it came to Bruce," she countered, "so I'll let you handle that. Stealing from the school, however, I will deal with," she asserted darkly, and I gave my agreement. "That boy is getting the lecture of a lifetime and his butt warmed when I get home," she grumbled angrily, and I didn't fancy being in my boy's shoes.

We exchanged a few more words before I let her know that I still needed to speak with Peter. "I'll be home tomorrow," I added, and she let out a sigh of relief.

"Good," she stated, "Peter tends to make things worse for himself when he has to wait too long. He's no doubt telling himself you're going to kill him," she remarked with some amusement.

I chuckled lightly at how overly dramatic my spiderling could be when in trouble. Obviously, the kid knew I'd never hurt him, but that didn't stop him from blowing things out of proportion when he knew he'd seriously overstepped his boundaries. I just wished he'd recall these feelings _before_ he did something stupid, rather than remembering them afterwards. To be honest, though,he really hadn't repeated any of the events that had led to his previous spankings…not exactly, at least.

After hanging up with Pepper, I allowed myself several minutes to calm myself before dialing Peter's number. I didn't bother with a video call, knowing that he'd only be more nervous about answering if he knew he'd have to look at me. The phone rang and rang, and I frowned in displeasure when I ended up with his voice mail. Instead of leaving him a message, I sent the disobedient spiderling a text.

 _Peter Benjamin Parker-Stark, I am giving you five minutes to call me. Trust me, you don't want to make your punishment worse than it already is._

I sent the text, feeling satisfied that I'd expressed myself clearly. I just hoped he'd be smart enough to call me because I really, _really_ did not want to add to his punishment. Three minutes went by before I received his call. Good boy, I couldn't help but think in relief as I answered.

"So good of you to call, pal," I greeted, not letting my relief show.

"Hi, Tony," he greeted in that small, guilty voice of his that he always used when he knew he was in big trouble. Not one to beat around the bush, I immediately expressed to him my extreme disappointment in his actions.

"You deliberately disobeyed me," I then stated in anger, "and you deliberately disobeyed Bruce. I really thought you had more sense than this."

"I'm sorry," he apologized, and I could tell that he was, but I wasn't allowing that to sway me.

"This shouldn't come as a surprise, but you've got quite the spanking coming your way, young man, so from now until tomorrow night when I get home, you had better be on your best behavior, do you understand me?" I pressed sternly, internally grimacing at the whimper I heard him give.

"I understand," he said, sounding choked up. Aww, kiddo, I thought sadly, hating myself for being so hard on him.

"You're grounded as well, and I haven't decided how long, but no electronics and no Spiderman," I told him. "You stay in your room, and only come out for meals and school." He groaned loudly in response, but did not argue with me, thankfully. I was relieved that he had enough sense now not to press his luck.

I glanced at my watch, and realized I'd have to finish this call up as I had a meeting to be at in fifteen minutes. "This conversation isn't over, Peter, but I've got to go. Pepper knows about what happened, and she's going to have a chat with regarding your sticky fingers you when she gets home. If you cause her even an _ounce_ of trouble, I swear I'll tan your hide the second I get home," I threatened, and he stammered assurances that he wouldn't. I ended the conversation afterwards, bidding him goodbye. He mumbled his goodbye, and I hung up, burying my head in my hands tiredly. Parenthood was exhausting! And some parents decided to have multiple kids! How the hell did they manage? I only had one, and I'd gotten him at fifteen, but he was giving me grey hairs already!

But, god, did I love that little spider. Despite his antics, and despite how much of a headache he could give me, I loved him so much. He was my kid. Letting out a sigh, I found my anger lessening as I recalled how much I cared for Peter. I thought of all the good times we had together, and I knew being a dad was worth all the tough times.

 **Peter's POV:**

He was coming home tonight. He was coming home tonight. He was coming home _tonight_. Three hours. That's what Friday had told me. Tony knew better than to tell me things like that, but I could still count on Friday to have my back. Three hours. _Three hours_.

Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. No. Nope. He was going to _kill_ me! I paced my room with nervous energy. I knew I'd messed up, but I still couldn't bring myself to man up and just take my punishment. It was times like this that I couldn't believe that I'd take a bullet no problem, but that I'd be reduced to a little crybaby when my dad told me I was getting my butt roasted.

Aaaarrgghhh! I paced back and force more rapidly, knowing that I wasn't helping myself calm down. I was working myself up into more of a state, but I didn't want to face Tony.

Last night had already been terrible when Pepper had gotten home. She'd verbally torn me apart first, and it'd been so hard to take her disappointment. I thought that'd been awful enough, but then she'd _spanked_ me! Tony hadn't told me she was doing that, so it was only his warning that kept me from arguing with her. Pepper had obviously been pissed with me regarding what I did to Bruce, but she'd let me know that her spanking was just for having stolen the potassium from the school. I was very glad she didn't know about everything else I'd stolen, and vowed for her to never find out. Unfortunately, while the spanking absolved me of my thievery, she was still so upset with me for what I did to Bruce, and let me know it. Embarrassingly, I'd cried myself to sleep last night as I hadn't been able to stand how disappointed she still was in me.

I'd yet to see Bruce, and I wondered if he was avoiding me. He was probably still pissed, and I couldn't blame him. I knew he and I were going to need to talk eventually, and I hoped we'd be able to repair our relationship. Things would be awkward and horrible if he never forgave me, and I felt if that happened, then Tony wouldn't be able to forgive me. Would he choose Bruce's side? Would he always be disappointed and angry with me if Bruce was?

I looked at my phone and wished I could call Ned or MJ. They would've been able to help calm me down. I bit my lip as I looked at my window. I knew Friday would tell on me the second I left, but if I left without my suit, then Tony wouldn't be able to find me…at least not quickly. I just needed to calm down. I needed some air. I'd go see Ned and then I'd come back. My heart beat rapidly, and I let out a distressed sound.

"Peter," Friday spoke, "I suggest you take some deep breaths as you are on the verge of panicking," she informed me concernedly.

I gave a noise of acknowledgment, but didn't take her advice. I just looked at my window before coming to what I already knew was a bad decision. Going to the drawer with my Spider man gear, I took out my web shooters and attached them to my wrists. I then told Friday, "Just tell them I needed some air so I could calm down," before I jumped out my widow, immediately shooting my webs and swinging over to the next building, agilely making my way to the ground. I then headed to Ned's house, jumping up to his bedroom in one easy leap, and knocking. He knew it was me, as no one else ever knocked on his outside window. Opening it for me, he threw me a concerned look as he exclaimed, "Jesus, Peter, what the hell are you doing here? I figured you'd be grounded."

"I am," I admitted, "but Tony is going to be home in a couple hours, and I'm freaking out. He's furious, and he's going to tan my hide, like really really bad. Pepper already punished me yesterday, and I'm healed, but Tony's got to be so pissed an disappointed with me. I can't handle that. I know I shouldn't have left home, but I just needed some air so I can calm down. The only place I could think of coming was to your place. I'm sorry," I spoke quickly, my breaths coming out in short gasps.

"Hey, hey, hey, it's cool, Peter," Ned spoke, placing comforting hands on my shoulders as he led me to his bed. "You know I'm always here for you. Now, try and breathe a little slower, alright? You're kind of freaking out, and if you freak out I'm gonna freak out." He allowed me several moments to calm myself down, giving me a concerned look.

I buried my head into my hands, groaning as I told him, "You were right, Ned, I was an idiot."

He shrugged his shoulders as he remarked, "Hey, I gave you the idea for the potassium, and I didn't try and stop you. I even asked you to tell me how everything went as I too was curious as to what the Hulk was like."

"Yeah, but if you'd been in my shoes, you wouldn't have done this," I replied, and he grimaced before nodding.

"So, Tony is on his way home," he remarked, and I nodded my head. "And, did he tell you he was going to punish you like that?"

"Yeah," I answered morosely. "He looked so upset with me, Ned, and I know he's going to punish me really hard. Bruce is practically his brother, and Tony is way overprotective of those he loves. I freaking hurt him, so how do you think Tony is going to react? I wouldn't be surprised if Tony found some way of making sure I wouldn't heal as quickly as I do."

My friend remained silent for a few seconds before saying, "Look, Peter, Tony loves you. Yeah, he's no doubt pissed by what happened, but you've just gotta remind yourself that he really cares about you. The punishment is really going to suck, but once it's done, it's done. I think," he added hesitantly, "that you should just go home and get it over with."

"He already knows by now that I'm gone, so I think I'll stay out a little longer," I spoke dully, and Ned groaned as he looked at me with sympathy.

"Well, you can stay here if you'd like. I won't rat you out," he informed me, and I gave him a grateful smile, already feeling calmer. My calmness only lasted minutes, though, as Ned's phone began to ring. It was Tony. Ned froze, asking me if he should answer it or just let it go to voicemail.

"Answer it," I told him quickly. "He'll be suspicious if you don't."

Ned took in several deep breaths before answering it. "Hey, Tony, what's up?" he asked in confusion.

My enhanced hearing allowed me to hear Tony's response.

"Ned, I'm going to ask you a question, and I want the truth," he stated, his tone holding none of its regular joviality. "Is Peter with you?" Ned looked at me in panic, and I shook my head at him.

He closed his eyes before answering, "No, he's not. Why? What's going on?" he asked, and I mentally applauded his acting skills. I wouldn't have been able to lie so effectively to Tony. There were more seconds of silence than there should have been before Tony once more spoke.

"Are you telling me the truth?" he questioned, his voice serious, but also weary. Ned once more looked at me, and I bit my lip, holding my hand out for the phone. He looked extremely relieved as he handed it to me.

"I'm here," I spoke timidly into the phone, and I received a heavy sigh of relief in response.

"Friday said you needed some air to calm down," he said, his voice not revealing his emotions. "Are you sufficiently calmed?"

"Not really," I admitted in a small voice.

"Will you come back by the time I get home?" he then asked, and I rapidly thought over the question, knowing that I wouldn't be able to bring myself to go back home to face his disappointment and anger.

"You're really angry, so I'll come back when _you're_ calm," I informed him, side-stepping his question.

"I am angry," he acknowledged, "but I'd never punish you when angry. You should know that by now."

I knew he was telling the truth, but I still didn't want to go back. "I'm really sorry about what happened, Tony, I swear I am. I don't think"—

"It's not up to you, pal," he interjected in a firm yet gentle tone. "You've got a spanking coming your way, and it'll be easier on you if you come home on your own. Making me have to hunt you down isn't helping you out."

I knew that, but I couldn't stop myself from feeling an overwhelming childish fear. I absolutely _hated_ facing his disappointment, and I _hated_ getting spanked. It was so humiliating and it hurt.

"Peter,"—

I hung up the phone and then turned it off, so Tony wouldn't be able to call back. Ned's eyes widened when I told him I'd hung up on Tony.

"Peter, come on, just go home," he insisted. "Parents don't like it when you hang up on them and continuously disobey them. What's going on, dude? You've been punished by him before, and you've been fine every time. Talk to me."

I swallowed, fighting back an upsurge of emotion at his question. "I don't know how he can keep forgiving me," I confessed, an uncomfortable lump forming in my throat. "I'm messing up all the time, making stupid decisions over and over again. Sooner or later they're just gonna get fed up with me, I know it. I haven't even been living with them a year, and look at all the crap I've gotten into. I've gotten into more trouble in this last year than I have in my entire life. I add so much stress to their lives. They're constantly having to change their plans to accommodate me. I'm a burden, Ned."

Ned frowned deeply as he took in my confession, and when I finished, he shook his head sadly. "I think you're wrong, Peter," he stated firmly. "I've seen the way Tony and Pepper act with you, and they act just like my parents do with me; and parents don't get tired of their kids."

"But I'm not their biological kid," I argued. "And, they got me at _fifteen_."

Ned sighed, looking at a loss for words. "I really don't think that matters," he eventually said. "All I know is that they love you," he told me simply, sounding confident in his words. "You really should be having this conversation with them, and hiding away won't make you feel any better."

He was right, I thought. I did need to talk to them, but I was afraid of what they would say. I stood up and headed towards the window. Ned walked with me and asked, "Are you going home?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly. "I just…I gotta go," I told him, and he nodded in understanding.

"Just call or text me when you can to let me know you're alright," he requested, and I gave him a small smile and a nod before leaving. I walked aimlessly through the streets, no particular destination in mind. I was deep in my thoughts when a car pulled up alongside me, and I tensed as I recognized it. The window rolled down and Happy looked at me with non-judgmental eyes.

"Need a ride, squirt?" he asked, and I shook my head, taking a step away from his car.

"I don't want to go home," I declared strongly, and he nodded.

"Okay, so let's just go and get some ice cream at that place you love," he suggested amiably, and I looked at him suspiciously.

"You're just going to take me home," I accused, giving him an angry frown.

"I swear, Peter, that if you don't want to go home, then I won't force you," he answered seriously, and I reluctantly found myself believing him. "I figured you needed somebody to talk to, so I thought the parlor would be a good place. You always seem happier when you have a sundae in front of you," he said with a smile. I couldn't help but give him a hesitant one in return as I found myself getting into the passenger seat.

"We're really going for ice cream?" I asked him in disbelief, and he nodded his head.

"Definitely," he declared as he began to drive. "I've got a sweet tooth, and I'm here for you."

"Does Tony know I'm with you?" I questioned nervously.

"Yeah, I let him know the second I found you," he informed me, and I tensed, shooting him a frown.

"Don't worry, squirt, he's not going to show up," he assured me. "As long as you're with me, he won't come looking for you. He and Pepper are really concerned about you."

"Sure, they are," I grumbled, and Happy looked at me in concern. Neither one of us spoke as we drove the rest of the way to the ice cream parlor. We both ordered our usual, and still neither one of us spoke. It wasn't until I'd finished my sundae that Happy broke the silence.

"How you doing?" he asked softly, and I looked at him with sad, worried eyes that he seemed to mirror. "Not too well," he answered in my stead, and I gave a single nod.

"Did Tony tell you what I did?" I asked timidly.

"Yeah, he did, kid," he answered, and I was surprised to see his eyes were still kind.

"Aren't you mad at me? Or disappointed?" I asked tentatively, waiting for the lecturing to start.

Happy smiled kindly before saying, "I guess I should be, but when you've got this kicked puppy look going on, I can't bring myself to. Besides, I think Tony and Pepper are going to cover those emotions."

I made a whining noise at the back of my throat, which caused his eyes to soften and turn sympathetic. He stood himself up and I watched warily as he sat himself down next to me. He wrapped an arm around me comfortingly and I leaned into his side.

"How pissed are they?" I questioned quietly, and he replied, "Right now they're more worried than anything. They don't like it when you take off like this."

"I know, but after they get past that stage, how angry are they gonna be?" I questioned anxiously. "They're going to tell me how stupid and reckless I was, and then Tony will kick my ass. I'd rather avoid all that."

A light chuckle escaped Happy as he rubbed the side of my arm. "I totally get that, squirt, but running away won't make any of this go away. You're just making things worse for yourself."

"Meaning, Tony is going to punish me harder," I commented dully, and he shook his head negatively.

"No, that's not what I'm getting at," he stated. "Don't you see that you're only working yourself up more?" he asked in concern. "What's going through that stubborn head of yours? What's the real reason you don't to go back?"

I looked down at my empty bowl before answering Happy. I needed advice. I wanted to know what he thought. "I'm a burden, Happy," I told him, turning my head so I could look at his face. "How can they still want me around after all the trouble I cause? I hurt Bruce by acting like a stupid kid. Bruce is like Tony's brother, and look at what I did. I shouldn't go home."

Happy let out a loud sigh as he pulled me even tighter against him. "You're a little idiot, Peter," he stated, and I shot him a glare. "Tony and Pepper don't give a damn about how much trouble you get into. I thought you'd have realized by now how much they care about you. They adopted you, and they love you. You're their _kid_. It doesn't matter what you do, their feelings for you won't change."

I heard his words and wanted so badly to believe them. Happy stared at me and told me in a serious tone, "You need to talk to them about this. You _need_ to go home."

"I know I should," I hedged, "but I don't want to face their disappointment. And Tony gets scary when he's angry."

"He's only angry because he cares so much," he defended.

"That doesn't stop him from being scary," I argued stubbornly.

"Peter, let me tell you something," Happy stated, giving me a smile. "Tony is an absolute teddy bear when it comes to you. He loves you way too much to stay angry with you."

"Doesn't stop him from punishing me," I continued to argue, and Happy's expression became knowing as he gripped my shoulder.

"Well, sometimes lessons need to be taught the hard way," he explained gently, and I looked down in embarrassment. "You ready to head home, Peter, or do you want to just drive around?" he asked in the same gentle voice.

I thought over our conversation, and my conversation with Ned before giving the older man a nod. "Let's go home," I told him, and he gave me a proud smile before standing up. We got into the car, and of course, it took far too little time to get back to our penthouse. As Happy parked his car, I looked to him and placed a hand on his forearm to stall him from getting out. He threw me a curious look.

"Thanks, Hap," I told him genuinely. "You're an awesome uncle."

Happy grinned widely as he responded, "You're a pretty cool nephew."

I grinned back, before getting out of the car and heading to our private elevator. I was glad Happy was along for the ride as I really didn't want to face my parents alone.

"You think Tony is home yet?" I inquired, and Happy shrugged his shoulders. I fidgeted nervously as the elevator ascended, and when we reached our floor, I took in a deep breath. Happy placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder as the doors opened. As we stepped out, I immediately spotted both my parents and Bruce. Pepper was sitting at the kitchen table looking extremely worried, and it seemed like Bruce was trying to help her relax, while Tony stood stiffly with his back to us. At hearing the elevator doors, though, all three of their heads turned to us. I bit my bottom lip nervously before my attention turned to Pepper, who rushed over to me. Instead of enveloping me in a crushing hug like I expected, though, she stopped and placed two gentle hands on the side of my face. She looked so concerned that I instantly felt guilty and wrapped my arms around her.

"I'm sorry for worrying you, Mom," I apologized, the emotions from the day catching up to me. "I was stupid and I can't stand it when you're disappointed or angry, and I know I screwed up. I know I shouldn't have left, and I know all I've been doing is causing you guys problems, and I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry," I cried, tears falling down my face. Pepper's arms were around me in an instant, and she hugged me tightly, rocking me side to side as I continued to ramble, apologizing and attempting to explain myself.

She pulled me further inside, murmuring reassuring and loving words to me. I wiped at my face, but the tears kept falling, so she led me to my bedroom and straight to my bed.

"Lay down, Peter," she said as she pulled back my covers. I did as she told me, but I made sure to keep a hand on her suit jacket. "I'm not going anywhere, so how about you scoot on over and leave some room for me?"

I eagerly moved aside to leave her room, craving the comfort she was providing me with. "I'm a horrible son," I told her guiltily, "and I'm sorry for all the stress I've caused you."

"You are not a horrible son, and don't apologize for such ridiculous reasons," she chided as she brought me close to her and began to run a hand through my hair. "Is this why you didn't want to come home? You thought you were too much of a burden?"

I buried my head into the crook of her neck as I nodded my head. "And cuz Tony is really mad," I added quietly, and she kissed the top of my head before letting out a soft sigh. "I hurt Bruce because I was an idiot, and Tony goes postal when somebody hurts somebody he loves."

"Tony is going to spank you, Peter, that's all," she told me, and she made it sound like that was supposed to be reassuring, so I looked at her with wide, accusing eyes. She shushed any protest I wanted to give, pulling me closer to her. Feeling tired, miserable, and needy, I allowed her to provide me with all the comfort she could.

 **Tony's POV:**

I leaned against the couch, pinching the bridge of my nose. Happy had just informed Bruce and I of his discussion with Peter earlier tonight. He was scared of me and he felt he was a burden to us. What a goddamn mess.

"You ever consider getting Peter a therapist?" Bruce questioned out of the blue, and I looked at him with surprised, narrowed eyes.

"You think I can't take care of my own kid," I snapped defensively, and he held up his hands as he calmly responded, "That's not what I'm saying at all. It's just that Peter has been through a lot of changes this past year, and it might be helpful for him to have someone to talk to besides you guys. Someone who is trained to help him deal with his trauma, and who he won't fear will judge him."

"It's not a bad idea," Happy said, "but how exactly can he talk to a therapist without admitting that he's Spider man and Tony's adopted son."

"Headquarters has a couple licensed therapists," Bruce stated, his eyes fixed on me. "I've talked to them a couple times, and it's helped. Peter could talk to them, and he wouldn't have to worry about them knowing his identity or that you've adopted him. He'd have someone professional to confide in."

I frowned deeply, unsure of what to think of his advice. Part of me still felt defensive, like having my little spider see a therapist meant I couldn't help him. Another part of me, though, knew that it wasn't a bad idea. Peter had too many nightmares for someone his age. He had too many fears and insecurities. It made sense given everything he'd been through, but that didn't make it okay. I wished to god that Pepper and I could help him deal with all of this, but we seemed to be failing him.

"I'll think it over," I finally stated, feeling suddenly very weary. "I've got to talk to Pepper first, and even if she agrees, I doubt the kid will."

"Just a suggestion," Bruce said, and I nodded. Looking at Happy now, I graced him with a grateful look.

"Thanks for tonight, Hap," I told him genuinely. "I'm pretty sure you saved this from becoming a bigger fiasco than it already is."

"Not a problem," he responded with a shrug. "The little runt is family," he declared simply, and I smiled. "By the way, he's really, really nervous about the spanking he's got coming his way," he informed me, and I nodded as I let out a sad sigh.

"I know," I replied tiredly. "Probably the main reason he left and didn't want to come back. I just wish that little spider would recall how much he hates that punishment _before_ he got himself into trouble. It's not like I look forward to doing that to him. I already feel like a damn monster every time I spank him and leave him in tears."

"His nervousness is normal," Bruce said, "no kid wants to accept that punishment."

"Yeah, I know I never did either," I admitted. "I always tried to talk my way out of it, but I never ran away from home to escape it."

"I did," Happy confessed with a sheepish look. "Twice. My old man had this strap that he reserved for the times I royally screwed up, and the two times I did, I idiotically made things worse by running for it. The first time he had to track me down, but the second time I came home on my own." Grimacing now, he said, "Those punishments sucked big time."

"How old were you?" I asked curiously.

"Fourteen and seventeen," he said, his cheeks reddening with some embarrassment, and I couldn't help but shoot him an amused grin. "Despite how much I hated the punishment, though," he told me specifically, "I never ran because I was afraid of my dad. I was afraid of the punishment. I mean, that strap hurt like a bitch."

I found myself very thankful that my mother had not been a fan of instruments, and that she, honestly, went too easy on me. Hell, if she had been as strict as I was with Peter, then I would've been getting spanked at least once a week, probably just for my mouth alone. I never knew when to shut up, a trait that even now got me into trouble.

"Alright guys," I sighed, "I'm gonna go check on Pep and the little monster." Happy said he was going to head home, so I thanked him again before bidding him farewell. Bruce let me know he was heading to the lab, and I nodded before heading to Peter's room. When I arrived, I smiled softly at the sight of Peter lying in Pepper's arms. I suddenly recalled now how he had called her "Mom" when he had arrived home. The kid could probably do no wrong in her eyes after that, I thought in mild amusement.

I quietly walked into the room, noticing the kid was still fully dressed. I gently took off his shoes and set them on the floor before removing the web shooters from his wrists. The teen's eyes opened blearily at this moment, and when they landed on me, they widened. He immediately sat up, looking suddenly awake as his eyes flicked from mine to Pepper's. I inwardly groaned, wishing the kid had just stayed asleep.

"Hey, pal," I greeted quietly, and he looked at me nervously before saying, "Hi, Tony." Pepper wrapped her arm around his shoulders and smoothed back his hair as Peter and me both stared at each other. He seemed to relax at her touch.

"We're glad you game home," I decided to say, and he looked down before looking back up at me nervously.

"How much more trouble am I in?" he asked, and I rubbed the back of my neck as I grimaced, not really wanting to get into this tonight.

"Let's put this conversation off until tomorrow, okay, kid?" I suggested hopefully. I was beat, having been up for nearly 48 hours straight, and I just wasn't up for the emotional discussion that needed to happen.

Peter looked down, fidgeting with a loose threat in his comforter. He looked undecided before he asked out of the blue, "Do you regret adopting me?" I jerked back in surprise, my eyes widening in shock. Pepper looked devastated yet unsurprised.

"Are you kidding me, little spider?" I asked in disbelief. "Adopting you was the greatest decision I've ever made in my life," I declared emotionally. "I could _never_ regret that."

"I told you," Pepper said to the boy, giving him a light poke in the cheek. Peter's eyes welled up with tears, but he didn't let them fall, choosing instead to roughly wipe them away.

"How long have you been stewing over that?" I had to ask in distress, and he shook his head before thickly replying, "Not long. It's just, I feel like I'm a burden to you guys, at times. You've had to change so much of your lives for me, and I can't even stay out of trouble to help make things better."

"There are so many things wrong with what you just said, honey," Pepper spoke, and I agreed wholeheartedly. "You are _not_ a burden at all, and every change we've made for you, we made because _we_ wanted to. We want you to be happy, and when you're happy, we're happy."

"And this trouble you're talking about," I continued with a slight shake of my head, "is not a big deal. You're a kid and trouble is normal. Then add to that, that you're also a super hero constantly surrounded by famous, super hero babysitters. Compared to us, you're the most normal one of the bunch," I spoke in amusement, gratified by the hesitant smile he gave.

"I'm a grown man, and I still get myself into trouble," I added honestly. "You should've seen all the trouble I caused for Pepper, Happy, and Rhodey when it was just the four of us."

"And you should've seen the trouble he caused _after_ he became Iron man, before you came along," Pepper had to add with a teasing smile.

"You don't get spanked when you screw up, though," he argued, and despite the subject, I couldn't help but smile. If he was back to complaining about being spanked, then that meant he believed our earlier words concerning him not being a burden to us.

"That's true," I remarked honestly, "but I suffered from other consequences, like hurting the only people who cared about me. I'm lucky to have anybody at my side still after the crazy crap I put them through, and after the cruel things I said to them when I was and wasn't intoxicated. I've been arrested quite a few times, and have spent more money than you'd think on tickets, fines, and avoiding jail time. Besides hurting others, I've hurt myself more than anybody. The alcohol, the drugs, pushing other people away. The reckless actions. I can honestly say, even prior to my actions as Iron Man, that I'm lucky to be alive."

Peter stared at me with surprised eyes, and I offered him a kind smile. "I wish I'd had somebody to rein me in when I was your age," I admitted. "I would've hated it at the time, but if I'd had somebody that cared, then maybe I could've avoided the years and years of shit I put myself and others through. So, yeah, I don't get spanked when I screw up. I end up with worse consequences because I'm an adult and should know better."

"I feel really pathetic when you put it that way," the spiderling remarked sadly, and I reached out a hand to ruffle his hair.

"Don't," I told him. "If my mom was here and threatening to bust my butt, I'd be as nervous and fearful as you, and you can bet that I'd say everything I could to talk her out of it." My words elicited a laugh from both Peter and Pepper. "Hell," I added in bemusement, "my mom wouldn't care if I was an adult or not, she'd probably still punish me like that." I couldn't help but shudder at the thought, eliciting another round of chuckles from my two favorite people.

"Feel better?" Pepper asked our boy, and he nodded. We sat in companionable silence, and I noticed Peter looked lost in thought. The calm atmosphere was broken, though by his next words.

"I'm so sorry about Bruce," he told me, and all amusement left me as I took in a deep breath. I looked the apologetic boy square on, and frowned deeply.

"Tomorrow, we are going to have a long and very serious discussion about what happened with Bruce," I informed Peter. "Right now, just go to sleep, kid," I ordered as I stood up. He looked decidedly uneasy, but after getting a good look at my expression, he gave me a nod. I left the room and headed to mine, intent on getting some sleep as well. It was shortly after my shower that Pepper entered our room, letting me know Peter was fast asleep. I hoped he'd have a relaxing night.

"What's the plan for tomorrow?" she asked me, sitting herself on the bed and looking as weary as I felt.

"I'm gonna spank him first thing," I told her. "I feel it'd be easier to speak with Peter after he's got that stressor out of his way. Bruce and I are going to have a serious chat with him about what he did, and how badly his actions could've turned out. How long do you think we should ground him?"

"A month," she responded, "but we need to find things to occupy his time with or he might land himself into more trouble."

"What should his grounding encompass?" I then asked, not looking forward to enforcing any restrictions on the kid.

"Absolutely no spiderman, unless supervised," she said, and I raised an eyebrow at the supervised part. "If you're willing to go out with him, then I'm okay with that, but after the judgment he's shown recently, he shouldn't be out on his own."

"I agree," I said with a nod. I'd throw the kid a couple of bones during the month to keep up his morale. "I think exhausting him with some training will be helpful as well," I added, wishing we had a complete training room here. I also wanted Natasha over to help with the training, but we only had one guest room, which Bruce was currently occupying. We'd originally gotten a small place to make Peter more comfortable, and because we never really expected visitors, but lately it seemed like this little place was getting crowded as people were over all the time. I considered, not for the first time, moving the Avengers back here. Not all HQ, but just the core team, so we'd be together. I let Pepper in on my thoughts, and she gave her immediate agreement.

"I was hoping you'd come up with this idea for a while," she spoke, and I gave her a look of surprise. "I know you moved the base because you were trying to get the Avengers out of your everyday life, but it hasn't exactly worked; and now, it's just making things difficult for you. I think, at least having space for everyone would be nice even if they don't want to live together again. We can talk about that later, though, let's keep our focus on Peter now."

"Right, well, I'm going to contact Nat and see if she's willing to come give the kid a workout," I explained to which Pepper gave her agreement.

"It's crossed my mind quite a few times, Pep," I then said somewhat hesitantly, "but I'm thinking Peter needs some kind of tracker on him at all times."  
Pepper looked to me in confusion as she asked, "You're not planning on putting some sort of microchip in him are you?"

"What?" I asked with a laugh, "God, no, of course not. I've got a watch I've been working on that has his AI, Karen, attached to it. It'll work like a phone, and it's also programmed to contact me under certain circumstances, like if his temperature is too high, his heart beat too fast or slow, and stuff like that. Not to mention, it'll tell me where he is."

"That sounds amazing, but do you plan on forcing him to wear this?" she questioned, and I gave her a single nod.

"Yes," I answered seriously. "Peter may want to live the life of a normal teenager, but he's not. Not only is he a super hero, with the urge to help people even when out of costume, but he's _our_ kid, which is enough to put a target on anybody. Then, we can add the fact that he likes to run away when things get too tough for him. I'm going to be straight up with Peter and let him know that if he refuses to wear this, then he can say goodbye to his superhero days."

Pepper seemed contemplative. "Sounds a bit harsh," she remarked, and I shrugged. "Life's harsh. It's not like I'm spying on what he's doing or listening in on his conversations. I just want to know where he is, and if he's okay, because I wouldn't put it past him to keep things from us."

She gave in at those words. "Okay, I agree. By the way, since he is grounded for a month, are we going to ban him from all electronics?" she inquired.

"I think we should for at least the first week," I responded, "and then if he behaves we'll give him those privileges back. He'll want to keep in contact with Ned and MJ, and I don't want to take that away from him seeing as we're going to keep him from hanging out with them. I'm worried how he'll take not being able to hang out with MJ now sine they're dating."

"He'll just have to deal with it," Pepper stated stubbornly, and I grinned at her as I sat myself down on the bed next to her. I wrapped my arms around her and rolled us over, causing her to giggle. I pulled her in for a deep and loving kiss that she eagerly returned. When we broke apart, we were both breathing heavily. Pepper reached up to play with the hair on the back of my head as I nuzzled our faces together. I knew things could have gone further, but knowing there was still more to talk about, I regretfully pulled away, satisfied at seeing her pout.

"Bruce recommended we take Peter to a therapist," I stated, and her eyebrows rose temporarily before she voiced her agreement.

"I've been thinking the same thing," she admitted, "and after what just happened, I'm even more in agreement."

I frowned unhappily as I confessed, "I don't like that we aren't good enough to help him."

"That's not what this means at all, Tony," Pepper assured me in understanding. "A therapist will help him deal with and make sense of the things he's been through. They will help him, hopefully, feel more secure in our family and to deal with his impulsiveness. He'll always need us. The therapist will just give him more tools."

I sighed, still not quite happy, but much more understanding.

"Are we forcing him to go?" Pepper asked curiously, and I furrowed my brows, not having thought of that.

"I figured we'd ask him," I replied. "Forcing him won't make it work, right? He's got to want to talk, or it'll be a waste of time."

"That's true, but I think we should really push for it," she advised, and I nodded.

"Looks like we've got loads to talk about with our little spider tomorrow," I commented tiredly, and Pepper grinned at me empathetically.

"We'll get through this like we always do," she asserted confidently, and I placed another kiss on her lips. When we broke apart, she had to kill the mood though. "I have to ask," she pressed in concern, "what Peter did was completely reckless and dangerous, so are you planning on giving him more than one spanking?"

I groaned internally before sitting myself up completely. I felt a surge of stress as I ran a hand through my tousled hair. "I know he probably deserves more than one, but I don't think giving him multiple spankings this time will do anything. I'm not into just causing our little guy to have a sore butt. I'll give him one, and I'll make it count. Our talk afterwards, the grounding, the tracker, and pushing him to see a therapist, I feel will be enough. Thoughts?" I asked curiously, and I was immediately given a smile of relief.

"That sounds good to me," she told me genuinely. "I didn't fancy the thought of giving him multiple spankings either, despite the gravity of the situation. I know we spanked him twice when he became disrespectful with me and let his anger get the best of him; and this is obviously worse, but I feel with everything else we're doing, it will be enough…at least I hope so."

"Me too," I confessed quietly before I lay back down. "Parenting is hard," I declared with a loud sigh, and Pepper chuckled in response. "Agreed," she remarked, laying herself down next to me, "but it's worth it."

I grinned widely as I said, "Totally worth it."

 **A/N: PLEASE REVIEW! I've started chapter 33, and hopefully it'll be done in a couple days.**


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: So sorry that it's taken me so long to update, it's not my style. Thank you to all those who have been sticking with the story and continuously reviewing. It's your reviews that keep this story going!  
**

 **Chapter 33: Exhausting Lectures**

 **Peter's POV:**

Why was it every time I got my butt roasted, it seemed to hurt more?

Maybe because you're an idiot, Peter, and like to screw up even worse than the time before. I mean, what the hell dude? Trying to cause Bruce to hulk out? Really? Do you have a death wish?

Shut up, I told my conscience, lamenting the fact that my rear end was currently on fire and throbbing painfully against the softest sweat pants I owned. I was still sniffling pathetically, stray tears leaking out of my eyes as I buried my head into Tony's chest. His arms were wrapped tightly around me, one hand rubbing comforting circles on my back. My tears seemed to fall even more as he told me how well I took my punishment and that he loved me. This man could set my tail on fire and cause me to be a sobbing mess one second, and be a comforting teddy bear that wiped away my tears the next. As a teenager, I should be shoving him away, glaring at him for punishing me like this, but I just soaked up his comfort like a dry sponge. I couldn't get enough of his reassurances.

My bottom gave a painful throb, and I whimpered, letting the man know that it was his fault, but he gave a short chuckle before replying that it was my behavior that led to this. I made a noise of disagreement although I knew he was right. "Still really hurts," I grumbled, and he sighed sadly as he murmured, "I know it does, pal." I didn't like him sounding so sad, so I stopped my complaints and just settled for inhaling his Tony smell. I found it interesting how he always smelled like metal. Usually, there were also hints of his aftershave and coffee, but the metal scent was always the strongest and never left him.

"You know, you always smell like metal," I decided to tell him, and he stopped rubbing my back as he looked at me with an amused raised eyebrow.

"Do I?" he asked curiously, and I nodded.

"Yeah," I said. "Sometimes you add in the smell of coffee, your aftershave, or cologne, but the metal smells always the strongest. Kind of fitting, I guess, since you're Iron Man."

I saw and felt his shoulders shake with silent laughter, and he placed a hand on the back of my head to bring me in for an affectionate kiss to the forehead. I smiled at the action.

"Does it bother you?" he then asked with the same curiosity. "I know you've got an enhanced sense of smell."

"No way," I replied firmly. "I, uh, I actually like it, cuz it's you, your Tony smell," I admitted, blushing at how dumb that sounded. "It's—I find it comforting." I ducked my head, resting it against his chest, and his hand automatically went up to rub the back of my head.

"Hmmm," he murmured with interest. "I have a Tony smell. Cool," he remarked, and I could hear the smile in his voice. I glanced up at him, and relaxed when I didn't see any teasing glint in his eyes. "I guess that explains why you're always switching out our pillows," he commented, and I grinned sheepishly. I knew he'd had to have noticed, but he'd never said anything about it, so I assumed he didn't mind. I'd done it secretly the first couple times, but then Pepper had caught me. I thought she'd mind, but she hadn't even asked why, just smiling in amusement and giving a shrug instead.

"It helps me sleep," I told him in mild embarrassment, and the smile never left his face as he just nodded.

"In that case, take my pillows whenever you like," he murmured seriously, and I grinned against his chest. My backside gave another painful twinge, and I barely resisted from reaching back and rubbing it. That would be way too embarrassing and childish. Frowning now as I recalled what had landed me in this predicament, I sighed sadly, tightly gripping onto the front of Tony's shirt with my right hand. Sensing my change in mood, he once more tightened his hold on me, letting me know that he was here for me and wasn't going anywhere.

"That was the worst spanking you've ever given me," I remarked pathetically. "It seems like every time you punish me, I get a worse spanking. Why am I so stupid, Tony?" I felt the need to ask, and he pulled away from me enough so that he could look at my face.

"Your actions were stupid, I'll freely admit that, but _you_ are not stupid," he asserted firmly. "As for getting into worse trouble, well, you're comfortable with us and pushing your boundaries, I suppose. I can't say for sure, though. And, yeah, this was the worst spanking I've given you," he stated, his voice deepening with how serious he was. "I didn't want to have to give you more than one spanking, but I also didn't want to have a repeat of this idiotic idea of yours; so, I settled for making this a memorable one."

"Consider that a success," I complained miserably, and one of Tony's hands snaked through my hair, causing it to no doubt stick up in odd places. It was oddly relaxing, though, so I didn't complain.

"You know I hate doing this, right?" he asked nervously. "Causing you pain and putting you in tears isn't exactly a highlight of parenthood."

I was surprised at his nervousness, and rushed to assure him. "I know you don't like doing it, Tony. I don't hate you, you know. I never could." He seemed to relax at my words, giving me a thankful smile.

Several moments of comfortable silence passed before he spoke again. "We've got a lot to talk about still," he informed me, giving me a mildly stern look, and I frowned nervously. "I wanted to take care of this part because I knew you'd be stressing about it, but we've got to talk about what you did."

"I'm sorry," I immediately said, and he held up a hand to keep me from saying anything else.

"I know, pal, but we're still having this conversation," he asserted. "Bruce and Pepper will be there for that. There's a couple other things we need to go over as well, like the rest of your punishment." I tensed at that, although I shouldn't be surprised.

"No more spankings?" I asked, and his lip quirked as he nodded his head, saying, "No more spankings."

Well, that's a relief, I couldn't help but think. Nothing could be worse than that, right? "Am I going to have to sit for this conversation?" I asked him, and he had the audacity to smirk at me as he nodded.

"Tony, come on," I outright whined, "My backside is burning, and it's going to hurt."

"Good," he declared smugly, and I glared half-heartedly. "It should help keep you in line during out talk." I huffed angrily, muttering how he was a cruel old man. He just rolled his eyes before turning me towards the door. "Let's get this over with," he told me, spurring me forward with a swat to my backside. With how tender it was, I couldn't help the small hiss that escaped my lips. My glare wasn't so half-hearted now as we walked out, but I refrained from complaining as I didn't want him to give me another one. He motioned for me to walk, and I grumbled to myself as I walked, making sure to walk fast enough to keep arms distance away from him. I once again wanted to rub the continued ache out, but with him watching, I didn't want to embarrass myself any more than I already had.

I was so keen on keeping Tony away from me, that I was taken by surprise when Pepper immediately accosted me as I entered the living room. "Peter!" she exclaimed in deep concern. "Oh, honey, how are you? Are you okay?" I blushed deeply at her questions, especially at seeing Tony's smirk and Bruce's smile of amusement.

"I'm fine, Pepper," I told her, giving her a reassuring look. She pulled away slightly to look me over, and she made a sympathetic noise when she caught sight of my face. No doubt my eyes were red, letting the world know that I'd been crying. She pulled me in for another tight hug before kissing me on the top of the head. She guided me over to the couch next, and I felt my anxiety return as I took in how serious Tony and Bruce suddenly looked. I blushed deeply when Bruce's eyes landed on mine. I was used to these sorts of discussions with Tony and Pepper, but not him; and, he no doubt knew I'd just gotten spanked. I mean, I guess he deserved to know as it was my actions against him that landed me in this position, but that didn't make it less embarrassing.

I gingerly sat myself down, glad to be sitting on a couch rather than the hard chairs from the kitchen. Pepper, thankfully, sat herself down next to me, which immediately helped me relax. Having both Tony and Bruce giving me such stern and disappointed looks had been making me extremely uncomfortable.

"Alright, we know why we're here," Tony began, "so let's just get the ball rolling. Pushing Bruce to Hulk out. Probably one of the worst decisions you've ever made, Peter, and it's not going to happen again. Frankly, I don't give a damn why you did it, but it won't happen again."

"It won't," I stated quickly, but my words weren't acknowledged as Bruce began to speak.

"You're incredibly lucky, Peter, that I didn't turn into the Hulk, you have no idea," he started, his voice grave. "The amount of damage…what I could have done to _you_. I _told_ you why you shouldn't push me, but you threw that all to the wind when you decided to cause an explosion right next to me. Hulk aside, what made you think that causing an explosion in a lab would be a good idea?" He was looking at me now as though he were really concerned for my mental wellbeing, and my cheeks warmed as I realized he had all the reason in the world to look at me like that.

"I-I knew it wasn't a good idea," I remarked slowly, "but I didn't think the explosion would be that large."

"Have you ever seen in person what happens when potassium and water mix?" he then asked, and I gave a guilty shake of my head. My science teacher had mentioned it last year and had shown us a video clip of a huge chunk being dropped into a pool. Bruce and Tony shook their heads in disappointment.

"You're banned from my lab, just so you know, indefinitely. I don't even want you there with supervision," Tony declared, and my eyes widened, my mouth opening to argue, but his suddenly narrowed eyes stopped me. "What you did could have seriously hurt Bruce," Tony informed me sternly.

"And if that happened," Bruce spoke up, "then I _would_ have hulked out; but, that's what you wanted wasn't it?"

I bit my lip, looking at both men with guilty eyes. I didn't bother nodding as I knew the question was rhetorical.

"What were you planning on doing when that happened, kid?" Tony asked in exasperation. "You've had to have seen footage of what the Hulk is like. You had to have known the kind of damage he can cause when pissed off, so _what the hell were you planning on doing_?"

I swallowed nervously, fidgeting endlessly in my seat. "I figured he wouldn't see me since I'd be in the vent."

"Glad to see you have _some_ sense," Tony stated dryly, rolling his eyes to the ceiling. "I'd probably have gotten your IQ tested if you'd told me you were intent on having a face to face meeting with the big guy." I flushed once more, feeling that my face would probably stay a permanent red throughout this entire conversation. With each word these guys said, I came off more and more like an idiot.

"I told you what the Hulk was capable of," Bruce told me softly, and I gave a single nod as I looked into the man's warm brown eyes. He was always so calm and collected. Tony was always a ball of energy, moving and talking and rarely still. Bruce, on the other hand, was quiet, soft spoken, and he always seemed like he wanted to fade into the background. I wasn't sure how these two men had become so close when they were so different from each other; or, maybe that was why. Maybe they balanced each other out.

"Okay, so since you remember that, how about you tell me what you think _I_ could've done," Bruce requested, and I groaned internally. Telling him this would only further cement how awful and just plain stupid my mistake was. I did as requested, though, knowing there was no way out of answering the question. Thinking over videos I'd seen of the Hulk, and what Bruce and Tony had told me, I slowly and quietly began to speak.

"You—I mean, _he_ would've destroyed the lab," I admitted, looking down at my knees, "maybe even finding me." I paused at that realization, my eyes flicking up to the men whose faces were more serious than I'd ever seen them. "I would've been okay, though," I added, trying to reassure them…or myself.

" _How do you know_?" Tony practically hissed, his eyes narrowed as he glared. I blinked, taken aback by the sudden anger that he was showing. I felt a comforting hand land on my knee, and felt relieved to see Pepper's comforting and encouraging smile. God, I really loved her. She should be furious right now and lecturing me just like the guys were, but instead, she was here to offer me comfort. She was here for _me_. A loud snap of fingers caused me to flinch as I turned back towards Tony.

"You wouldn't have been okay," he told me in a near whisper, as though each word pained him. "Pete, I once fought the Hulk in reinforced Iron Man armor made specifically with Bruce's help to take him down, and I nearly lost. My armor kept breaking, which we'd anticipated, so I was getting more flown in and reattached, but you…you are a scrawny, flesh and bone _kid_." I remembered now, seeing footage of that battle a couple years ago, but I'd never dwelled much on it…in fact, I'd forgotten about it until now. What _would_ I have done had the Hulk found me? It's not like I could've fought him. I could've escaped, though, but then what? He would've chased me…no, god _no_.

"When I don't turn by choice, the Hulk is angrier and more uncontrollable," Bruce interjected, his tone still calm. His eyes, though, were dark…and haunted. I had to look away, unable to stomach that look. "You wouldn't have been able to fight me. You would've run away, and I would've gone after you, right out into the populated streets of New York," he remarked. "Think about that, Peter. _Think_ about what would've happened." I felt his eyes boring into me, but I couldn't bring myself to look up. He'd just said exactly what I'd been thinking not two seconds earlier. What would've happened if the Hulk had gotten out into the city? Dumb question, I told myself. I knew. We all knew what would've happened. People would've died…and it would've been _my_ fault. All because I wanted to _see_ the Hulk.

As these thoughts ran through my mind, I began to breathe more heavily, tears welling up in my eyes. Leaning forward, I placed my head in my hands and began to grip my hair tightly. Shit. Crap. Fuck!

"I…Oh god, I'm so sorry," I told them, my voice choked up. "People could've died, and it would've been my fault. What was I thinking?"

"You weren't," Tony said with only mild sympathy.

"And it would've been _my_ fault," Bruce added with much more sympathy, although I noticed his eyes still had that haunted look that stabbed me through the heart. How could he not hate me? "I have enough deaths on my conscience already, Peter, and I'd like to keep that number from rising."

"I agree, but I'd also like to keep my science bro from ending up in the goddamn, fucking government's hands!" Tony exclaimed, and I flinched at his raised tone. Pepper's hand grabbed hold of one of mine, rubbing her thumb soothingly over it. "Do you have any idea what they'd do to him, Peter?" Tony asked, his voice much quieter, but with no less emotion. "And do you really think I'd just stand by and let that happen? Hell, no! I'd fight tooth and nail, probably ending up a fucking fugitive like good 'ol Captain America, and that's the _best_ case scenario! Worst case would be him being killed!"

"Tony, enough," Bruce declared firmly, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I think he gets it."

I did. I really, really did, and I couldn't keep the tears at bay anymore. None of this, _absolutely none of this_ had crossed my mind. All the things that could've gone wrong. Where had my mind gone? I was suddenly shocked beyond belief that either one of them could ever forgive me, especially Bruce. Hell, I was shocked that I'd only received one spanking. I almost wished he was giving me at least another, because I didn't feel I'd earned any forgiveness.

"How could you ever forgive me, Bruce?" I asked him desperately. "I could've ruined your life, and the lives of so many innocent people because I acted like a thoughtless, stupid, arrogant child."

"That's true," Bruce stated, and I was completely taken aback by the small smile he was now sporting, "but I forgave you the same day it happened."

Mouth open, I could only stare at him with a dumbfounded look. "How?"

"It's like you said, Peter, your actions were that of a thoughtless, stupid, arrogant _child_ ," he said with a shrug. "I know you didn't think about any of the consequences of what you were doing. You weren't trying to hurt me or hurt anybody." I looked the scientist straight in the eyes, and I could see he was being honest with me. He wasn't angry, and he actually forgave me. I felt a heavy burden lift from me, but he wasn't the only one I needed forgiveness from. I turned to Tony now, afraid to see what he thought of this all. I needn't have worried, though, because his face had softened, and he was staring at me with fond exasperation that just made me want to start bawling as I felt I didn't deserve it. I didn't deserve their understanding or their forgiveness. I told them that, and a scoff and a sigh were given in return.

"You don't get to decide what we forgive, little spider," Tony stated firmly, and my heart warmed at the use of his favorite nickname for me. He always used that when he was feeling affectionate.

But _still_. How could I have screwed up so badly? I'd nearly destroyed all our lives for some ridiculous childish wish. How could they forgive me?

They did, though. All of them. As I looked from one set of eyes to the next, I saw forgiveness and understanding. Okay, I told myself. Accept it, move on. If they're forgiving you, then why fight it? I sniffed, wiping at my nose and face. Pepper smoothed back my hair, and I leaned into her touch.

Bruce stood up now, came over and knelt before me. I looked into his kind eyes and my stomach loosened.

"You're a good kid, Peter," he stated warmly, "and I know nothing like this'll happen again."

"I swear it won't, Bruce," I declared quietly yet firmly, and he gave me a soft smile before gently ruffling my hair.

Standing up, he looked at both Tony and Pepper before saying, "Well, I think I'll leave the rest of this conversation to you two. It's about time I head back to the compound anyways." I saw the flash of disappointment in Tony's eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it came. He stood up, went over and clapped Bruce on the shoulder.

"I'll walk you out," Tony stated, and Pepper stood up, pulling the man into a hug. "Take care," she told him, and he assured her he would. The two men walked out of the room, and I felt another stab of guilt. Clearly, Tony didn't want him gone. Bruce must've been leaving because of me. He didn't want to risk me screwing up again, despite what he said.

"You okay?" Pepper asked as she sat back down next to me, and I jerkily nodded my head.

"What else are we going to be talking about?" I asked nervously, already feeling emotionally drained from my spanking and lecture. Pepper just smiled in understanding, grabbing hold of my hand, but she only said, "Let's wait for Tony to get back and then you'll find out." I gave her a pout, but her smile only widened.

We remained in comfortable silence until we heard the ding of the elevator and Tony's familiar steps. He walked by, ruffling my hair before retaking his seat. I looked at him with some trepidation, fearful of what more they could possibly want to say to me.

"Pepper and I talked about the rest of your punishment last night," Tony informed me, and I partially relaxed as I knew the topic wasn't going to be a heavy, emotional one. I wasn't a fan of punishment, but it was better than emotional topics.

"You're grounded for a month," Pepper stated, and I gave a nod, completely unsurprised. I didn't even bother arguing. "What this means," she continued, "is no electronics for the first week, and possibly more, depending on your behavior. No hanging out with friends, it's just going to be school and home."

"And no Spiderman," Tony added, and my mouth opened.

"For the whole month?" I squeaked in horrified, disbelief, and he gave a very serious nod. "But, Tony," I had to argue, "I can't just stop being a hero for that long! People _need_ me, and every time I stop for even a week, crime goes up! Please, I-I-I'll take any other punishment, but please don't ban me from going out as Spiderman, at least not for an entire month!" Tony and Pepper looked to each other, and then Tony took in a deep breath.

"It's a month, kid, and that's final," he stated, his hard expression keeping me from arguing further. "I will say, though, that if you maintain good behavior, then I will be open to going out with you together once a week." My eyebrows rose, my irritation and desperation vanishing.

"With you?" I asked hopefully. "For real?"

"Of course," he replied. "Be the good little spider I know you are, and we'll go out and kick some ass." I nodded my head up and down rapidly, elated at the thought. The one time we'd gone out together had been amazing. I'd gotten to show Tony what I did and what I could do. He'd complimented me and told me how proud of me he was. We'd gotten involved in a huge shootout between two rival gangs and helped rescue people from a burning apartment complex. When Tony was with me, he could see what I was capable of and he'd let me do more than if I were on my own.

"For the second part of your punishment," Tony then stated, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a watch, "you're to wear this any time you leave this house." He held the watch out to me, and I grabbed it, giving him a look of confusion.

"It's connected directly to Karen," he explained, "and it'll monitor your vitals, letting me know immediately if anything out of the sorts goes on. It also has a tracker, so when you're not in your suit, I'll know how to find you."

I stared at him in disbelief. He couldn't be serious. A tracker? Really? "No way," I immediately complained. "This is ridiculous, I'm not wearing it. You going to be listening in on my conversations too? Does it have a video camera?" I asked waspishly, and he let out a sigh.

"It doesn't have a video camera or a listening device," he replied. "I need to know that you're safe, and I need to know where you're at. Too many times you've run out when things have gotten tough, and we haven't known where you're at or if you're alright."

"This can't be legal," I protested, standing up and glaring at him. "You have no right!"

"I have every right," he declared strongly, standing up and staring me down. Damn, I couldn't wait for the day I was taller than him. "Listen now and listen well, _kid_ , because I'm gonna lay it out for you," he stated, getting uncomfortably close. Pepper got to her feet, but Tony held up a hand to keep her from coming closer. "You're reckless, there's no arguing with that. Whether you wear that suit or not, you're going to be Spiderman, and I want to know not _if_ , but _when_ you land yourself into trouble. I want to know where you're at when you get pissed off or too anxious, deciding to run away. Not to mention, that sooner or later no matter what we do, the world will find out that Pepper and I adopted you. As our son, that puts a target on your head. Then, god forbid, if you're ever kidnapped and they decide to rid you of your spider suit, or that tracker gets damaged, I will be able to find you. I'm trying to keep you safe, Peter, and yeah, this is going overboard, I get that, but our life is crazy and unpredictable, so you're going to wear that watch whether you want to or not. Right now, it's removable, but if I find you without it, I can sure as hell make it so that it doesn't come off."

I stared at the man with uncomprehending shock at his explanation, and knew no matter what I said, I wouldn't get out of this. The look in his eyes said he was dead serious. I could argue until I was blue in the face. I could destroy this watch. I could lose it. I could forget to wear it, and he would follow through with his threat. He'd make sure I couldn't get it off.

"This isn't fair," I muttered in defeat, and he just shrugged as he quipped, "Life's not fair." I glared at his flippant tone and his words. I knew that. He knew I knew that. Life had dealt me a difficult hand multiple times. Looking down at the stupid watch, I resisted the urge to smash it to bits. I had a sinking feeling that the overly protective man would re-light the fire on my backside if I followed through with my urge, and then he'd make sure I'd have a tracker I couldn't remove. Huffing, I pocketed the watch, and he just nodded his head.

Pepper approached, placing a hand on both our shoulders. "Let's sit down, boys," she ordered, giving us both firm pushes towards our seats. We both obeyed. Pepper took over the conversation now, coming and sitting next to me once more. She forced my focus on her as he began to speak.

"The last thing we wanted to discuss with you, honey, was about…we'd both really like for you to see a therapist," she spoke gently, and for the umpteenth time today, I found myself taken aback. What? She saw my confusion, so she quickly continued her explanation. "There's nothing wrong with talking to a therapist, Peter. You've been through so much recently, and there's things neither Tony nor I have been able to help you with that a therapist could. They'd be able to teach you coping mechanisms to deal with your anger, anxiety, nightmares…There's a lady at the Avengers compound whose had experience dealing with people like you and Tony. She'd know your identity and that you live with us, so you wouldn't have to hide anything from her." She paused now, allowing me time to digest her words.

My mind whirled with what she'd said, and I really didn't know what to think. My first thought was to balk at the suggestion. I didn't need a stupid therapist. I wasn't crazy. I was fine, totally fine. And, what did she mean that they couldn't help me? Had I tired them out? Did they not want to deal with me anymore? All my previous irritation with Tony evaporated as I gave both my parents hurt and confused looks.

"I'm sorry," I told them insistently. "I don't mean to be like this, but I swear I'll be better. I'm, uh, I've been getting better, and I'm sorry for worrying you, but I don't need a therapist. I promise I'll leave you guys"—

"No, no, no, honey, that's not it at all," Pepper interjected gently, taking one of my hands in both of hers. "You've never been a bother or burden, and we certainly haven't grown tired of you," she told me with conviction, correctly interpreting my fears. "We love you, and we only want what's best for you."

"A therapist will be somebody you can talk to, little spider," Tony added softly. "She won't judge you, and anything you say to her, she'll _never_ say to us. I understand that sometimes we can be hard to talk to, cuz maybe you're afraid of getting in trouble or bothering us, but with her, you won't have to feel that way."

"Why don't you see a therapist, then?" I pressed, giving him an accusing look. "If you're so sure that she can help me, then why don't you go, Tony? You've got more issues than anybody!" I snapped, instantly regretting my words the second I saw Tony's face go blank. I wanted to apologize, but at the same time I also didn't want to. As harsh as I may have sounded, I was right in a way. If he wanted me to see a therapist, then why didn't he? I watched in trepidation, preparing myself for a lecture, but it never came. Instead, he began to nod.

"Okay….okay. How about we make a deal, Peter," he said. "I'll see a therapist, and for every session I attend, you also attend one. Deal?" I heard a sharp intake of breath, and a glance at Pepper showed me how monumental his deal was. She looked gobsmacked, and frankly, I felt the same way. I never expected him to say this. Tony didn't talk about feelings or stuff that bothered him with anybody. I mean, I guess he did sometimes, but it wasn't common. Did he really want me to see one so badly that he'd pull something like this? Was he serious?

"Are you serious, Tony?" I had to ask. "If I go, _you'll_ go?" With a very serious look, Tony gave me a firm nod.

"Yes," he answered. "Every time you go, I go, you have my word. If you're going to put forth the effort to help yourself, then I should do the same."

I spent nearly a minute just staring at him before I just gave in. "I'll see her," I said quietly, not sure this was the right decision, but unable to say no with the promise Tony gave me. Pepper immediately pulled me in for a hug, telling me how happy I'd made her and how proud she was of me. Tony even graced me with a proud grin as he approached me, leaned over, and placed a kiss on the top of my head.

"I guess I'll make us both a first-time appointment," he stated when he straightened up. He walked away, and I realized our discussion was over with. Pepper told me to head to my room as my grounding started immediately, and I couldn't help but feel a little hurt and lonely. A spanking, an emotional talk, and then sent to my room to be alone. Sent out of the way.

Looking around my room, I wondered what to do. I wasn't allowed on any of my electronics, so what was I supposed to do? At least this part of the grounding was only for a week, I thought dismally. I went to my desk and grabbed my physics textbook, deciding to just read ahead. I'd already finished my homework, so I figured I could start learning things ahead of time. I'd used to do that a lot before my Spiderman days, but being a superhero didn't allow time for getting ahead in work. As I read through my book, I remembered how interesting I found the subject matter. I cursed myself once more for ruining my chances of ever being allowed into Tony's lab. I'd love to participate in any experiments or help Tony with any of his projects; but, because I was such a dumbass, I'd lost the right, and I couldn't blame anyone but myself.

I suddenly remembered some of the files I'd found on Tony's computer, specifically the arc reactor. I wanted to take a look at those blueprints again, and was angry I hadn't taken a picture of it. What if I could build one of those? What if I could show Tony what I could do? He knew I was smart, I mean, he'd complimented my web shooters that I'd made myself, but because of how long I'd been banned from the lab, I hadn't really had a chance to show him what I could do. I had to come up with something to convince him to let me back in with him, at least supervised.

What would Tony think, though, when he realized you got into his private files? Yeah, making an actual arc reactor would be awesome, but if he knew I found out how to do it because I'd snooped through his stuff, he'd probably be angry rather than impressed. Ugh. I'd have to figure something out. Pushing those thoughts away, I turned back to my book.

I read through a couple chapters, absorbing the information easily, which meant I got bored pretty quickly. I tossed my book to the side, wondering what Tony and Pepper were doing. Probably something fun or interesting, unlike me. This was my fault, though. I'd earned this punishment and more. As I lay on my bed, my mind replayed over and over the conversation from this morning with Tony and Bruce…how reckless and stupid my actions had been. How horrible things could have turned out. _People could've died_. I'm Spiderman. I consider myself a superhero. I _save_ people, but my actions nearly ruined all of that. Because I let childish curiosity get the best of me, I'd nearly ruined everything. If Bruce had hulked out, our home would've been ruined, his life would've been ruined, which would in turn have led to Tony's life, Pepper's life, and my life being ruined. Tony had been dead serious when he told me that the government would've come after Bruce, and that he would not have let them get hold of Bruce. Tony would fight tooth and nail for his family.

God, I was a freaking idiot! So much was nearly ruined because of _me_! I buried my face into my pillow, tears that I'd managed to hold in from earlier finally leaking out. I didn't understand how they'd been able to forgive me. I didn't understand how _Bruce_ could forgive me. I'd tried to force him into becoming something he hated and feared. I knew that. I'd known it before, but like a selfish kid, I'd ignored everything I'd been told. Tears fell, soaking my pillow. I didn't know how long I cried or wallowed in my guilt, because I eventually fell asleep.

 **Tony's POV:**

I walked into my room and sat myself on top of the covers next to Pepper. She had been working on her tablet, but when I entered, she sat it down to look at me. "He's still sleeping," I informed her, and she just nodded before rolling over and wrapping an arm around my torso. I turned the TV on and put on a movie for us to watch, and we just lay, cuddled up together.

"You think he's okay?" she asked quietly after a half hour of silence and I breathed out a sigh.

I honestly didn't know. The kid had been asleep since a little before dinner, but I supposed that was normal as it'd been a trying day for him. "He'll be alright," I settled for saying, and she lifted her head to give me a raised eyebrow.

"That's not what I asked," she stated drily, and I gave her a smile.

"He had a tough day, love, so of course he's gonna be tired," I told her.

"He was really upset by what you and Bruce told him," she remarked sadly, resting her head on my chest,

"I know," I said in agreement, "but it had to be said. He needed to know." Pepper just murmured in understanding, but I could see that she still felt for our little spider. I did as well, but some tough love was needed. What happened could've turned into a tragedy. I felt sick to my stomach just thinking about how horribly things could've gone. We were lucky. Incredibly lucky.

"Mr. Stark, Ms. Potts," Friday called, interrupting my musings, "Peter is currently having a nightmare." Pepper and I exchanged looks, and I wondered if I should rush over or not. I didn't want to smother the boy or coddle him. I knew there were times he wanted to deal with his nightmares on his own.

"He is awake now," Friday informed me, and I relaxed somewhat.

"How is he?" Pepper asked concernedly.

"He is very upset and seems to be crying," she replied, and we both immediately began to get up. Neither one of us could stand it when the kid cried. Sharing a look with Pepper, I paused, deciding to let her comfort our son. With both of us there, he'd feel more embarrassed and overwhelmed. Pepper hurriedly made her way out of our room, and I waited anxiously for news. Five grueling minutes passed by before I asked Friday what was going on.

"They are talking," she informed me. "Peter is still upset, but I believe it is because he is discussing his nightmare with Ms. Potts." Although worry coursed through me, I found it good news that he was talking to Pepper. Discussing his nightmare would help…hopefully. I was suddenly very glad I'd convinced Peter to see a therapist. He was too young to be having so many nightmares, and I hoped she'd be able to help with this. I felt like a failure that I couldn't make them go away, but I wouldn't let that stop me from getting him the help he needed, even if it meant I too would be seeing a therapist.

I hadn't thought much of the decision I'd made. Not even when I'd made the deal with Peter did I think it over. I'd never considered seeing a therapist, feeling I could deal with my issues alone. I also didn't want anyone to know what I'd been through or how much I struggled. The spiderling had been right, though. How could I tell him he needed a therapist when I refused to see one? I was nervous about seeing a therapist, but maybe it would help. At the very least, I knew I wouldn't be forced to talk about anything. I could fall asleep and the kid would never know. That'd be cheating, I couldn't help but think guiltily. God, my little spider sure pushed me to be a better man.

I sat on my bed, impatiently tapping my fingers against my leg, waiting for Pepper to come back and let me know that the kid was okay. Ten more agonizingly slow minutes passed by before I heard her approach. As soon as she entered, I was about to ask what happened, when I saw Peter walk in with her. My heart went out to the teen when I saw his red-rimmed eyes and miserable expression. His face was still wet with tears when he looked to me, and I immediately wanted to grab the boy and hold him tight. Pepper guided him over, telling him to get into bed, insisting he sleep between us. Usually, we put him on an end of the bed, but I was glad to have him between us tonight. He definitely looked like he needed the comfort. These thoughts were further cemented when he didn't even argue, instead just getting in, sniffling noisily as he scooted towards me.

I pulled the covers back, and when he was settled, I pulled them back over him. Peter lay on his side, facing me, and Pepper began to gently caress his hair. Laying down on my pillow, I stared into my kiddo's eyes and was surprised to see guilt. With a sinking heart, I realized what was going on. He'd taken our earlier talk hard, and he was beating himself up still. I hadn't anticipated this. I figured with the whooping I'd given him this morning and the grounding, he'd feel more than punished.

"Hey, pal," I greeted quietly, and he made a pathetic noise in return.

"'M sorry," he mumbled guiltily, and I knew I was right. He hadn't forgiven himself.

"I know, pal, and it's okay," I assured him. "We talked and you've been punished. It's all forgiven."

"But _how_?" he asked, and I could hear desperation in his tone. "How can you forgive me when I almost destroyed everything? You know everything that could've gone wrong, so I don't understand. How can you forgive me when I can't forgive myself?" he pressed, looking at me with big, sorrowful eyes.

"We can forgive you because we know you didn't mean to cause anybody any harm or pain. You acted recklessly and thoughtlessly like a kid, but you weren't seeking to hurt anybody," I explained. "You made a mistake"—

"A mistake that could've ruined Bruce's life," he interjected despairingly. "That could've ruined your life because you would've fought for him. I don't deserve to be forgiven."

"That's not for you to decide, Peter," I stated firmly. "I say you do deserve forgiveness, and I also say you have it. I'm not angry or disappointed anymore."

"Neither one of us are," Pepper added, leaning forward to place a kiss on his head. "You're a great boy, Peter, what happened doesn't change that." I looked into the kid's face and saw that he wasn't taking in our words. He heard them, but he wasn't listening. His eyes looked guiltier than before, and there was now anger. His eyes shut and he shook his head side to side as though frustrated with us.

"No, no, no, you're not listening," he complained miserably, tears cascading down his cheeks.

"Hey, Pete, come on, what can we do to help?" I asked, feeling desperate to help him feel better. "What do you need from me?" I pressed as I pulled the morose boy into my arms. His hands latched onto my t-shirt, and he buried his head into my chest as he murmured, "Punish me."

I tensed, giving the mop of hair attempting to burrow into my chest a look of confusion. "I already did, pal. Remember that spanking you got this morning?" I asked him with a light tease, but he just made a noise of complaint before saying, "Do it again."

My eyes immediately flashed to Pepper's in shock at what the kid wanted from me. He couldn't be serious.

I tried to get the distraught little spider to look at me, but he was stubborn, and refused to budge. "You do realize you just asked me to spank you, don't you?" I had to ask, hoping he'd realize what he'd just said and tell me he didn't mean it.

"Yes," he murmured, and I frowned deeply, looking at Pepper as I wasn't sure what to do. I didn't want to spank him again. I hadn't exactly been easy on him this morning as I hoped this been a onetime thing. I never in a million years anticipated the boy _asking_ for a spanking.

"Peter, honey," Pepper thankfully spoke up, rubbing his back, "You know you don't want that."

"Yes, I do," he argued stubbornly, his tears soaking my shirt. He seemed to be growing more and more distraught, and I felt helpless.

"Peter, I need you to look at me," I demanded in a firm yet gentle tone, and he hesitantly lifted his head. My heart broke at how absolutely dejected he looked.

"I busted your butt pretty good this morning as punishment already," I stated. "I'm not saying I will, but let's just think this through. If I did it again, what happens if you still don't forgive yourself, huh? How do you think I'll feel, knowing I caused you more pain for no reason? You know I'd do anything to help you, pal, but I don't know if this'll help you."

"It will," he insisted, and I gave him a curious look as I asked back, "How do you know?"

"I screwed up real badly, Tony," he argued, "so I deserve to be punished harshly."

I let out a sigh, shaking my head in disagreement. "Look, you don't get to decide what you're deserving of or not deserving of. That's my job, kiddo, and I don't feel you've earned another whooping."

"But I have," he cried, burying his head back into my chest. "Please, Tony, I _do_ deserve it." I locked eyes with my love, looking to her for help or advice. I didn't know what to do. What if I did what he wanted, but it didn't help? I'd hate myself for it. But, what if it was what he really needed? Pepper's expression looked as lost and as undecided as me. We stared at each other before Pepper gave a jerky nod. I froze before giving a nod of my own back. Okay, let's do this.

"Okay, pal, Peppers stepping out to give us some privacy. Let's talk," I stated, and realizing that I'd agreed, he sat himself up. I watched Pepper leave, wishing she could stay, before I turned to look at my sorrowful boy. He looked at me with all the trust in the world, certain that I could help him. How could he have so much faith in me?

"Listen well, kiddo, I've decided to give you what you want," I stated, my voice turning stern, "and as always, _I_ decide when the punishment ends. For this to happen, though, I need you to accept this final spanking as punishment for what happened, and let go of whatever guilt you've got stored up in that scrawny little body of yours. Yes, you royally screwed up, but after this, it's over with. We'll both move on and it won't happen again, got it?"

He nodded his head, choking out a, "Yes," as he tried to stem his tears. I wanted to tell him to not bother as he'd be bawling in minutes anyways. I stood myself up and held a hand to the boy, which he took without hesitation. I helped him off the bed before sitting myself on the edge, pulling the young man to my side. My heart began to hammer as I realized this was really happening. Looking Peter straight in the eyes, I gave him one last chance to say, no.

"Last chance, pal," I stated. "You know this is gonna hurt, and you know it won't end until I decide the lesson has been learned." Peter nodded, although I could feel him trembling at my side. I wanted to ask him once more if he was sure, but while clearly nervous, his eyes told me he was committed. Deciding, it was best to get this over with, I gently guided him over my lap. I then activated my gauntlet before lowering his sweats and boxers. One of his hands grabbed onto my leg, and I took in a deep breath before beginning his punishment. I didn't bother with a warm up, deciding to just bring my hand down hard and fast. The boy was writhing and howling within a minute. A lump formed in my throat, but I kept myself going, waiting for him to give in completely. It took longer than I wanted, but the cries of pain eventually turned to sobs, and he began to loudly apologize. He didn't ask me to stop, though, so I kept going a little longer; and the second I heard a note of relief in his sobs, I stopped. Pulling his clothes up, I easily lifted the crying boy and maneuvered him until he was laying down on my bed.

"Fri, let Pep know she can come in," I quickly told the AI before wrapping the sobbing kid in my arms.

"I'm sorry, Dad," he sobbed brokenly, and I sucked in a startled breath as this was the first time he'd ever addressed me as Dad. I couldn't help the few tears that fell down my cheeks now at both his pain and the emotions that being called, Dad, brought up.

"It's okay, little spider, everything's okay now," I told him, noticing my tears falling onto his hair. "You're forgiven, so please, please forgive yourself." Pepper walked in hesitantly, but when she saw us, she quickly made her way over, wrapping her arms around both of us. I honestly had no idea how long we lay in each other's arms, but eventually the kid's breaths evened out, letting us know that he was asleep. Looking at his tear-streaked face, I felt some relief at seeing he now had a peaceful expression. I hoped to god this punishment had been enough for him. The poor kid's backside had to be burning, but thankfully he'd have all night to heal. I leaned my head back against my headboard, feeling completely exhausted.

"Tony, are you okay?" Pepper asked in concern, and I nodded my head as I turned to look at her.

"He called me, Dad," I told her, my tone sounding incredulous, and Pepper's expression seemed to melt. She looked like she was going to start crying, but she held it together as she helped me lay Peter down so he'd be more comfortable. Feeling ready to sleep as well, I gave Pepper a kiss goodnight before we both settled in next to our kid. Sleep came easier than usual that night.

 **A/N:** **I know I haven't had Tony address the fact that Peter peeked into Tony's files. Tony has had other things on his mind, but it'll come up eventually. Not sure how exactly, but it will come up.**

 **I've finished the next chapter, but have barely started working on Chapter 35. As always, please review! I miss them!**


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you for the continued reviews! I continue to cherish them!**

 **Chapter 34: Spotlight**

 **Tony's POV:**

"Okay, take it easy. Easy, easy, easy," I spoke, holding my arms out in case I needed to catch my friend.

"Tony, for gods' sake, man, give me some space," Rhodey said exasperatedly. "I swear, you're like a mother hen right now. If I fall, the world ain't going to end and I'm not going to get any worse. Now, let me try this on my own and don't freak out," he said, and I reluctantly backed away.

"Sorry, bud," I apologized, knowing that I was being over protective. He was currently trying out some new braces I'd made for his legs that were meant to let him walk without needing crutches. He was currently walking around the lab with ease, a huge grin on his face. A grin that worked to ease my guilt as I still felt responsible for what happened to him. My fault and Cap's. We started the civil war, so we were responsible for everything that followed.

"Tony, this-this is amazing!" the colonel exclaimed as he arrived before me, and before I knew it, he was pulling me in a hug that I found easier to return than I thought it'd be. "Thank you so much," he said, and I could hear the emotion in his voice. I returned the hug, slapping him on the back before we broke away.

"How do they feel?" I asked eagerly. "Let me know everything. Is there anything I need to add? Is it too heavy? Too hot?"

"No, no," he declared with firm shakes of his head. "These are perfect! They're durable, the weight is fine, and they don't feel too warm."

"Not too warm?" I pressed. "So, that means they're warm? I probably could add better ventilation, or even had a cooling system if you'd like"—

"Tony, take a breath and listen to me," Rhodey said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "They're _perfect_. I mean, look at me, dude, I'm walking!" he shouted in elation as he began to walk around the room again. My heart swelled at seeing him so damn happy. I honestly had never seen him down about what happened, but I knew, despite that, that he was bothered. Watching him now, happily and easily walking around the room, I felt happy that I could do this for him. The braces weren't perfect. He could walk, but not fast, and he certainly couldn't run. That'd come later, though. I'd have to keep working on these to keep making them better and better. I wouldn't stop until he was able to move around like he had before the accident.

After watching him walk around some more, and seeing that he wasn't tiring out, we went on a walk around the compound. When we got back to the living quarters, we saw Vision and Bruce having a discussion while Natasha was doing yoga in the middle of the living room. All three eyes lit up as we walked in, or more specifically, as Rhodey walked in.

"Congratulations, Colonel Rhodes and Mr. Stark," Vision spoke formally. Despite the formal words, though, his eyes showed genuine joy as he came to shake both our hands.

"Amazing," Bruce remarked as he knelt to study the braces more closely, and Rhodey let out a loud laugh. "Yeah, thanks Doc, I know I'm pretty amazing." Bruce smiled sheepishly, standing up to clap Rhodey on the shoulder.

"Well, looks like you gave your best friend his legs back," Nat stated, and I shrugged.

"Not yet," I told her seriously, "He still can't walk quickly or even run, so there's more work to be done." Natasha gave a quiet huff as she shook her head in bemusement.

"Allow yourself this victory, Tony," she told me. "The doctors said he'd never walk again, but here he is, doing exactly that because of you." With those words, she walked over to Rhodey to express her own happiness for him. I digested her words, realizing she was right.

"Thanks guys," Rhodes expressed gratefully, and I noticed that he was sweating, no doubt tired out. I sighed inwardly. I knew they weren't perfect yet. I was going to suggest he take a seat, but before I could he said, "I'm ready to start being War Machine again."

My eyes widened in surprise, and I had to immediately swallow the urge to say, no way. What a hypocrite would I be if I were to do that. I knew if I was in his position I'd already have been out as Iron Man, with or without the use of my legs.

"Let's take it slow, soldier," I spoke with an easy grin. "Make it through an entire day with these legs, and we'll get you out in the air again. Let me make some final adjustments to your suit that'll add more stability for your legs." Along with reinforcing the reactor to prevent what happened from every happening again. What happened with me in Siberia and Rhodey in Germany had let me know that the arc reactor needed more protection and reinforcement. There was no way something like this could happen again to either one of us.

I pushed my darkening thought away as Natasha declared she was going to make her special French toast for us all. I don't know what she added to those babies, but she made the best French toast I'd ever had in my life. I eagerly sat myself on one of the bar stools, wanting to get the first ones she made. She rolled her eyes in annoyance, but I caught the fond look she threw me. I smothered a smirk, knowing she'd make sure I didn't get any food if she caught sight of it.

Taking out my phone, I busied myself with checking through emails. Ugh. Work emails. I deleted the majority of them, forwarded some to Pepper, and responded to the ones I deemed most important. Most these were from scientists in the R&D department at SI since I found their work of importance, unlike the board members who seemed to care more about money than what it was my company did. I was replying to an email regarding a new translator app for the Stark Phone when I received a notification from Friday with a link. Brow furrowed in curiosity, I wondered what she found necessary for me to look at now. Clicking on the link, I found myself on the US Weekly homepage where the cover for this week's magazine featured an image of me with the tagline, "Tony Stark adopts, and it's a boy!"

I froze, breath catching in my throat before quickly finding the article. Immediately, I was presented with a full, color image of Pepper, me, _and Peter_ from when we'd gone out to eat together a couple days ago. We'd chosen a hole-in-the-wall place where nobody would ever have expected to see me, but obviously I'd been wrong. There were a few other pictures, showing me with an arm around the kid, and even one of me kissing Pepper. I rapidly began to read through the article, wondering if they truly knew I'd adopted Peter or if they were just blowing smoke. The more I read, the more my heart sank as the article began with the author having received a tip from an unknown source, who knew of the adoption. I filed away that I was going to hunt that person down and make them regret having ever heard my name.

The article talked about having looked into the claim, managing to confirm the rumor that as of March of last year, I and Pepper had officially adopted Peter Parker, a fifteen-year-old boy who'd just lost his aunt. I swore loudly, which immediately caught everyone's attention. I ignored their inquiring looks as I read on. Interviews were made with old neighbors of the apartment complex Peter and May had lived at, and they gained more information on their home life, including the death of Ben the prior year. Death certificates were found, and the tragedy the poor, young teen had been through was focused on. The school Peter went to was listed, to my horror, and the article stated that they attempted to interview the principal, but he'd refused to comment (Why the _fuck_ hadn't Edwards called?). Further research brought up that Peter had been hired as an intern by me, which they felt explained how I came to know the kid well enough to adopt him.

There was speculation, though, as to _why_ I had adopted him, and if I were really capable of taking care of a traumatized teen. Gripping my hair tightly in distress, I swore over and over in my head. I really didn't care what the media thought of me anymore, but if it was going to affect Peter, then I cared a lot; and these sorts of questions were going to affect him. Hell, this news was going to affect him. My kid was suddenly going to have his face plastered on magazines, newspapers, tv, and internet. I was Tony freaking Stark, and it wasn't arrogance, but fact, that the world cared entirely too much about my life, especially if it involved something uncharacteristic like me adopting a child. Shit, shit, shit, shit! Shit on a pogo stick!

I finished the article and immediately searched the internet for any other mention of the adoption. As I spoke, I saw more and more online news websites popping up with the information. It wouldn't be long, I knew before I and Pepper would be contacted. It wouldn't be long before Peter was accosted at his school. I let out a loud groan, still blatantly ignoring my friend's concerned inquiries as I dialed Pepper's phone. She answered after a few rings, and I didn't even let her greet me before I informed her of what I'd found out. She was rightly horrified, composing herself faster than me, though, because she immediately said she was going to get PR on this. She was also going to be filing a lawsuit against US Weekly for publishing personal information of a minor without their guardian's consent.

We were both going to try and get as ahead of this as we could so that as little information of Peter would get out. I hung up with her before getting on to every website I found with information regarding my son, and hacking into each one before leaving behind a virus to disable the site. It'd be obvious it was me if I just removed the article, but at this point it would take anywhere from a day to weeks for some of these sites to recover. I then made a call to US Weekly, eviscerating them along with threatening to tear their company apart for what they'd done. I was transferred from one person to the next, each one claiming they had no part before profusely apologizing. I was furious by the time I got to the CEO, and I didn't bother listening to explanations, settling for just warning the woman that there would be serious consequences to be paid for what they'd done.

After hanging up, I stood up, my friends already knowing what happened from having heard my conversation with Pepper. Rhodey had gone to the TV and had been flicking through channels to see if we'd made the news. Letting out a harsh sigh, my blood boiling, I set about contacting news agencies. I had no idea if they'd received the news yet, so I settled for informing them that I'd be putting on a press conference tomorrow morning to announce something, while also threatening to ruin them if any news regarding me were to make it onto their network before that conference. I received promises, and I really hoped they'd stick to them. While I could ruin small news stations, I wouldn't be able to do much about stations like CNN and Fox News.

"Keep checking the TV and internet," I told my friends as I headed to the elevator. I didn't know if anyone at Peter's school knew, but I wanted to get there to bring him home anyways. Tomorrow, we'd have to make an official announcement before the press decided to reveal this news on their own. At least with a press conference we could control the information revealed, and get on top of this as soon as we could. God, I was going to find the person who leaked this story, and I was going to tear them apart slowly and painfully for doing this to my kid. I didn't know if it was lucky or not, but both our first therapy sessions would be in two days. Hopefully, the therapist would be able to help Peter adjust to this.

I got into my car and sped to Peter's school, hating that I was all the way upstate. When I arrived at his school I didn't bother hiding who I was anymore. The news would be out tomorrow. I also didn't hide how _furious_ I was as I had a strong feeling the tip had come from somewhere here. Not to mention, the principal had been contacted regarding this and had not seen fit to mention it to me. I wanted to blow up at the man even though I knew it wouldn't do anything but make me feel better.

Head held up high, sunglasses on, and expression foreboding, I burst into the school's office, all eyes instantly falling on me. Before a single sound of surprise could be made, I roared, "I swear to god, if I find out it was any one of _you_ who told _Us Weekly_ that I adopted Peter Parker, I will come down on you with all the might of Tony Stark and Iron Man, do you hear me?!"

Absolute silence followed my words, and I was graced with a room full of white-faced, open-mouthed men, women, and children. The principal came out of his office, took in the atmosphere, and let out a heavy sigh as he walked towards me.

"Mr. Stark, may I ask"—

I didn't bother letting the annoying man finish speaking before I exploded. I honestly planned on being calm, but knowing the stress my little spider was going to go through because of this was eating me up. His every move now would be scrutinized, and for a kid who was trying to keep his super hero identity a secret, that was going to become extraordinarily difficult.

"No, you can't ask! I get to ask questions now, like why the hell didn't you contact me when a goddamn news agency tried questioning you regarding my adoption of Peter?!" I yelled angrily, and while the man paled, he seemed to grow angry as well.

"I didn't think there was any validity to the claim, and I certainly didn't think it'd end up published!" he hissed. "Now, how about you take a breath and calm down because making a scene at your son's school isn't going to make this situation any better!"

I glared fiercely, enjoying how nervous the man seemed to get, but I had to hand it to him, he didn't back down. I also, embarrassingly, had to concede that he was right. Yelling accusations and threats at people wasn't going to help. Looking around, seeing nervous, shocked faces, I forced myself to take a huge, calming breath. The kid was going to be suffering through enough with all the attention. I couldn't be responsible for making thing worse. Everything I did now would have an impact on him. I looked to the principal now, and gestured to his office. He seemed to relax as he quickly led me inside and closed the door.

I didn't bother sitting down. Instead, I just straight out asked, "What can you do to help my son? I'll hire security for you if you need it to keep out the media, but I know Peter won't want to leave this school. He's got friends here, and it's been the only thing in his life that hasn't changed."

"Mr. Stark, the media won't be allowed in here, I can assure you that," the man said, choosing not to sit down either. "I can control my staff, but I have to be completely honest with you, sir, that I cannot control how the students will react when there are no teachers around. I could have an official assembly talking to them about this, but that will only bring more attention to this."

I let out a harsh curse, pacing the length of the small room. What a goddamn fucking mess! How would his classmates react? Awed? I mean, I guess they already knew he was interning for me, so would it be that much worse that I adopted him? Dumb question. They knew the kid worked for _my company_ , but not me personally, and being adopted by someone was way different than working for them! Hell, how was Peter going to take this? He hated attention. People were going to be watching him so closely now and forever. People were going to start piecing the facts together as well. Tony Stark adopts kid. Why? Tony Stark seen flying around NYC with Spider man. Huh, I wonder if there's a connection? Fuck, fuck, fuck!

"We have good kids here and a good staff," Edwards remarked, and I gave him a disbelieving look. Really? His expression turned apologetic as he no doubt remembered Matt Hurtado who'd sucker punched me along with Teddy Meyers who'd bullied my son.

"Yes, I know," he allowed with his hands held up defensively, "but overall"—

"Don't try and placate me, Edwards," I snapped wearily, not really angry with him but with myself. I knew each of those occasions had to do with me. Meyers had started harassing my kid because he worked for me, and Hurtado had harassed my kid to get to me.

"What can I do to help, Mr. Stark?" the principal asked genuinely, and I found myself letting go of my anger towards him. This man wasn't at fault for what was happening, and now he was offering his help. Peter couldn't lose this school. His best friends were here, and this was the only constant he'd had in his life since he'd become Spider man. Peter needed this place more than even he realized.

I let out a long breath and just shook my head. "Just keep the media away from the school, and try and…," I sighed again, stopping myself from demanding the man check in on my kid every once in a while. I would've hated that, and I know Peter would as well. As much as I hated it, the kid was going to have to learn how to deal with being in the spotlight. Hopefully, here, where many of the students have known him since they were small kids, they'll treat him the same, at least after the novelty wears off.

"Look, I'm going to take Peter home now," I stated. "We've got a conference going on tomorrow where we'll make an official announcement. I…I'm sorry about what this'll bring down on your school, Edwards. I'm going to hire some guys to help keep the paparazzi away. Once the craziness dies down, I'm sure things will go back to normal."

The man nodded as he ran a hand through his hair. I reached out a hand to shake his, and he gave me a small smile as he took my hand in his. "I'll do what I can for Peter, okay?"

I nodded before stepping out of his office. He walked out with me, and told the office secretary to send for Peter as he was going home. She nodded hastily, eyes flicking between us both. "Shall I get him?" she asked tentatively. "I don't think sending one of the TAs will…," she trailed off, her eyes going towards two teens who were looking at us all in excited disbelief.

"Good idea," I said, and she smiled before getting up and heading into the school. I walked towards the two teens and gave them serious looks, which immediately caused them to look nervous. Crossing my arms, I graced them with a stern look that I reserved for Peter when he was in trouble. I smirked inwardly as this elicited guilty blushes from the pair of girls.

"Ladies," I greeted in what Peter had once called my Dad voice, "whatever you heard or saw today will not be making its way onto social media, will it?"

Both girls rapidly shook their heads back and forth, one saying, "No, sir, Mr. Stark, we won't tell anybody, we swear." I looked both of them in the eyes, and seeing genuine honesty, I relaxed, giving them an appreciative smile.

"Are you really Peter's dad?" the blonde one asked in awe right before I turned away, and I raised an eyebrow before giving her a nod. Both their eyes widened, and if it wasn't for the narrowing of my eyes, I was certain they would've started squealing from excitement. "Our lips are sealed, Mr. Stark, we won't tell anybody," the blonde assured me with a large grin. "Peter deserves some happiness." My expression softened at her words, and I felt some hope that Peter could lead a normal life at school, at least.

The secretary showed up with Peter, and when he saw me, his eyes widened in confusion, flicking from me to the blushing girls to the rest of the room. I saw his mind working furiously, trying to work out what was going on and why I was here with no attempt at hiding who I was.

"Mr. Stark," he began to greet cautiously, and I waved away whatever he was going to say as I walked up to him and placed a hand on his head.

"Hey, Pete," I greeted kindly, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. I felt him tense, but I ignored it as I placed a kiss on his forehead. I heard the girls squeal while the women in the room downright cooed. They were the motherly sort, I supposed, with a barely refrained roll of my eyes. My kid's eyes looked to me in increased confusion, his eyes looking all over the room.

"Tony, what's going on?" he asked, realizing that I wasn't trying to hide anything.

"I'll tell you on the way home," I said, guiding him towards the exit. Looking towards the secretary and principal, I announced, "Peter won't be at school tomorrow as we've got family matters." With those words, we both walked out, Peter looking rather stunned and concerned. I said nothing until we were both in the car, at which point he blurted out, "What the hell is going on, Tony?! Did someone die? Is Pepper okay?"

"Friday, pull up the article," I stated, handing my phone to the kid. He looked even more confused, but he took it anyways and began to read. I felt horrible when I saw his face turn stricken, shocked eyes turning to me.

"What…I don't understand—How did this—What does this mean for us?" he stammered. "Do I have to leave school? Are we moving? Did I cause this?"

"No, kiddo, none of this is your fault," I reassured him. "Somebody couldn't keep their trap shut—you know what? It doesn't matter, really, as this would've gotten out eventually. Couldn't keep you a secret forever," I stated, trying to come off like this wasn't a big deal. I had to be confident and calm for him. "I'm sorry about this, Peter, but we're having a press conference tomorrow to formally announce your adoption."

"What?!" he asked in horror. "Is that really necessary? Why, Tony? Do I have to be there?"

"Yeah, Peter, you need to be there. Pepper and I are trying to cut this off at the legs before it gets out of control, and to do that we need to be the one to tell the media. I've shut down any site with this article, and I've tied the newscasters' hands, but after tomorrow, the news will come out with or without our approval. If we do it, though, we control _what_ is said, and we _will_ keep as much information about you out as possible," I told him, and I glanced over to see him looking scared and upset. I was glad to arrive home at that moment, and even more glad when I saw Pepper's car. I was surprised, though, when I saw Natasha's car. Looked like the cavalry was here.

We both went up to our penthouse, and when we exited, I smiled at seeing my friends, no, my _family_ gathered here for us. Pepper immediately walked towards us, kissing me on the lips before hugging Peter. "The press conference is set for 8:30 tomorrow morning at Stark Industries," she informed us, and I nodded, while the kid groaned.

"I'm so sorry about this, honey," Pepper told the boy.

"Do you want us there with you?" Rhodey asked, and I shook my head negatively.

"Thanks, Rhodes, but we want to keep this as a family thing, not that I don't consider you all family, but in the public's eyes, if you're there, then it will become an Avenger's matter," I explained, shrugging off my jacket and tossing it on top of a half-packed box. "Enough people are going to be looking at Peter for being my son, I don't need anybody looking at him for being friends with the Avengers."

"Are people going to figure out that I'm Spider man because of this?" Peter asked, his voice small and scared. Pepper kept her arms around the teen, and while I wanted to immediately say no, I couldn't make that promise.

"I'm not going to lie, spiderling, it's a possibility," I admitted with a sigh as I leaned against the kitchen table. "The public is going to want to know _why_ I adopted you, and there may be people who put the pieces together that you're Spider man. People know Spider man is a kid, and Iron Man and Spider man have been seen together."

"Even if someone makes that claim, though," Pepper added, massaging to tense kid's shoulders, "we don't have to admit they're true. Outlandish claims are made about celebrities every day, but that doesn't make them true. Unless concrete evidence about Spider man's identity comes out, then we won't admit to anything."

"We've got your back, Peter," Natasha spoke up, her face and tone completely serious. "We'll protect your identity for as long as we can."

Peter looked reassured, but still pale as he nodded his head. "What do you need me to do tomorrow?" he asked dejectedly, and I wished I could make this all go away. Tomorrow was going to be a shit show, and the boy was going to experience first-hand what being a Stark entailed. I'd grown up with cameras in my face from the time I could remember, but Peter hadn't. We had a very long day in store for us tomorrow.

 **Peter's POV:**

I shifted uncomfortably, nervously fidgeting with the suit jacket I'd been forced into. Pepper and Tony both insisted that I needed to be in a suit for this freaking press conference. God, I still couldn't believe this was happening. The world was about to know I was Tony Stark's adopted son. How were people at school going to react? They were going to flip! I already got attention for being his intern, but when they found out I'd been adopted…it was going to be chaos.

I didn't want to do this conference thing. Tony said it was so we could get control of the situation, but I hated being the center of attention. I didn't want cameras in my face. I didn't want to see myself on TV, on newspapers, on magazines, and on the internet; but, I'd been warned that's what would happen whether I wanted to or not.

I was angry. No, I was furious, but I didn't know who I was angry with. This wasn't fair! Who the hell had done this to me? I didn't want the world to know I was Tony's son! I didn't want the media looking into my life and following me around. How could I be Spider man if people were looking at me so closely? And let's be honest, how hard would it be to figure out that Peter is Spider man? The others assured me it wasn't that obvious, but what if they were wrong? I wanted a normal life. Why did life hate me?

"Hey, pal, you ready?" Tony asked as he walked into the bathroom where I'd been hiding. I glared at the man, knowing this wasn't his fault, but still angry with him. If he wasn't so damn famous, this wouldn't be happening. If he hadn't been so narcissistic that he had to tell the world he was Iron Man, then this wouldn't be such a huge deal. But, nooooo! Tony Stark thrived on attention.

Tony took my anger in stride, coming closer to look me over. "I really am sorry about all this," he told me, and while I could tell his apology was genuine, that didn't change what was about to happen.

"Why couldn't we just pretend what the article said wasn't true?" I asked for the umpteenth time. Tony let out a sigh, reaching out to straighten out my tie. I slapped his hands away, surprised he didn't rebuke me or even narrow his eyes.

"We've been through this," he said with patience I didn't know he possessed. "They had copies of the adoption along with copies of the death certificates of your aunt and uncle. They talked to your former neighbors who corroborated the story. There's no getting around this, pal, _I'm sorry_. Best to just bite the bullet and control what's said rather than letting those vultures reveal your entire life story to the world."

I huffed, feeling my irritation with the man growing. Why, why, why? Why me? Why couldn't anything go right for me? Why couldn't life be easy?

"This isn't fair," I said, and Tony's lip quirked as he responded with a sad, "I know, but it's just the way it is. Now, I'm going to need you to put on a show for me. Things will be easier for us all if you go out there smiling. Be as nervous as you want, it's expected, but hide your anger from them or they'll use it against us. Everything you do now will reflect on me and Pepper…well, mostly me. The public loves Pepper, always have. She can do no wrong. Me, on the other hand can barely do anything right."

I bit back an angry retort. He wanted me to put on a show to make _him_ look good, so that people wouldn't bother _him_. It seemed like it was all about him. I had half a mind to disregard his wishes and glare at all the stupid, nosy reporters.

Tony seemed to read my expression because his expression turned anxious. He placed his hands on my shoulder and looked me in the eyes as he outright pleaded. "Please, Peter, I hate that you're going through this, but I really need you to get control of this anger. I'm not telling you, you can't be angry, but you've got to put a lid on it around those reporters. You'll only draw more attention to the situation if the press believes you're unhappy with the situation."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it, Tony. Put on a smile and pretend we're one big happy family," I replied sarcastically before making my way out of the bathroom. I heard the older man groan before he followed me out and towards Pepper. The smile she threw my way faltered when she caught sight of my expression.

"Peter," she began to say, but I waved it away, taking in a huge breath before smoothing out my expression. "I know," I told her through gritted teeth. "Smile happily. Tony already told me." Pepper frowned in concern, sharing a glance with Tony, but neither one said anything. Pepper just came up and kissed me on the forehead, looking at me with loving eyes that soothed some of the anger I was feeling. This wasn't _her_ fault, I reminded myself. She wasn't the glory hound of the family.

Happy showed up and he wrapped an arm around me, giving me a shake. "Ready for this, squirt?" he asked amiably.

"No way," I replied moodily, and he smiled, reaching up to ruffle my hair, but Pepper immediately smacked his hands away.

"Control your hands, Happy Hogan!" she rebuked with a smile, causing Happy to laugh.

"Are you going to be out there with us?" I asked the man, and he nodded, throwing me thumbs up.

"Yup, I'll be there as your personal body guard," he stated, and I couldn't help but be relieved to have him there with me, so I gave him a warm smile.

A woman suddenly appeared, asking if we were ready, and Pepper assured her we were. Tony straightened his suit jacket, threw on his sunglasses, and started walking. Pepper wrapped an arm around me while Happy, with sunglasses on, walked between us and Tony. The closer we got to the conference room, the louder it became. My palms began to sweat, my heart picking up in speed. I really, really wanted to be anywhere but here. The door opened, and I saw more people than I'd anticipated. I tensed and Pepper's arm began to go up and down my arm comfortingly.

Tony looked back at us and held an arm out to Pepper. She kissed me on the cheek before walking out with him into that hurricane. The noise got louder, people calling out to both my parents. Happy's hand landed on my shoulder, and he gave it squeeze. I watched in fascination as Tony and Pepper both played the crowd, waving, smiling, and looking perfectly at ease. Tony raised a hand, and just like that the crowd fell silent. I was surprised to find the silence somehow made me even more nervous.

Tony began to speak, thanking everyone for coming on such short notice.

"I'm sure you're all wondering what this could be about," he began, "or maybe you already know. I'm not one to normally give long flowery speeches, but in this case, there are some things that need to be said. Last March, I adopted a fifteen-year old boy, Peter Parker," he declared, just like that, and the crowd grew loud again, question after question being thrown out. Tony held up a silencing hand again, and the questions stopped. "I should amend that statement to, _Pepper_ and I adopted this boy last March. Peter Parker was one of a handful of students who applied for a Stark Internship and were chosen. The position Peter was given was to work with some of my top engineers, which is what brought him to my attention. I like to meet at least once with all these students, to get a feel for what the future workers of my company could be capable of, and when I met Peter, he stood out to me."

There was complete silence in the room, and I could see how the media was soaking up every word Tony was saying. How could he control a crowd like this? How could he have each one of them hanging on his every word. I'll admit, I was also soaking in every word as I'd had no idea how Tony was planning on explaining this adoption, and so far, his fabricated story seemed more fanciful than how we really met. It certainly made me look like some little genius, which I wasn't.

"Peter was fourteen at the time we met, and it was his ingenuity that garnered my attention. Now, I've met many brilliant young people over the years, so what could've been different about this boy? What could it have been about him that kept _my_ interest?" he asked aloud, the crowd nodding in agreement. "You'd think it'd be his brilliance, but no, it was his character. It was his strength. You see, shortly after beginning to work for me, Peter's uncle was murdered. I had no idea because he _never_ stopped showing up. In fact, he started working even harder, showing a work ethic that rivaled my own, meaning he stopped sleeping and worked long hours. The only reason I found out about this was because I walked into the lab to find the kid asleep."

Tony smiled, beginning to walk through the crowd, locking eyes with everyone. He was playing the crowd like a fiddle, I realized. How did he do that?

"Everyone here knows I lost my parents when I was sixteen. I know what loss is like, and I know all the wrong ways of dealing with grief," he recounted, his expression turning regretful and ashamed. "I looked at this young man, and I saw a bit of myself in him. I also saw he was a better man that me, despite his age, so I found myself further fascinated. I decided to take Peter under my wing, keep a closer eye on him. I let him help me out on some of my own projects, continuously fascinated by not only intelligence, but by his perseverance and dedication... and that ever present _strength_.

"His aunt, May Parker, acknowledged the mentorship role I'd taken up, and since she knew my history she feared the influence I would have on her nephew; so, she insisted I join her for dinner once a week to get to know each other better. Yeah, I know," he remarked, a sheepish grin on his face, "family dinners don't sound like me, but I agreed. It was a decision I've never regretted as it allowed me to get to know Peter even more. I acknowledge that I never saw myself as a mentor. I know— _we_ all know the kind of man I am, or _was_ , I should say. Being with Peter…the more time I spent around him, I found myself wanting to be a better man, someone worth looking up to."

Tony paused, standing in the middle of the crowd, his brow furrowed in deep thought. Everyone was reeled in, no one daring to break the silence. I looked up at Happy to see him sporting a large, knowing grin. Looking to Pepper, I saw her giving Tony a soft, loving smile. I could tell that wasn't an act. I wasn't so sure about Tony…or maybe I was, but my anger was clouding my judgment.

"Without realizing or even intending to, I found myself growing closer to Peter," Tony continued, his voice quiet, but full of conviction. "I cared about him. I would even go as far as to say I loved him. Then, last March came, and tragedy once more struck my young protégé. His aunt died, suddenly and tragically." He paused once more, looking distraught, and I was shocked to notice several women in the crowd crying. What the hell?

"I didn't even stop to think. I didn't need to," he stated, walking back towards the stage. "I showed up at that hospital, took the kid home, and offered to adopt him the week afterwards. One of my happiest moments was when he said yes," he declared, a huge grin on his face. "Pepper, here, whose stuck by my side for over a decade was in full agreement," he said, holding a hand out to her, which she gladly took. "We are officially engaged (there were several gasps from people, but they were quickly shushed), and so the decision to adopt Peter was a joint one. The two knew each other well, and she has proven to be an excellent and loving mother. I'm not the perfect dad…god, that sounds weird," he commented with a rueful shake of his head, eliciting a few chuckles.

"Having Peter as my son has been the best thing that's ever happened to me," he announced, his voice serious, and his eyes full of passion. "Without realizing it, he teaches me how to be a better man, a man worthy of being his father. I— _we_ chose to keep Peter's adoption a secret in order to help him live as normal a life as possible. This young man has been through so much turmoil, and the last thing I wanted to subject him to was the scrutiny of the media. I've had a camera watching my every move since the day I was born. I know better than anyone the consequences of having your every move watched, and it wasn't something I wanted for my son. I'm going to ask, no, I'm going to _plead_ with you today that you _please_ refrain from following my son around. _Please_ refrain from invading his privacy, digging into his past, and taking pictures of him. _Please_ allow him to live the life of a normal teenager… well, as normal a life he can have being my son."

There were several nods from the reporters, and I wasn't sure they realized what they were agreeing to. I wasn't sure if this would change anything, but I was glad he asked.

"Well, I guess I've stalled long enough. I'm sure you'd all like to meet Peter," he said with a smile. "Just so you know, Peter will not be accepting any questions from you. I will allow pictures, but please, _please_ respect my child's privacy. Without further ado, I'd like to officially introduce you to my and Pepper's son, Peter Parker-Stark," he announced grandly, holding out an arm, my cue to step forward. I'll admit, if it hadn't been for Happy's firm yet reassuring grip on my shoulder pushing me forward, I probably would've never moved. I felt petrified.

I arrived in front of the crowd, even more shocked at how many people were here. Flash after flash went off as a multitude of pictures were taken. I could feel my cheeks heating up as I gave them all a nervous smile and an awkward wave. Man, I must look like a total fool. Why did I have to do this? Why did I have to be here? Why was Tony doing this to me? I swallowed the flash of anger, walking over to my parents, glad that it was Pepper who wrapped an arm around me. People were shouting now, calling out to me, but I couldn't tell what they were asking. The noise aggravated my enhanced hearing, and I could feel a headache beginning to build up. The lights from the flashes hurt my eyes, but I fought from squinting. I didn't want it to look like I was glaring. I forced a smile on my face, hoping it didn't look like a grimace. Pepper whispered into my ear that I was doing wonderfully and that this was almost over.

"Thank you all for your courtesy and for listening at me ramble on," Tony declared, arms spread wide and a large smile adorning his face. "I'm going to let Peter go now as I'm sure he's feeling overwhelmed. Pepper and I will stay behind to answer any more questions that you have." I let out a sigh, my knees weak with utter relief as Happy appeared and led me off stage. I gave another awkward wave, and the second we were out of eyesight, Happy pulled me in for a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that, squirt, but you did great," he whispered to me. "It's over with now."

"No, it's not," I refuted quietly as I broke apart. "It's never going to be over. They're going to be following me now, looking into my life. Kids at school are going to go nuts, asking me questions, and I hate this, Happy. Why did this happen to me?"

Happy sighed heavily, staring at me with sympathetic eyes. "I don't know, Pete, but you'll get through this. Don't stress so much as it'll all blow over before you know it. Something else will pop up to grab their attention, and you'll be left alone. Tony and Pepper are announcing their engagement now, so hopefully that'll take precedence. The media has been speculating about their relationship since Pepper first became Tony's secretary, so it's like a fantasy come to life that they're actually getting married."

I nodded, still not believing him. Happy ruffled my hair now, and I huffed. I ripped off my tie and jacket and untucked my shirt as Happy led me to his car. He took me home where I was greeted by Nat, Bruce, Rhodey, Vision, Ned, and MJ. My friends being here was a shock, especially since I was still grounded. I joyfully greeted them, loving the feel of MJ's arms around me. It'd be my two friends more than anyone that would help me get through this.

 **A/N: Currently editing chapter 35 and starting chapter 36. Thanks for the patience!**


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35: Blame Game**

 **Tony's POV:**

I was working in my new/old lab, unpacking crates with some of the equipment that I decided to keep. The rest I'd just donated to a few of the local community colleges. We'd moved in to our new/old home a couple days ago. While I'd enjoyed living with just Pepper and Peter, I couldn't help but feel cramped in that small penthouse. I wasn't accustomed to having such little room and to not owning the entire building in which I was living. Being in that penthouse had also limited the types of experiments and projects I could do. If I wanted to do anything major, I had to go all the way upstate to HQ.

I'd been surprised by how easy it'd been to get back our old Avengers building. I actually didn't have to buy it back as it'd never sold. Because of what it used to be, no company had actually been willing to move in, afraid of being attacked despite the fact that we were no longer there. Now, while we'd moved back in, we didn't turn it into the Avengers HQ. It was just living quarters, and in fact, we moved some factions of SI here, specifically those involved in research.

As we'd already lived in this building, it was extremely easy moving back in with everyone taking back their floor. I left the floors for Thor, Barton and Rogers intact and furnished. I knew they'd be back eventually, I just didn't know when. I even, with a lot of hesitation, added a room for Barnes on Rogers's floor and a room for Wanda on Barton's floor. It hadn't escaped my notice how protective birdbrain was of the young witch. I added another floor for Rhodey, Happy, and Vision. Neither one wanted their own floor. Rhodey and Happy didn't plan on living here full time, and Vision didn't feel the need for a floor full of things he wouldn't use. I was glad to have my own floor 2nd from the top floor (Thor's) as it still allowed privacy for Pepper, Peter, and I. I allowed my kid full autonomy for decorating his room, adding in a hatch that led to the roof. Knowing my little spider, though, I also added reinforced windows and a thick hatch door with the ability to be locked for those times I was afraid he would run away.

Nat and Bruce happily moved in, very glad to be away from the craziness of HQ and constantly being monitored. Here, back in our building, where we'd gone from tentative teammates to a family, we all felt comfortable and at peace. Nobody was here governing us or watching us closely. _This was our home_.

Bruce arrived in our lab, and I shot him a brief smile before getting back to work. I could've given the man his own lab, but he didn't want one and I honestly didn't mind sharing mine with him; so, it was _our_ lab. I added reinforced glass, and people could only enter if their fingerprints were in the system. Currently, everyone but Peter had access. I hadn't bothered telling him, though, as I didn't want to deal with the drama. He already knew he wasn't allowed in, and if he tried, he wouldn't be able to get in.

"So, you and Peter," Bruce addressed meaningfully, and I raised an eyebrow at him. He gave me a pointed look, which caused me to let out a sigh. I knew what he was prodding at, but I really wanted to avoid talking or even thinking about it.

"Tony," Bruce said in that annoying knowing voice he sometimes took with me. It was like being reprimanded by an older brother or something, which was why I glared at him and bit out a mocking, "Bruce." Said man just smirked at me, so I huffed, crossing my arms and leaning against a crate.

"You need to talk to him," he told me. "The way he's been treating you, which _every one_ had notice, is not only disrespectful but unfair."

"He has all the right in the world to be upset about what happened," I argued tiredly. "The kid has been going through a shit-storm at school since the announcement, with his classmates barely letting him breath. Paparazzi surround the school, and the security guards are only allowed _at_ the school, so pictures of him are appearing every day on TV, magazines, newspapers, and the internet despite me pleading with the press," I grumbled unhappily.

"No one is denying that Peter is going through hell. We all feel for him, Tony, we really do. It's not fair, but he has no right to blame _you_. He has no right to take his anger out on you," he insisted, making sure we made eye contact.

I pursed my lips and just shook my head. "It's my fault he's going through all this, Bruce. It's because I'm _me_ that the media will now be dogging his every step for the rest of his life. I'm not just some celebrity where the news will die down. I'm _Tony Stark_ , and I'm not trying to be arrogant when I say that. I'm in the news all the time, bro, and as my kid, so will he now. He _does_ have the right to take it out on me."

Brow furrowed with displeasure, Bruce closed the distance between us, placing a firm hand on my shoulder. "No, he doesn't," he declared firmly. "This isn't your fault, despite what you may think. Yeah, you're Tony Stark, but you can't help who you were born as," he said with a slight smile. "You've had cameras in your face since the day you were born. You learned to deal with it, and so will he. All of us had to after New York, and we hate it, but it's part of the life we lead. Once again, he has the right to be angry, but he doesn't have the right to use you as his punching bag."

I ran a grease-stained hand through my unfair, still not convinced. Bruce shook me gently, causing me to look at him once again. "You are _not_ to blame for what is going on, Tony. While you're always in the news, that doesn't necessarily mean Peter will be. He'll be okay. He's got all of us, and he's got MJ and Ned there for him."

"Yeah, I know he'll be fine, Bruce. He's strong and he perseveres through everything he goes through," I said fervently, sporting a proud smile. Bruce nodded in agreement, patting my shoulder once before letting go. He still looked unhappy though, and before turning away he said one last thing. "Talk to Peter, Tones. I know you're hurt from how he's acting, and avoiding the problem won't make it go away. You're just confirming that what he's doing is right, when it really isn't." He walked over to his section of the lab, beginning to unpack his own supplies, effectively ending the conversation.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling stressed from what he'd said. I'd had similar thoughts go through me. I knew I wasn't completely at fault for what happened and what Peter was going through, but I felt guilty at not being able to protect him from this. If he felt better by releasing some of his pent-up anger on me, then so be it. Better me than anyone else in the family, his friends, or people at school.

I went back to work, hoping that I'd be able to distract my mind from the problem, but what I was doing was so menial that my hands already knew what to do without me needing to think. My mind, instead went to the therapy session from a few days ago. It was our first time, and I wasn't sure how well it went. I didn't talk much with mine, expressing concern and guilt for what happened to Peter, but when she began to ask for more, I just shut down. She didn't force me to talk, and I kind of regretted clamping up. Staying quiet wasn't going to help.

With Peter, since he was only sixteen, I could've pushed to know what happened during his session, but I wouldn't break his trust like that. What that meant was that when I asked how it went and he grunted out an irritable fine, I didn't push for details. I knew he was angry, so not wanting to start an argument, I just hoped it'd gone well. I hoped the therapist could've helped with his anger, but he seemed just as mad as before, maybe even angrier. Pepper told me I couldn't expect miracles, so I decided to remain patient. We had another appointment for next week. Peter hadn't been happy, but I felt with what he was going through, that he needed it.

Despite the fact that I felt Peter had some right to biting my head off, it didn't stop it from hurting. He didn't smile at me. He didn't hug me. He didn't even talk to me. He didn't like it when I talked to him, and he snapped when I used any of his nicknames, insisting he was too old for them. He had a nightmare one night, but he only accepted Pepper for comfort. My heart clenched at these thoughts, and I stopped working, feeling that I had to find something else to occupy my mind.

"Brucie bear, I'm headed to the gym to let off some steam," I announced, and he gave a grunt in response, seemingly occupied with his work. Arriving at the gym, I changed into sweats and a tank top, and stretched to loosen up my muscles before starting out with the punching bag. I punched until my knuckles felt bruised, but still not tired, I chose to turn on the agility simulation. I rarely did this when out of my suit, but I was looking to get a little beat up. I used plastic pellets, and adjusted the speed so I would have a fighting chance. I'd be pushed, but I wouldn't be guaranteed to turn in to a bloody mess because I wasn't fast enough. I could always yell at Friday to turn it off if it became too much.

The first few shots went off, and I easily dodged, but as they continued to come over and over with no set intervals, I started to get glancing blows. I was tiring quicker than I anticipated, and that pissed me off, so I pushed my body to move faster despite my heavy breathing. My heart was pounding faster than I should let it, considering the issues I had with it. It'd sustained a lot of damage in Afghanistan, and I honestly would be surprised if I didn't have to have heart surgery or a transplant in my older years. As the training went on and I couldn't avoid getting hit, I made sure the hits landed on my arms and legs. If these were bullets, I wouldn't want them to hit my torso or head, so I treated them as such. The second I was hit with one in my abdomen, I turned off the training, considering it a kill shot.

My knees buckled and I sank to the floor, my hand going to where the last pellet had struck. Lifting my shirt, I saw a red wound that I knew would be a bruise within the hour. Checking over my arms and legs, I cleaned up areas where I'd been cut before putting cream on all the bruises. It was a cream Bruce had developed for us to help our bruises heal more rapidly than usual. I lay back on the mat, breathing heavily. I felt better, though, despite knowing that I'd be sore as hell by night time, not to mention Pepper would get on me about training so hard without my suit.

The door to the gym opened, and I sat myself up, watching as Natasha and Peter walked in. It must've been time for their training session. They had them a couple times a week and Nat said it was paying off. Peter was a quick learner, and his fighting skills were improving. Upon seeing me, Natasha raised an eyebrow to which I responded with a cocky grin. She rolled her eyes before motioning for me to leave. I got to my feet, biting back a groan. Looking towards Peter, we locked eyes for only a second before he looked away. I couldn't hold back a sigh as I headed into the locker room. I grabbed my clothes and settled for showering in my own room.

 **Peter's POV:**

For the past couple weeks, Natasha and I had been meeting two to three times a week for training sessions. She was teaching me how to fight, and how to use my flexibility and agility to my advantage. I may have been stronger and faster than her, but her experience and skill had her beating me each time. I knew I was improving, but it seemed each time I might put up a good fight, she still wiped the floor with me. Today, however, was worse than usual. She was no Tony, who I'd found was incapable of pushing me too hard for fear of hurting me; but she'd never come down this hard on me.

"Ah! Jeez, Nat, what the hell?" I grumbled, spitting out some blood from the sharp right hook she'd given me. Natasha's eyes only narrowed in response before she came at me with unrelenting force. My spider sense kept going off, but it was useless in a fist fight. It told me I was in danger, but I already knew that.

I ducked and avoided several of her punches and kicks, which seemed to annoy her. "Are you going to fight, Peter, or run away?" she asked. "I'm here to teach you how to win a fight, not run from it." I huffed before going on the offense. Knowing my strength wouldn't help me win, I settled for using my speed, using the skills I'd learned from her. She and I traded blows, and I felt a flash of pride when I knocked her off her feet.

"How's that for fighting back?" I asked cockily, and she just chuckled before kicking my legs out from under me. I was barely on the floor when she appeared on top of me, a knife to my throat. Where the hell had she been hiding that?!

I held up hands of surrender, and she smirked, tapping the side of the knife on my nose a couple times before getting off me. She held out a hand, which I took, and she pulled me up.

"You're getting better," she said evenly, "but you're still sloppy. Relying on instincts is good, but you need to know how to fight smart as well. These skills and techniques I'm teaching you need to become second nature. I shouldn't have to push you into using them."

I stuffed my hands in my pockets, letting out a sigh as I nodded.

"Peter," Natasha called, and I looked at her with wary eyes. She always knew how to knock all the confidence out of me. "You did well."

"I lasted less time than ever," I had to argue sourly, and she snorted as she walked closer to me.

"I fought against you harder than I ever have," she informed me, and I looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Did you fight your hardest?" I asked curiously. She simply smirked as she gave a single shake of her head. I groaned loudly, my pride feeling wounded.

"Let's work on your agility now," she declared, and I took in a breath. This was where I got the most beat up during these sessions. Natasha didn't do warm ups, setting the speed on an intensity that pushed me to my best from the start, meaning it wasn't long before my endurance gave out and I was getting pelted with rubber bullets. Today was no different, and it was only after I'd been hit right in the stomach twice in a row that Natasha turned off the machine.

I fell to the floor, lying on my back as my hands went to my stomach. I was so frustrated with myself. Every time it seemed I couldn't last more than twenty minutes of this before getting knocked on my ass. Tears of frustration welled up in me, but I forced them away. I had to get better. What was the point of this training if I wasn't improving?

Nat appeared above me, her face impassive, and I hoped she didn't see the tears in my eyes. Her eyes softened, which caused my cheeks to redden as that meant she probably had seen them.

"I know I'm not the nicest trainer, Peter, but you are getting better," she stated, and I snorted disbelievingly. "When you started this agility training, the speed setting I had you on was a 5, which no normal human can keep up with. I only make it to a 3. Right now, though, you're at 6, which I will honestly say is a huge improvement. Steve Rogers, without his shield, could barely manage on setting 5."

I stared at her with wide eyes of disbelief. "I'm better than Captain America?" I asked quietly, and she laughed lightly as she sat herself down across from me.

"In every way," she replied firmly, her eyes looking right at mine, and I was surprised by the seriousness I saw. It sounded like she was saying I was better than Captain America in more ways than just agility training, but that was ridiculous. Conversation ended momentarily as she began to apply antiseptic and bruise cream to me before applying it to herself. Figuring we were done, I was about to stand up when she held a hand up, keeping me in place.

"What is your issue with Tony?" she asked out of the blue, and I just stared at her, caught off guard.

"What do you mean?" I eventually asked hesitantly, and she looked at me pointedly. When I continued to remain silent, she narrowed her eyes before speaking again.

"It's not his fault," she stated, "what you're going through, and the way you're treating him is completely unfair and unacceptable."

I frowned, squirming uncomfortably. A part of me knew she was right and that Tony wasn't deserving of my anger, but, another part of me still blamed him and saw him as the reason so many people were interested in me. He didn't have to do a press conference. He didn't have to tell the world about me. He didn't have to force me to be there. But he did. He did, and now everybody knew who I was and what I'd been through. Now, everybody felt they knew me. Everybody at school forgot who I used to be. I was now Peter _Stark_ , son of the _famous Tony Stark_. Son of Iron Man. I was cool and popular, and everybody wanted to talk to me and be my friend. They were all so fake and annoying. And it was all his fault.

"You don't know what you're talking about," I told Natasha, narrowing my own eyes at her. "You don't understand."

She scoffed, giving a slight shake of her head. "I forget how _young_ you are sometimes," she murmured, more to herself than me.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I pressed defensively. I didn't want her to see me as a kid.

"It means you're reasoning and actions are that of a child," she responded in disappointment. "You're angry at your situation, and so you are using Tony as your outlet because he's letting you; and he's only letting you because he feels guilty."

"He should feel guilty," I asserted hotly, and she frowned deeply.

"No, he shouldn't," she stated calmly. "He didn't alert the press to your situation. He took control, instead, and minimized the damage that could have happened. He gave a believable story as to why you are in his care, so that people wouldn't fabricate their own stories; which, could have led to Spider man theories. He's been tirelessly monitoring every story that appears about you, suing, shutting down, and threatening people, news stations, and CEOs when they publish something he doesn't approve of. Because of this, the media are now attacking him, accusing him of trying to hide something. Because no one has been allowed to interview you, questions have arisen as to whether or not you're happy with Tony, and whether or not he's a suitable guardian. The public's heart has gone out to you, and your wellbeing is important to them. They're ready to tear Tony apart, despite all he's done for you.

My anger died down somewhat as I heard her words. I hadn't known that was happening. I'd been doing everything I could to avoid reading anything about me. It didn't work that well, as people at school were more than willing to quote different stories. They didn't do it spitefully, thankfully, but they didn't seem to realize I didn't want to hear my tragic story and how lucky I was over and over again. My life was supposed to be _my_ life. Not the media's or the public's life. It wasn't fair!

Just as quickly as my anger had died down, it began to simmer hotly once more. There had to have been a better way to have dealt with the situation that hadn't involved the world knowing my story. Yeah, they could've given my name, but revealing my aunt and uncle's death, and how badly that affected me…that had been _private_! Stupid, ignorant, attention-seeking Tony! He was trying to get the media to like him, but clearly it wasn't working. Good riddance!

Having had enough of this discussion, I stood up, ready to walk away. Natasha easily stood up and blocked my path. Her expression was stern and foreboding as she got right up in my personal space.

"Consider yourself very lucky, baby Stark that I am not your mother, for I would've taken you in hand long ago," she told me, and I couldn't help but shiver nervously at the dark look in her eyes. Yes, I was very glad she wasn't my mom.

"It's Parker," I retorted grumpily, and she looked even more disappointed than before, along with frustrated.

Looking even more intimidating, she hissed, "Get over this selfish, teenage tantrum, Peter before you say something you'll regret. Consider your training on hold until you get this attitude of yours under control." And with those words, she stalked out of the room, leaving me feeling shocked and furious. Fine then! I didn't need her anyways. I did fine by myself! I left the gym and headed straight for my room. Stupid adults! Thinking they could tell me what to do and what to think.

Arriving in my room, I showered quickly before throwing myself on my bed. Two more days, I told myself. Two more days before my grounding was over and I'd be allowed to patrol again. I couldn't wait for that day. This grounding had been torture, and I wanted my freedom back. I wanted to hang out with MJ and Ned, and I wanted to be Spider man. I hated how they felt they could take Spider man away from me every time I misbehaved. Didn't they realize that they were letting the criminals win by banning me from going out? Innocent people were being hurt or dying because I was grounded like a little kid.

I huffed angrily before reminding myself why I'd been grounded in the first place. I'd tried to get Bruce to hulk out. Remembering the disaster that could've resulted from that, I breathed out most my anger. I couldn't deny that this punishment had been more than deserved…but _still_. Banning me from Spider man was over the top. Spider man was more than about me. It was about saving people. It was a job not a hobby.

The rest of the evening passed uneventfully, the only tenseness coming during dinner. Sleep was, thankfully blissful, and when morning came I was well rested and ready to face the masses at school. I arrived ten minutes before the bell rang, MJ and Ned meeting me at the car. I shared a hug and kiss with MJ before doing our secret handshake with Ned. Taking deep breaths, we entered the school.

"Hey Stark!"

"Good morning, Peter!"

"What's up, dude?"

"Want to hang out later?"

"Want to be a part of our group for this project? I think your dad would be a big help."

"Would you be able to get your dad to come as a guest speaker for our club, Peter?"

"You going to April's party tonight?"

"What's it like living with Tony Stark?"

"Have you seen the Iron Man suit?

"Have you met the other Avengers?"

"Peter!"

"Hi Peter!"

"Want to walk to class together?"

"Want to sit in class together?"

"Why haven't you changed your name to Stark yet? Or does Tony Stark not want you to?"

I gritted my teeth at the onslaught, completely ignoring everyone. The first two days I'd tried to answer questions and explain, but when I realized nobody was really listening, I just stopped, settling for ignoring them all. I hoped that'd work to deter them, but it hadn't.

"Mr. Parker and Ms. Watson, thank you for finally arriving to class," Ms. Agard, our science teacher greeted. She was usually a very laid back woman, but this was the fifth day we'd both been late.

"Sorry Ms. Agard," we both apologized.

"Sorry won't cut it this time, you too," she stated sternly. "This is the first class of the day and there's no reason for continuously being late every single day. Now, I've been lenient up until now due to…well, I've been lenient, but enough is enough. You will both be serving a one-hour detention after school today, is that understood?"

"One hour?" gasped out. "Please, it's not our fault," I attempted to explain. "People just won't stop bugging me and"—

She shook her head sharply, signifying she didn't want to hear anything else. "Take a seat, enough time has been wasted." I wanted to continue arguing, but MJ forcefully pulled me over to my desk. I was furious. Why couldn't people get over this? It really wasn't that big of a deal.

Things took a weird turn when we were assigned a project. Thankfully, we were allowed to choose our partners, but we had to be teams of three. I quickly latched on to MJ, before looking around the room for someone who wouldn't be a fanboy or fangirl. When my eyes landed on Flash, I couldn't believe what I was considering. Despite everything that had happened, his behavior towards me hadn't changed. He was as amiable as he had been since the end of last year, and I'd appreciated that. Without wasting another moment, I got his attention and asked if he wanted to join MJ and me. His eyes widened in shock before narrowing suspiciously.

"Relax Flash," MJ spoke up dryly, "we're not planning anything. We just don't want to work with people who are going to be annoying about dear Petey's adopted daddy." I shot her an irritated glare, causing her to smirk. Looking to Flash, I saw him smirking as well.

"Sure, I guess," he said with a shrug. "Beats working with girls trying to date me and guys trying to look cool." I snorted, giving a roll of my eyes at his cockiness; although, I guess it wasn't really cockiness if he was right.

When the three of us went to Agard to tell her we were working together, I smothered a grin as groans were given, people bemoaning not be able to work with me or Flash. The three of us went to a back corner and began to discuss how to go about our project. We had to build a boat with only the provided plywood strips and butcher paper. It had to be able to carry someone of 120lbs across from one end of the pool to the other, and we couldn't test it out prior to the testing day.

"Alright, I gotta ask," Flash stated, giving me a look, "any chance you can get your genius dad to help us? This is totally up his alley, I'm just saying."

I just shook my head, replying, "No way. We're doing this on our own. We don't need a genius to build one of these." He just shrugged, unbothered by my response.

"Here's what I think it should look like," MJ stated, and we both stared at her in surprise when she presented us with a rough sketch of what our boat could look like. Conversation flowed easily after that, each of us presenting ideas, and when we decided on a shape, we began doing calculations. It was decided that I would be the one to go into the boat. I met the minimum weight unlike MJ, but I was lighter than Flash, which meant I had a better chance of not sinking the boat.

"I guess we can't meet today since you both have detention," he said in amusement, and MJ immediately shot back, "So do you, idiot." Flash paused momentarily, before groaning loudly. "Crap, I forgot about that," he bemoaned, causing us to laugh.

"What about tomorrow then?" he asked. "I know I don't have detention tomorrow, and I'm hoping you can manage to get here on time to avoid getting detention yourself."

"I can't do it tomorrow. We'll have to wait until next Monday to work after school," I said, and at his curious look, I grumbled, "I'm grounded." His curiosity turned into full blown amusement, and he laughed loudly, garnering the attention of most our classmates.

"Shut up!" MJ hissed, giving him a kick under the table. Flash grimaced, shooting her a glare.

"Alright, alright, woman. Sheesh!" he muttered, rubbing his leg. "Sorry, Parker, it's just, I feel like I don't know you at all," he said mildly serious. "You've changed so much since freshman year that I can barely believe you're the same nerd I used to constantly tease. I mean, you're grounded? By Tony Stark? What the hell did you do?" he asked amusedly.

"Nothing," I replied waspishly.

"Guess living with Tony Stark has made you cooler," he surmised, and I gave him a cool stare as I responded, "No, it probably has to do with the fact that my uncle and aunt died." Flash's eyes widened, his face turning guilty as he looked away from me.

"Y-yeah," he said uncomfortably, "that'd probably do it. Sorry for prying."

MJ took one of my hands in mine and gave me a sympathetic look while at the same time telling us both to lighten up. "So, are we planning on just working on this here or should we get together at one of your guys' places?" she asked, moving our conversation along. "My place isn't quite available," she said, refusing to comment why. I gave her a curious look she ignored.

"I guess we could go to my place," Flash stated, and I added, "Yeah, my place would work too if we wait until next week."

"Uh, let's avoid your place," Flash quickly said, looking nervous. "Mr. Stark doesn't exactly _like_ me considering our, uh, past…history."

MJ snorted loudly while I smirked. I'd forgotten that he'd briefly met Tony once before, and Tony had given him a threatening look that seemed to have put the fear of god in him. Shrugging, I said, "Fine, if we don't work on it here, then I guess we'll go to your place. I've got cabin fever, anyways."

"You live in a freaking _tower_ , Parker, how the hell can you have cabin fever?" Flash asked confusedly.

"It's not exactly like I'm allowed full access to the tower," I remarked grumpily, not feeling the need to explain I was being constantly babysat by Friday, if not one of the other Avengers.

The rest of the day passed by slowly. Thankfully, for lunch, we managed to sneak away into the band room to eat without anyone noticing. We'd been eating somewhere different every day to keep people from following. We were eventually going to run out of places to go. Afternoon classes seemed to pass by even slower than the morning ones, and when during 6th period came along and we had ten minutes of free time, I'd wanted to bolt. Free time meant we could move about and talk, and that meant…yup, here they come.

Next to me, Ned sighed as a couple of girls and guys came over and sat by us. They struck up conversation with me as though we'd been friends for ages. I knew their names, but in all honesty, I had never had a full conversation with any of them prior to last week's press conference. The ten minutes couldn't go fast enough as I fought to keep my temper under control. When the bell rang, I was out of the room in seconds, heading towards the parking lot before I remembered I had detention. Cursing, I turned around and went to the detention room, relieved that at least I wouldn't have to endure it alone. MJ and I sat ourselves at the back and spent the hour writing notes to each other and making faces. Coach Wilson, thankfully, didn't really care what we did in here as long as we were quiet.

When the detention ended, we walked as slowly as possible to my car, and I offered to drive her home to extend our time together. She accepted, and we may have taken longer to get out of the parking lot than was needed, but we rarely had any time to ourselves. I dropped her off reluctantly before arriving home. Upon walking into my floor, I was immediately presented with a frowning Tony. Wonderful.

"Why were you at school so late, and why did you need to stop by MJs? Your groundings only two more days, kiddo, so now's not the time to be breaking it," he remarked, and I gave him a look of annoyance. I hated that with this stupid tracker he could know where I was at any given time.

"We had an hour of detention together because I can't seem to make it on time to class," I growled unhappily. "And do you want to know why I can't make it on time?" I asked rhetorically. "It's because people won't leave me alone! Now that the whole damn world knows I'm a Stark, they won't stop hounding me. Everybody wants to talk to me and be my friend because they want to get to _you_. It's driving me mad!" I snapped heatedly.

Tony simply raised an eyebrow at my outburst before sighing tiredly. "I'm sorry that's happening, spid—Peter. I can talk to your teachers, if you'd like. However, concerning staying after for a detention, you should've texted or called so that I'd know why you were staying after; or, you could've just answered your phone."

I glanced at my phone to see it turned off. "Forgot it was off," I simply said before giving the older man a raised eyebrow. "Anything else?"

His lips pressed together, his eyes turning calculating before he began to nod. "Yeah, actually, there is. Peter," he began, "I don't know how many times you want me to say it, but I'm sorry about what you're going through. I get how suffocating and interfering the media can be. I understand what it's like to have people wanting to be your friends just because of a name. I'm really, really _sorry_ that you have to go through this, but getting angry with me won't change what happened. I do feel guilty for what you're going through, but in all honesty, it's not my fault."

I frowned heavily, giving him a dark look. "Not your fault?" I pressed disbelievingly. "It's _all_ your fault, Tony! It's because you're _you_ that the whole world knows you adopted me. It's because you had to throw a freaking press conference that everybody knows my name and my freaking sob story that they had no need or right to know! Why did you have to do that? Why couldn't you just have buried the story, taken it off the internet, or-or-or _something_! Why did you have to make such a big deal of this adoption? I know you love being the center of attention, and maybe you're looking for people to think better of you because you took in a poor, little orphan boy, but I hate this! I hate everybody looking at me like I'm some sort of celebrity! I hate everybody wanting to be with me or talk to me just because I know you! I'm Peter Parker, _not Peter Stark_ , but nobody sees that! Nobody sees _me_ anymore!" I shouted, my pent-up anger finally being expelled out of me. Huffing breathlessly now, I glared at Tony. "People only see a Stark now when they see me, and that's not who I am or who I want to be," I finished bitterly, and before Tony could even respond, I brushed past him and to my room.

I threw my stuff into the corner, barely keeping from kicking my bed in frustration. I wished Natasha hadn't stopped training me because I really wanted to release some of the anger and energy that was coursing through me. I wanted to pull my hair out, yell, cry, punch something, I dunno…I just wanted _something_ to occupy my mind. I sat myself at my desk and settled for getting my homework done. It wasn't anything that'd occupy my mind for long, but if I could get stuff done ahead of time, then that'd mean more time for Spiderman. Tomorrow would be the last day of my grounding and then everything would be better. I'd be free. I'd be out saving people and kicking some butt! I'd only been able to go out three days out of this month, and that'd been with Tony.

An uncomfortable feeling began to swell up in me at this thought. It'd been loads of fun being out with Tony those three nights. The first two nights had been exciting, but nothing out of the ordinary. It was that third night that we'd gone after this crazy dude that called himself the Rhino. He'd apparently been through loads of chemical and radiation treatments that'd given him super strength and speed. It'd also messed with his mind, kind of like steroids. He'd been dressed up in this grey body armor with a helmet/mask that…well, it made him look like a rhino standing on two feet. It'd been crazy! Anyways, I thought Tony was going to have me sidelined, but instead he'd let me take point. He'd let me lead, saying I'd make the calls and tell _him_ where to go.

It'd been one of the greatest experiences of my life! We'd kicked ass!

Now, I'd love to say it was all thanks to me, but Tony still had to save me. I'd been about to be run over when he'd plowed into the man. Tony had taken over as brute strength, keeping the man down while I proceeded to get the man's reinforced mask destroyed before knocking him out. The public had gone wild for us.

I sat at my desk, a reminiscent smile on my face, which caused that uncomfortable feeling in my stomach to grow as I then recalled the things I'd said to Tony earlier. I hadn't been wrong…I guess I lost my temper, but what I'd said had been honest. I didn't have to yell at him, but I'd been frustrated. He was attacking me the second I got home.

I swallowed, nervously tapping my pencil on my desk. The more I thought, the guiltier I began to feel, but I pushed those thoughts away because I wasn't ready to deal with them. It was easier to be angry. It was easier to blame him for the crap that was going on in my life right now. I mean, it was his fault. He was the famous one. He was the glory hound.

Huffing loudly in irritation, I turned my focus back to my work, pushing all thoughts of Tony out of my mind.

 **Tony's POV:**

I barely noticed the kid had left as my mind had frozen at the words he'd shouted at me. For as much as a genius as I was, I couldn't seem to make sense or comprehend what he'd said…or, maybe I could, but it was my emotions that couldn't comprehend the words. Why would he…I guess I knew why, but did he really feel that way?

The longer I stood there, the more I realized that I was feeling hurt. Not just hurt, but _devastated_. It was like I'd been stabbed in the heart. I knew what it was to be hurt, but it'd been a long time since I'd been hurt this badly, or since I let anybody hurt me like this.

God, I was being such a pansy. I knew the kid was angry, but I shouldn't take what he said so personally. He didn't know what he was saying. He didn't mean it…right? No, of course not!

He didn't want to be a Stark. He didn't want to be my son? I was a Stark through birth. It wasn't something I could change. In all truth, I'd felt the same way as him before, but I'd long since accepted it. I was Tony Stark. I was proud of who I was, of who I'd become.

He said it was my need for attention that had placed him in this situation. I wouldn't deny that I was narcissistic. I enjoyed and found amusing how much random strangers seemed to love me. Maybe it was born out of a need for love. Maybe it was some screwed up thing where since I couldn't get my father's love, I'd gotten everybody else's. Jeez, my therapist with probably have a field day with that thought. Whatever. Thing is, yeah, I enjoyed the attention, but I knew my kid didn't. I'd never have done this to him on purpose.

He said it was my need for the media's approval that led to this as well. That was ridiculous. I didn't care what they thought of me. I'd long since grown a thick skin against whatever they said about me. Honestly, if I let every nasty thing they said about me upset me, I'd never leave the house. I wanted the media to like Peter, though.

I thought Peter knew me better than this. This was just the anger talking. He didn't mean it, I reassured myself.

It was just…no matter what I thought, I still couldn't help but be hurt. How was it that his words seemed to hurt me so easily?

Because I'd let the kid so deep into my heart. I hid nothing from him. I allowed myself to be vulnerable with him in ways I'd never done with anyone but Pepper, and I'd known her for over fifteen years. No one can hurt you like your family, I thought darkly, thinking about Rogers and Barton.

Realizing that I'd been standing in the same position for several minutes, I made my way to my lab, intent on busying myself with upgrades to my suit. I had some new ideas, and that would be able to occupy my mind, distracting me from the seemingly deteriorating relationship with my little spider.

Would things get better, or was this it? Had he finally grown tired of me?

 **A/N: Hey everybody! I've finished the next chapter already and am about to start the next one. Hope you're still enjoying, and as always, please REVIEW!**


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N: Wow, thanks so much for all the reviews for the last chapter! Seemed a lot of you really enjoyed that chapter. :)**

 **Chapter 36:**

 **Peter's POV:**

I sat on the floor, both of Pepper's arms wrapped tightly around me to both comfort and restrain me. Not that she could restrain me if I wanted to move, but her intention was clear. There was quiet sobbing coming from a couple of children sitting across from me. Their mother had her arms around both of them, and I could tell she wanted to cry, but knew she had to be strong for her kids. An elderly couple was with us as well, holding on to each other. I could see they were scared, but they were doing the best they could to hide it. There were staff members from the café also: two waitresses, two male cooks, and a female manager, who was bleeding from a leg wound. Everybody's faces were pale and scared. The mother and one of the waitresses threw Pepper an accusing look, like this was her fault. The glares didn't last long, though as all our attention was on Tony.

So, how did we end up like this?

Pepper. She's the reason we're here, at least. Not that I'd ever blame her for what's happening, of course. Today was supposed to be a little family bonding time. Well, we were certainly bonding, but not in the way she'd hoped.

It goes back to Thursday, the day I'd blown up at Tony. He must've said something to Pepper because she'd burst into my room absolutely furious, demanding that I explain myself. I'd jumped to my feet, taken aback by how angry she was. I'd never seen her this pissed, so I'd just stared at her with wide eyes.

"Peter Parker-Stark, I tell me this second what you said to your father!" she demanded once more.

"N-nothing!" I exclaimed defensively. "Why, what'd he tell you?"

Her eyes were narrowed as she got into my personal space. "Did _he_ tell me anything?" she asked rhetorically. "No, not at all. He's holed up in his lab, the glass completely dimmed so that no one can look inside. I tried to get inside, but I couldn't. Friday was the one to inform me of what happened. So, maybe instead of asking _what_ you said, I'm going to ask you _why_."

"I didn't—I mean—I just told him the truth," I stammered with little heat. "It's his fault what's going on. He didn't have to tell the whole world"—

" _Enough_ ," Pepper stated in a quiet yet firm voice as she held up a silencing hand. She backed away from me, letting out a sigh. She ordered me to sit down, and I reluctantly sat myself down at my desk while she remained standing.

"This has gone on long enough, Peter," she lectured, seeming more tired now than angry. "Tony is not to blame for what happened. I'm sorry, _we're_ all sorry with what you're going through, but it's really nobody's fault. The public was going to find out sooner or later that we'd adopted you, and what Tony and _I_ did by putting on the conference was to protect you as much as we could. Now, I have to ask, why is it that you're only blaming Tony and not me?" she questioned curiously.

I shifted in my seat uncomfortably, fidgeting with my hands before answering, "Tony's the one who's constantly looking to bring attention on himself, so this was just another ploy to do that and to look good. I mean, have you heard how the media is describing me? It's like that dumb play, _Annie_ come to life. Poor orphan kid taken in by a rich man and given the best life ever. It's ridiculous!"

Pepper inhaled deeply as she leaned against my desk.

"You know that's not true," she said quietly, and with a hint of disappointment. "Tony may be narcissistic, but he would _never_ use you like that. You are not a publicity stunt. You are his son, and my son, and we _love_ you. You are being unfair-no, you're being _cruel_ with Tony. In fact, you are judging him as harshly as the media, as harshly as _strangers_ ," she accused, her voice oozing with disappointment that struct me deeply.

"I'm not…but _he_ …," I trailed off pathetically, and she stood straight up, giving me a stern look.

"I'm extremely disappointed in you, Peter," she stated, and those words hurt. I didn't want to let her down. "It's okay to be angry by what's happened, but it's not okay to take that anger out on Tony. This attitude of yours is completely childish, selfish, and beneath you. You need to apologize for what you've said, and you need to shape up and get your head on straight."

"I don't want to apologize," I grumbled, pushing aside lingering guilt.

Pepper was all mom now as she crossed her arms and stared me down. "If you won't apologize, then your grounding will continue past tomorrow."

"What?" I gasped as I stood up angrily. "You can't do that! You can't force me to apologize and be nice to Tony!"

"You're right, I can't, but I can punish you for your behavior, and that is why you're grounding will continue," she declared. "Continue to snap at me, young man, and I will spank you. As it is, you have more than earned one, but I will not bother with a spanking if you won't even admit that what you're doing is wrong. Rest assured, though, that if you ever treat Tony so cruelly again, I don't care whether you're repentant or not, I'll spank you where you stand," she threatened, and I swallowed my arguments. My face heated up at her threat, and I settled for plopping back down in my chair and getting back to work on my homework. I heard Pepper let out a sigh before she just walked out.

Friday came and went, and my grounding didn't end. I fumed.

Saturday arrived and Pepper bribed me into going out to eat with her and Tony. She assured me we'd go somewhere secluded with not a lot of people. "I'm not looking to put on a show," she said. I'd flat out declined, so she'd pulled out the big guns and promised me that if I went out for this meal and acted politely, then she'd let me go out as Spider man tonight. When faced with a promise like that, I instantly got to my feet, forcing a wide grin on my face as I sarcastically remarked, "I love family outings." She snorted.

Tony's eyes showed surprise when he saw me with Pepper, and he offered me a small smile that I blatantly ignored. He sighed, but said nothing as we left. Pepper took over the driving, taking us to a café she said she went to occasionally with friends from work. The staff was nice, the food good, and everybody minded their own business. I was thinking it'd be in some uncrowded area, but it was an area surrounded by restaurant after restaurant. People were milling about, but as Pepper said, nobody really paid us any mind. We were seated in the café quickly, and we'd barely put in our orders when things turned south.

My spider sense went off, and I looked around the room, wondering what had set it off. I looked at all the occupants in the restaurant, not sure what I was looking for. I was staring at a group of five men, noticing that something seemed off about them, like their demeanor and even their faces when Tony called out my name. My face turned towards his, and I saw that he was suddenly on alert. I supposed something in my expression had set him off.

"What is it?" he asked quietly, and I was about to tell him I wasn't sure when my spider sense went off again. Tony's eyes widened, and I turned just in time to see a man from that group of five stand up and swiftly pull out a gun. A scream echoed before being cut off as one of the other men stood up and covered the waitresses mouth. Guns were out and being pointed at us all by four of the men while one rushed to the front door, turning the open sign off as he locked the door. There were only tiny windows high up with no way for any of us to signal for help nor for anyone to see inside. The manager rushed out at this point and was immediately shot in the leg. She screamed in pain as she crumpled to the floor.

"Hello Lisa, miss me?" the man who'd shot her asked in mocking casualness.

"Spike, here, has been telling us all about you and your cheating ways," another spoke with a sneer, "so we thought we'd stop by and see what he was talking about."

"Might even have ourselves some fun," a third man added far too joyfully. "Karma's a bitch, right?"

"Everybody throw me your cell phones and nobody else gets killed or shot," the largest man ordered authoritatively, pointing his two guns at everybody. "Our business here is only with the bitch here, so don't anybody try and be a hero." There was a flurry of movement as people reached for and then threw their cell phones towards the center of the room, my family included. Tony's eyes were glaring darkly at the men, and I noticed him fidgeting with his watch. I thought he was turning it into the Iron Man glove, but he then dropped it to the floor. He locked eyes with me, and his face was grave as he said, "Do not get involved unless I'm dead." With those cheerful and encouraging words, he stood up.

"Hey, sit your ass down!" a man roared when he noticed Tony, and Tony held his hands up as he cockily responded, "Oh man, do you have any idea how much trouble you're in right now? You do know who I am, right?" The one who'd ordered him to sit faltered, glancing to the other men for help.

"Y-you're Tony Stark," another man stated, well, he sounded more like a kid, like my age. All eyes suddenly turned towards Tony, and the largest man gave a low whistle as he began to chuckle. "Holy shit, fellas, look what we have here. It's Iron Man," he said, and I could hear the grin in his voice. "Spike," he addressed, and the man who'd shot the manager turned his head. "Change of plans. This has just turned from some fun revenge to a hostage situation." While this man seemed overly pleased at the thought of money, I noticed his buddies seemed more nervous, which I figured was because it was Iron Man they were dealing with.

"Everybody but our dear super hero on the floor over there," he ordered, pointing towards one end of the café. Everybody scrambled to their feet and over to the floor. Pepper pleaded with me with her eyes to move, and I reluctantly allowed her to pull me over with the other hostages. Two of the men surrounded us with their guns out while Spike, the leader, and a heavily tattooed guy stayed with Tony.

"Make sure he's got nuthin on him," the leader ordered, and the other two immediately started frisking him. They ripped off his jacket, searched the pockets and seams before tossing it away. They emptied his pant pockets and even removed his belt. I guess I knew now why he dropped his watch. Maybe he was planning on grabbing it later? Those thoughts were quickly refuted as Tony's hands were tied with rope from the kitchen, and he was pushed to his knees.

"Sir, are you sure we should be doing this?" the kid by us asked the leader. "I mean, that's _Iron Man_. What if the other Avengers come looking for him?"

"He's useless without his suit, and the Avengers don't even know he's in trouble," Tattoo muttered, giving my dad a light kick. Tony just threw him an unimpressed look, which Tattoo didn't seem to appreciate because he punched Tony hard enough that he hit the floor, and was spitting out blood when he pulled himself back onto his knees.

"Now now, Carl, there's no need for such violence," leader dude drawled. "I'm sure Mr. Stark here is more than willing to give in to our demands to save these good people's lives. Ain't that right, _Mr. Stark_?" the man asked, grabbing hold of my dad's hair and pulling it tightly. He pulled out his bloody knife and tapped the flat end of it against his throat. It took all my will power not to scream and attack those men. With a knife against Dad's throat and guns pointed at us all, there was no guarantee I could save anybody's life but my own if I did something.

"What do you want?" Tony ground out as he glared at the leader.

"From you? Money," he remarked simply. "And, revenge, of course."

"Revenge for what?" Tony asked, and there were a couple chuckles from all the men barring the teen, who just looked down at the gun in his hand. Looking closely at their faces, I realized now why they weren't wearing masks. Well, not obvious masks. What they had were bio engineered masks meant to make you look like someone else. Natasha had shown me these at SHIELD, and had made herself look like me. These guys looked like they had knock offs, because their faces sort of glitched every couple of minutes. I could also see the devices behind all their ears now.

"Revenge for getting my brothers killed during your little war with the aliens," the man remarked, his voice now deep and full of hatred.

"That was like twenty years ago," Tony replied flippantly, "and you're still bent up about it? And, in all honesty, I saved your—AARRGHH!" Tony screamed as the man holding him suddenly let out a stream of electricity. Gasps and shouts were elicited from the hostages and me as the man was now surrounded by so much electricity he looked like an electric man.

"What was you saying, Mr. Stark?" electricity man questioned mockingly as Tony was letting out loud gasps. Tony glared and was about to say something when he was electrocuted once more. He screamed briefly before clenching his mouth quietly. He jerked violently, and so I stood up, unable to keep from yelling, "Leave him alone!"

The man stopped, his joyful grin turning to a frown as he looked to me. Eyebrows rising, the man then grinned widely.

"Who're you?" Spike grunted irritably.

"It's the orphan kid, Stark here took in," the man supplied.

"I'm his _son_ ," I corrected heatedly, "so leave my dad alone." The man looked highly amused as he dropped Tony, and made to walk towards me. Before he took a step, though, Tony got to his feet and rammed into the man. Electric man instantly turned and began electrocuting Tony again, and this time Tony couldn't keep from screaming as he writhed on the floor.

"Stop it! Please, stop it!" I screamed, but Pepper and some of the other hostages placed their hands on me, urging me to not move.

"Electro, enough man!" Carl yelled in exasperation. "You kill him and we don't get nothing!" Electro stopped, arching an eyebrow at Carl before staring dispassionately at Tony, who lay on the floor twitching. His eyes were closed and he was barely moving, but I could tell he was still alive.

"Alright, Mr. Stark, looks like play times over," Electro drawled, hauling my father up by his neck. Tony's legs seemed shaky, and they buckled under him when he was forced to stand. "Why don't you take a seat if standings too hard on you," Electro drawled in humor before throwing Tony towards where we'd been sitting earlier. He crashed into the table, hitting the floor hard, and the men all laughed. I felt Pepper shaking beside me, and I was turning to give her an encouraging look when I noticed she wasn't shaking out of fear, but fury. The expression, if looks could kill came to mind.

"Here, let me help you up," Electro stated, hauling my dad to his feet. Tony's eyes were opened and he looked more alert than I thought he'd be; and as Electro held him up, I noticed Tony was wearing his watch.

"Now, Stark," Electro remarked, "my boys and I have been downright hospitable with you, but that can change if you try and do anything funny, you understand. You see, all we want is half a million dollars. Not too much, right? You can just wire it to this account," he told Tony, holding out a paper. "Wire the money now and we'll let you all live. Say no and I'll start killing hostages, starting with your uppity boy over there."

Tony's eyes were ice cold as he stood on his own feet now. "I don't know if you realize, but unlike the movies, wiring that amount of money to an account isn't exactly easy, nor is it something I can do without being present at the bank," he informed him.

"You're Tony Stark, I'm sure you can get around that," Electro responded, and Tony just shook his head grimly as he replied, "Even I am not above the law as much as I may act like it."

The men in the room started to look uneasy, throwing each other looks.

"Electro, sir, let's just take what we can and go," the second man by us said, a tremble in his voice. "We've been here long enough to rouse suspicion. People are knocking on the door. Let's go before we bring down on us the Avengers. This isn't worth it," he pleaded. The kid nodded his head, and even Spike and Carl looked like they were in agreement.

"It's broad daylight, boss," Carl stated knowingly. "We ain't killed nobody yet, so we can still get outta this without too much fuss. Live to fight another day, eh?"

"We're never going to get a chance like this again, boys, and you just wanna run?" Electro asked in quiet fury, his entire body crackling and vibrating with energy. There were some timid nods given, and he let off a growl, causing electricity to course through his body and into Tony once more. "Fine, if we can't get his money, then I can at least have his life." With those words, he turned up the amps, and Tony screamed. Mere seconds went by before Tony brought up his right hand, glove activated, and blasted Electro in the face. I acted, ripping the gun form the kid's hands and pistol whipping the second man across the face, hard enough to knock him off his feet.

Electro roared in fury, electricity coming off him in a wave, hitting his own men and Tony once more. It nearly reached me when the angry man was blasted into the wall. Looking to my right, I saw Vision, the stone in his forehead glowing. Natasha burst in through the front door, guns drawn. She came over to aid me with my two captives while Vision took care of Spike and Carl. Tony, smoke coming off of him, and breathing quite heavily, pulled himself to his feet shakily and remarked, "T-took you long enough."

"We stopped for drive-thru," Natasha quipped emotionlessly, and I was surprised when Tony started to laugh weakly. He stumbled towards us, and Pepper immediately rushed to him and threw her arms around him.

"Are you okay, Tony?" Pepper asked worriedly. I watched Tony smile and reassure Pepper he was fine, even though he clearly wasn't. His hair was sticking up, his ears were bleeding, his face was bruised, and I could see some burn marks on his wrists form where Electro had grabbed him. He could've died. Right here. Today. This could've been the end. I could've lost him. As these thoughts ran through my head, my heart began to beat faster and faster, the reality of what could've happened catching up.

Tony could've died. _Dad_ could've died.

One hour ago, all I could think about was how pissed off I was at him for the media knowing I was his adopted son, and now that seemed irrelevant. In fact, it seemed childish and selfish.

Right now, after what had almost happened, the world looked different. Tony could've died right in front of me as I did nothing but sit and watch. I'd almost lost my dad. Tears welled up in my eyes as I realized that if Tony had died, the last thing he would've remembered of me was how much I detested him, and how I hadn't wanted to be a Stark. How childishly self-centered I'd been. I'd accused him of being the selfish one, but it'd been me. All I'd thought about was what I was suffering.

Police and medics arrived, and they were moving around, handcuffing the men and helping the hostages. Agents from HQ approached Electro and put him in bindings that I hoped were meant to keep his ability from being used. I could hear a lot of voices, and I noticed people—the press was trying to get in. I ignored them all, my attention turning back towards Tony, who Vision and Pepper were helping over to a table. He looked like he was in pain, and I couldn't keep myself any more from running over and wrapping my arms around him.

He gave a groan of pain, but I couldn't bring myself to let go. "I'm so sorry," I told him as I buried my head into his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Dad, I didn't mean any of it. I was being a stupid kid, and I love you, and you could've died, and I'm sorry!" I told him, tears leaking out of my eyes. Tony's arms were wrapped around me securely, and he shushed me, letting me know that there was nothing that needed forgiving.

"I love you too, Peter," he whispered, placing one of his hands behind my head, "and I'm proud of you. I know it couldn't have been easy staying out of this, but you did it anyways."

I felt warmth spreading through me as he told me he loved me, and as he then said he was proud of me. "Are you okay?" I asked after pulling away.

"I will be," he responded with a slight grimace. "I'm kinda hurting right now, and not sure if I can really walk without falling. My muscles keep spasming." I hugged him again, and felt as Pepper wrapped her arms around the both of us.

A timid EMT suddenly appeared, pulling us back to the moment at hand. "Mr. Stark, uh, we've been told that you were injured. Would it, uh, would it be okay if I checked you over?" Tony acquiesced, and the EMT let out a brief sigh of relief as he approached Tony. He looked over the injury to his face, took his blood pressure, and then his heart rate. He looked unhappy when he finished and told Tony, "Mr. Stark, you need to go to the hospital. We need a more in depth look to see what the electricity did to you. Your heart rate and blood pressure are way too high, and you're going to need stitches for your head wound."

Dad groaned dramatically, but at Pepper's pointed look, he gave a nod of agreement. "Alright, but I'm going to our doctor at HQ," he asserted, getting back onto his feet. The EMT frowned, but backed away, knowing better than to argue. Natasha and Vision approached us, and we informed them of what was going to happen.

"Happy is already waiting for us," Nat stated.

"Help me walk out there on my own two feet," Tony pleaded. "I don't want the media to know how hurt I was." I understood the need to not come off as weak, so I let him wrap an arm around my shoulders and Pepper let him wrap his other arm around her shoulders. We both helped him remain standing while Natasha and Vision helped us get through the crowd. Questions were yelled out, pictures being taken, and video cameras filming. As Pepper helped Tony into the limo, I turned to the reporters, and held up a hand like I'd seen Tony do when he wanted them to quiet. Surprisingly, it worked.

"I'm sure you'll get details on what happened from the hostages and authorities, but there's something that you must know," I told them seriously. "Tony, my _dad_ , is the reason we're all alive. He took the bad guys' attention on himself, making sure nobody but himself was hurt until help could arrive. He's a hero even without the armor, and don't you forget it." And, with those words, I got into the car behind Pepper, Nat and Vision getting in with me. Natasha sat next to me and ruffled my hair affectionately before whispering into my ear, "Well done, baby _Stark_ ". I smiled at her.

Tony and Pepper seemed oblivious to what had happened, but I could see it was because Tony's state seemed to be declining. His face was white and sweaty, and it seemed like every movement he made, even breathing seemed to cause him pain. I could see some of his muscles spasming. Natasha ordered Happy to drive as fast as he could, and I felt as the car began to pick up speed.

"Hey guys…'m feelin' kinda weird," Tony slurred, his eyes closing as he started to fall forward. Everyone in the car reached out to catch him, and Pepper pulled him until his torso was lying on her lap. Natasha knelt before him, checking his pulse, her face deeply concerned.

"With how fast his pulse is racing, he shouldn't be unconscious," she informed us, and my own concern shot through the roof.

"He's going to be okay, though, right?" I asked the occupants of the car desperately.

"Do we need to stop at a hospital now?" Pepper questioned calmly, and Natasha nodded. Happy, clearly having heard our conversation immediately made a sharp turn.

"We'll be there in five," he said, "I'll call ahead."

Natasha started slapping Tony's face harder than I thought she should, telling the man to wake the hell up. "Come on Tony," she began to plead. "Wake your stubborn ass up before I decide to give you a real slap."

"Wouldn't it be better for him to stay sleeping?" I asked hesitantly, and she looked conflicted.

"I'd rather he be awake, even if he's in pain. Falling asleep when injured isn't always a good thing," she explained. She then gave Tony a quiet apology before she slapped him hard, the smack echoing throughout the room.

"Ah!" Tony yelled as he jerked awake, a hand going to his face. "What the fuck, Natasha?" he complained, throwing her a weak glare. "Not dying'," he grumbled, a pout forming on his face.

"Yes, and I intend to keep it that way," she said unapologetically, reaching out a hand to run through his hair once before she sat herself next to me again. Tony grumbled unintelligibly as he continued to rub his face.

We arrived at the hospital, and we practically carried Tony in. He refused to be rolled in on a stretcher, and I couldn't help but look to Natasha and remark, "If you'd left him unconscious there would've been much less complaining." She smirked.

The nurses brought us into the first available room, Pepper telling them just to stabilize him until a SHIELD doctor she'd called could arrive. Things moved slowly now as we were hustled out of Tony's room. It was only ten minutes before the SHIELD doctor arrived. It was then another thirty minutes before he stepped out to let us know that Tony would be just fine.

"I don't know what he's made of, but the electricity didn't cause as much damage as we'd have expected," he explained. "His muscles are still spasming occasionally, so I'm going to be prescribing him muscle relaxants along with some pain meds. I've stitched up the cut on his cheek and lip, and that'll heal quickly. There's some scarring on his wrists from the—I was told it as a _man_ who did this with his bare hands?" he asked, looking for confirmation.

"He's called Electro," I answered. "His entire body turned into electricity, basically, and he channeled it into Tony through his hands; although, it looked like he didn't have to be in contact with someone to actually electrocute them." The doctor's brow furrowed as he nodded.

"Well," he continued to inform me, "he has scarring on his left forearm that is unlikely to go away."

"Can we take him home?" Pepper asked, and the man nodded. "Have Dr. Banner keep an eye on him, and feel free to contact me for any reason." Pepper went up, shook his hand and thanked him profusely for his help. The man smiled, assuring her that it was his pleasure.

The door opened, and Tony limped on out, looking rather haggard. "Let's go before I pass out in this hallway." I immediately went to help him, both of us ignoring nurses and his doctor saying he should use a wheelchair. I knew he'd refuse, so I figured we'd forego the argument and just get out. Happy ran ahead to get the car pulled up, and Pepper stayed behind to finish filling out forms. It was another twenty minutes before we arrived home, Bruce greeting us anxiously. As Pepper filled him in, I and Vision helped Tony into the elevator and up to our floor. We then led him to his room and to his bed, where he landed haphazardly on top of it. I snickered while grabbing his legs and shifting him until he was on the bed all the way. Vision excused himself and Pepper walked in. She let me know that she'd take care of Tony now, and that I should go and let my friends know what had happened as we were no doubt on the news by now.

I didn't want to leave, but I could tell Mom wasn't asking, but telling me to go. I ran to my room, grabbed my tablet, and immediately skyped both my friends. MJ answered after a single ring and Ned after three.

"Peter!" Ned exclaimed, "are you alright?"

"Of course he is," MJ snapped irritably, which meant she was worried, "can't you see him?"

"Yeah, but he likes to hide when he's injured," Ned argued, and the two began to argue, which amused me as I knew neither one was really angry with the other. They'd just been worried about me.

"Guys, come on," I addressed calmly, "I'm fine. Completely unharmed. I wasn't touched."

"Your dad didn't look well," MJ said. "In fact, it looked like you and Pepper were holding him up."

"We were," I confirmed sadly. "He was hurt pretty badly. He's fine now, or he will be," I stated before either one could ask.

"What happened?" Ned asked. "The news said some guys were holding you all hostage. Were they there for Tony?"

I shook my head, rubbing my hands over my face as I suddenly felt bone-tired. It seemed the adrenaline from the event had finally been spent, and now I wanted to sleep. Instead, I recounted to my friends what happened, and they thankfully didn't interrupt.

"A guy whose body was made of electricity?" Ned questioned in shock afterwards, and I nodded grimly.

"You think SHIELD will be able to hold him?" MJ asked skeptically, and I shrugged.

"I hope so," I said, and at their concerned looks, I decided to show more confidence. "I mean, yeah, of course. They're SHIELD, they're used to dealing with dudes like that. They dealt with the Lizard and Dr. Octopus."

Ned looked satisfied, but MJ didn't. She was a natural pessimist, though along with a cynic, so I didn't bother trying to change her mind.

"Do you think we could come over?" MJ asked, and I hesitated, unsure of what Pepper would say.

"I don't think today is a good day after what happened. I'll ask Mom, er, Pepper if you can come tomorrow," I said. "I'm sure she'll say yes." I frowned when I saw my friends sporting wide grins. "What?" I asked in confusion.

"You called Pepper, Mom," Ned said far too cheerfully as MJ said, "That's adorable. Do you call Tony, Dad?"

I blushed before rolling my eyes. "Rarely," I admitted. "I don't know if they want me to, and it kind of feels weird for me. I've never called anybody Mom or Dad."

"You think of them like that, though, don't you?" MJ pressed knowingly, and I nodded my head. "Well, then call them that. I'm absolutely positive they won't mind." I considered her words before nodding once more.

Conversation flowed easily, moving from the what happened today to lighter topics. Even though we saw each other every day at school, I'd missed conversing with them like this. I'd missed hanging out with them. I really hoped Pepper would let them visit tomorrow. My grounding was officially over, and I didn't see her lengthening it.

"Since your groundings over, are you going out as Spider man tonight?" Ned asked curiously, and I'll admit, I hadn't even thought of Spider man since this morning.

"I'd like to," I said, "but if Pepper says no, I won't argue, at least tonight. With what happened today, I wouldn't be surprised if she wants me close."

"Makes sense," MJ agreed.

We hung up shortly afterwards after I assured them I'd ask Pepper if they could visit tomorrow.

I yawned loudly as I stood up, wanting to take a nap, but wanting even more to check in on Tony. Making my way to my parent's room, I lightly knocked on the door, but I received no response. Friday informed me they were both sound asleep. I bit my lip, wondering if they'd mind if I went inside. My childish need to see my dad won out, and I quietly opened their door before stealthily making my win inside. Silently padding over to Tony's side of the bed, I saw him lying on his stomach, sleeping peacefully. I saw a bottle with muscle relaxants and another with pain meds, so I assumed he'd taken them, which was why he was able to sleep so peacefully. Pepper was sleeping right next to him, one of her arms wrapped around his back. I felt relief at seeing both looking okay. Feeling exhausted, I hesitated only a few seconds before going over to the other side of their bed and getting in to sleep on Pepper's other side. I fell asleep only moments after my head hit the pillow.

 **Tony's POV:**

I jerked awake, instantly taking in my surroundings before letting out a groan. My muscles seemed sore, like I'd just gone through an intensive workout. I looked to my side to see Pepper sleeping soundly, and I smiled softly, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. Lifting my head, my smile widened when I saw my little spider asleep, his head burrowed against Pepper's back.

"Hey, Fri, take a pic," I requested, and she replied, "Of course, sir."

I gently took Pepper's arm off me and slid out of bed. I stifled a pained groan as I fully stood up and tried to stretch my aching muscles. I couldn't keep the curse from slipping out of my mouth as the muscles in my arm spasmed painfully. Thankfully it wasn't my chest as my poor heart couldn't take any more damage. I was starting to think I should see a cardiologist.

"Dad?" I heard someone call out sleepily, and I turned to see Peter, hair tousled and eyes blearily opened. I couldn't help but smile not just at the sight he presented, but at the fact that he called me Dad, not just once today, but _twice_. This was a goddamn miracle seeing as just yesterday he couldn't even stand looking at me.

"Hey, pal," I greeted quietly, and he sat himself up fully, taking in his surroundings. He then got out of bed much more agilely and quietly than I managed. Punk. He walked over to me, and knowing what he wanted, I pulled him in for a hug the second he was close enough.

"Sorry for how I've been acting," he apologized sincerely. "I've been a selfish, childish jerk, and you didn't deserve any of it. I know it's not your fault what happened, and honestly, after today, it all seems so stupid. Who cares that people know you adopted me," he remarked seriously, breaking apart so he could look me in the eyes. "I'm not ashamed, _I'm not_ ," he insisted. "I'm proud to be your son."

My heart swelled with happiness at his words. I knew he hadn't meant what he was saying the past several days, but hearing him say this now was amazing. I honestly wouldn't have been surprised if he really was ashamed to be my son; but here he was saying he was proud. I pulled the boy in for another hug, placing my lips against his temple.

"Love you, little spider," I told him with conviction.

"Love you too," he responded emotionally.

 **A/N: I have a feeling some of you may think Tony let Peter off too easily, but I can't see Tony holding anger against Peter, especially after today's events.**

 **On another note, I'm going to be taking longer to update now. I haven't started the next chapter. I've got ideas floating through my head, but I'm taking a short break. I WILL be continuing this story, so don't fear! It might be a week or so before the next update.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!**


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N: Totally a fluff chapter! Thanks for the patience!**

 **Chapter 37: Dog Days**

 **Peter's POV:**

I was swinging from one building to another, free falling before shooting off more web. It was raining pretty heavily now, and although I still had another hour before curfew, Pepper had ordered me home. I hadn't even bothered arguing because even with the heater my suit had, I was still freezing. I was about to shoot off another web when I saw a group of kids running below me. Curiosity peaked, I landed on the side of a building and watched as they chased after a dog. They were yelling and throwing things before cornering it in an alley.

Anger building at the abuse of an innocent animal, I immediately jumped down, placing myself between the dog and the kids. Standing tall, I crossed my arms and stared down at all three of their wide-eyed faces. With the new, deeper voice Tony had integrated into my mask, I menacingly stated, "I think it's about time you ran along home now, boys. Oh, and if I ever catch you treating an innocent animal like this again, I'll web you up butt-naked in front of a police station, understood?" The kids looked petrified as they nodded and assured me this would never happen again. I made a shooing motion, and they hightailed it out of the alley. I couldn't help but smirk.

Turning around, my concern rose as I saw the dog was curled up into a small, shaky ball. I slowly approached it, and it looked at me with wide, scared, brown eyes. It didn't even growl or try to get away from me. I reached out a tentative hand, surprised when the dog's snout met my hand, nudging me. Smiling, I began to gently pat the dog's head, which caused its tail to begin wagging. I looked over the animal, searching for any injuries, and finding it to be relatively unharmed. It was definitely a stray as its fur was dirty and matted, and it was really skinny. There was a scar on its left front leg, but it was clearly an old wound. Running my hand through its dark fur, the dog didn't wince, yelp, or even try to get away from me. It just continued to wag its tail, and attempt to lick me.

"Hey, buddy," I cooed, having discovered it was a boy. "Wanna come home with me?" I asked, and when his tail began to thump even faster, I took that as a yes. Without thinking, I placed my arms underneath the dog and slowly picked him up. He was really light for his large size. He began to lick me more and more when he was in my arms, and I laughed, lifting my mask up enough so that I could place a kiss on his head. "Okay, okay, buddy, let's go. We're going to go home, and I'll bathe you and feed you and give you a warm bed." Dog in my arms, I walked up the side of the building before beginning to jump from one room to the next. The dog froze at first, frightened by my speed, but he quickly overcame his fear and began to bark in excitement, causing me to laugh in delight.

Upon arriving home, I got into my room through the hatch, which was a little awkward with the large, moving dog in my arms. As I landed lightly on my floor, I set him down, and he got himself up on shaky legs to walk around. Throwing off my wet mask, I looked to Friday's camera with a pleading look. "Can you please not tell anybody about this?" I begged.

"Do you plan on keeping the dog a secret forever, Peter?" she responded in amusement.

"No, I mean, I will tell them or ask them eventually, but not right now," I explained badly. "I'm gonna clean him up, get him food, and train him up a bit before asking if I can keep him. If I can show my parents that I took care of him without them knowing, then they'll have to let him stay." That made sense, right?

"Very well, Peter," Friday said with continued amusement, "I will keep your secret as long as your new friend stays with you or in your room."

"Got it," I said, noting the dog was lying on the floor panting heavily. Poor guy. He was probably thirsty and starving. "Stay here," I whispered to him before darting out of my room. I figured I'd run to the kitchen to grab some leftovers for him. Walking into the kitchen, I groaned internally when I saw Tony sitting cross legged on the counter, cold pizza in one hand, tablet in the other. Hopefully, he wouldn't nag me about getting food. Sometimes he was too inquisitive.

"Hey, Spiderling," he greeted, without even looking up from his tablet. "How'd it go tonight?"

"Pretty good," I responded as I opened the fridge, looking for food suitable for a dog. "Pretty quiet night, probably cuz of the rain." I saw leftover tri-tip from yesterday, so I just took it all out and decided to heat it up.

"Hey, you're soaking wet, why haven't you changed into dry clothes yet?" Tony chided suddenly, all dad-like as he looked me over in concern.

"I'm hungry," I defended, throwing him a mildly disgruntled look. "It's not like I'm going to catch a cold or anything. I'll put dry clothes on when I get back to my room." The microwave went off and I took out the meat, placing it on a plate.

"You're going to eat all that?" he asked curiously, and I just shrugged. "I'm a growing teenage superhero, Dad, so yeah I'm gonna eat it all." I began to walk away, internally groaning again when he called my name out.

"You planning on eating it with your bare hands as well?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "Pretty sure Pepper would want me to tell you, you were not raised by wolves." My face reddened as I forced out a chuckle.

"Oh yeah, utensils," I murmured, quickly grabbing a fork and knife along with a napkin.

"Don't make a mess or Pepper will have your head," he warned and I just rolled my eyes at him, avoiding his kick when I walked by. "Night, Pal," he yelled, and I smiled as I replied, "Night, Dad."

Going into my room and closing the door, I was surprised to see the dog hadn't moved from where he had laid himself down. Poor boy. I quickly sat down next to him, putting the plate of food down by his mouth. His nose twitched and he began to sniff the plate, slowly lifting himself up. I began to rip the meat into smaller pieces, hand-feeding them to him one by one. He greedily ate each piece, which I took as a good sign. I fed him about half the plate before deciding to cut him off. I didn't know when the last time he'd eaten was, or what he'd eaten, and I didn't want to overwhelm his system. I'd have to get out and buy food for him tomorrow.

I placed the food somewhere he couldn't reach before leading him into the bathroom so I could bathe him. I turned the water on, watching as he stared at it in fascination, coming closer to investigate rather than running away. I waited until the water was at a comfortable temperature before lifting my dog up and placing him in the tub. He lapped at the water eagerly, reminding me that I hadn't gotten him any water to drink. I'd sneak out later when I was sure Tony wasn't there anymore. I turned the shower knob on and got into the tub with the dog.

I ran my hands through his fur, but it didn't seem to do much good. Globs of dirt and grime were falling off, but the fur was matted, and I realized it would need to be shaved. Huffing in frustration, I realized I'd need to take him to a groomer. Thankfully, though, tomorrow was Saturday, so I had time. I already had plans to get together with MJ, so I'd rope her into helping me out with the dog. I cleaned him as best I could, getting off the worst of the dirt before calling this a job not-so-well done. I'd leave this to the professionals. I tried to dry him off, but his fur was so thick, I realized it'd take hours to dry. I sighed heavily before leading the dog out of my bathroom.

I changed into pajamas and then opened the door to my small balcony, hoping if he needed to use the restroom, he'd go out here rather than in my room. Sitting myself on the floor with the dog, I messaged MJ what'd happened. She immediately responded her agreement with helping me take care of the dog tomorrow. She also said she'd help me come up with a better name than "the dog". I smiled, pulling the dog in for a hug, feeling its tongue licking my face over and over. "I'll take care of you, pal. You'll never go hungry or be afraid again, you hear me?" I asked rhetorically, but I felt he understood me because his tail was wagging frantically as he placed himself in my lap and licked me over and over. I buried my head in his fur, feeling content.

I woke up early the next morning, surprised to find the dog in bed with me rather than on the ground where I'd left him last night. He was snuggled up right next to me, and I smiled widely, giving him a kiss on the head. He opened an eye and gave me a nudge as I sat up and yawned. Standing up, I was glad to see my room in one piece. The plate that I'd placed on my desk was empty, causing me to laugh. Apparently, he'd been well enough to stand up and eat off it. I didn't see or smell a mess, and walking out into my balcony, I didn't see one either. I decided that I best leave soon before an accident did occur. He probably hadn't had enough sustenance to have a bowel movement, but after all that meat…let's just say I rushed through my shower before rushing out of my room, costume underneath my clothes.

"Woah! Where you going, honey?" Pepper asked as I hurried past her in the hallway.

"Meeting with MJ," I stated breathlessly, before leaning in and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Morning, by the way. See you."

"Be careful," she advised, and I nodded before rushing out. I took the elevator down a couple floors, changed in an empty room, and then climbed out one of the windows before crawling up towards my room. The dog was waiting for me on the balcony, and I picked him up slowly made my way back to the window I'd climbed out of. Changing back into regular clothes, I took the elevator the rest of the way down and walked out of the building.

I drove us to MJ's house where we picked her up. When she got into the car, she grinned widely when she saw the dog, saying, "Oh my god, he's so cute! And so big! Wow, and you really didn't tell your parents?"

"No," I answered, "I didn't know what they'd say, and I really, really want to keep him. I want to get him all cleaned up and a little trained before I ask."

"I don't think you need to go to all that trouble," she reasoned, "as I'm sure they'll say yes."

I shrugged. "I don't want to take the chance. I love this guy already, and what if they say no?"

"What if they say no even after he's clean and trained, and you've grown even more attached to him?" she argued back, and I bit my lip, not really having thought of that.

"They won't," I insisted, and she just rolled her eyes.

"Like I said, just ask them now. I guarantee you they won't say no, especially if they see how much you want him," she assured me.

"We'll see," I hedged. "Anyways, I need to get him to a pet groomer. His furs all matted and stuff."

"I know a place," MJ informed me. "It's called Pawsh Groomers, and we take Gizmo every couple of months. She's really good and affordable." She instructed me how to get there, and when we arrived, she was barely opening the door.

"Hi Martha," MJ greeted.

"Well, hello Michelle, I wasn't aware Gizmo was scheduled for another cut," she remarked before catching sight of my dog.

"Hi," I greeted with a little wave. "I'm Peter, and I just got this dog, and he's kinda matted and stuff. I tried bathing him, but it didn't really work."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Peter, and does your dog have a name?" she asked, kneeling down to get a better look at him.

"Uh, no, not yet," I admitted sheepishly. "I only got him yesterday. Well, I found him on the streets. Some kids were abusing him, and with how skinny he is, I figured he's homeless. Yeah…"

Martha smiled in understanding as she stood up. "Good for you, Peter, good for you. Kids these days can be so cruel. I'd be happy to give this boy a good bath and haircut. I recommend getting him shaved down this time to get rid of the matting. Since you found him on the streets, I'd also recommend getting him checked out at a vet." She opened his mouth and looked at his gums. "He's pretty young still, which means he'll need shots," she mused aloud.

I nodded in understanding, wondering if a vet would let someone underage take a dog in for a visit.

"Luckily for you two, I just had a client cancel on me last minute, so I've got a slot open for our new four-legged friend," she informed us. "Now, while I get to work, why don't you two go and get some breakfast?" she suggested. "It should take me at least an hour to get this fella done. Leave me your number, Peter, and I'll text you when he's ready, okay?" I nodded, giving her my number before walking out.

MJ and I ate at a small little bakery, and we had a great time just talking. I could see people out of the corner of my eye glance over at us repeatedly, some pointing fingers, but nobody took out a camera or made to come over, so I let it be with barely a roll of my eyes. MJ just shrugged.

"We're going to make the tabloids one day," she remarked uncaringly, and I grimaced, not having thought of how my newfound fame would affect her and Ned. "Famous Peter Stark swept off his feet by"—I covered her mouth, telling her to shush.

"How much you wanna bet that turns up in some magazine tomorrow?" I huffed in mild irritation, glad she seemed to find some amusement in my status.

"Who cares," she remarked flippantly, throwing back a couple of donut holes.

"You say that, but wait until they start snooping into your life, and then you'll be singing a different tune," I warned somewhat seriously, knowing she wouldn't want people knowing about her brother. She seemed to stiffen slightly, frowning thoughtfully before shrugging once more. "So, what if they know? They'll judge me, probably say stupid things like you shouldn't date me for some dumb reason or another, but in the end, it only matters what you think of me." I marveled at her ability to see things this way.

My phone dinged, and I saw that it was Martha messaging me that my dog was ready. We arrived in minutes, and I couldn't help but looked surprised when I caught sight of the shaved down dog. He looked so different! His long, thick, matted fur was gone. He was definitely skinny, and he had some scars around his neck and back shoulder. His two ears stood straight up, and I could see that he was a good sized dog. He had dark brown fur with a big white patch, completely circular, at his chest. It kind of reminded me of the arc reactor Tony had in his suit. Upon seeing me, the dog's tail waged rapidly back and forth as he bounded on over to me.

"Hey there, bud, look at you!" I cooed softly, rubbing my hands all over his soft, clean fur. "You're such a handsome boy, aren't you?"

"And he's a sweetheart," Martha added, "which is rather surprising seeing as it looks like he was used as a fighting dog. That's where those scars come from. People these days," she grumbled unhappily, and I frowned as I looked him over once more. Poor guy had been forced to fight before getting beaten up by humans. How could he even trust me when it seemed no human had ever shown him kindness?

I thanked Martha for her work, paid her, and then set off for a pet store. When we arrived at Petsmart, I immediately headed to the collar and leash center. The dog followed me around really well, but still, it was required by law. The second we arrived and saw Avenger themed collars, we shared a glance before grabbing the Iron Man themed collar and leash and putting them on our dog.

"Y'know," I mentioned as we headed to food, "with the white patch on his chest and the scar on his front leg, he reminds me of Tony."

MJ laughed as she replied, "So, is that what we're naming him? Tony?"

"It'd suit him," I stated as the dog looked up at us with a happy grin, his tongue flopping out of his mouth. "The women love him already," I whispered in amusement as we watched a group of women coo over how adorable and handsome he was.

We both burst into laughter at the thought of Tony's reaction to us naming a dog after him. "Let's make him more sophisticated, though," MJ added. "Instead of Tony, because it would admittedly get a little confusing for Pepper, how about we call him Anthony?"

I grinned, liking the name. "What do you think, boy? Is Anthony a good name for you?" I asked, kneeling down to give him a hug. He gave a loud bark before licking my face, so I took that as an affirmative. "I think he likes it."

We finished the rest of our shopping, getting him food, bowls, toys, a bed, and a tag for his collar. "Oooohhhh, we need to get him an Iron Man costume for Halloween!" MJ exclaimed, I roared with laughter as we went over to the costume section for pets. Lo and behold, there was a costume, and we immediately put it in on Anthony, who immediately began to strut around in it.

"You should introduce him to your parents like this," MJ recommended as we walked out of the pet store and to my car. "One look at him and they'll melt," she remarked with a smirk.

We grabbed a drive thru lunch afterwards, deciding to eat it at a park so we could give Anthony some exercise. We took him out of the costume as he ran, not wanting to draw even more attention to me and MJ. Iron Man's kid with an Iron Man dog? Yeah, the media would eat that up! Anthony had a lot of energy, so I knew I'd have to take him out at least twice a day. I could take him on a run before school like I used to do with Nat, and then again when I got home.

"What are you going to do with him when you're at school?" Michelle asked curiously.

"Keep him in my room, I guess," I remarked uncertainly. "I'll keep the balcony open, and he'll have food, water, and toys, but I can't let him wander around while I'm gone."

"Oh god, Peter, just tell your parents!" she exclaimed in exasperation. "After all we did today, they're not going to tell you, you can't keep him. Come on, I'll go with you if you're scared," she said, standing up and grabbing my hand.

"I'm not scared," I defended, and she just raised a disbelieving eyebrow at me.

"Fine, let's go then," I grumbled with a huff, hating that she was right. "Let's go Anthony!" I yelled, and the intelligent dog immediately stopped chasing the squirrels and came to me. I looked down at him in wonder. Despite mistreating him, it seemed his last owners had trained him somewhat or shown him some compassion. How could he be such a wonderful dog if they hadn't?

The drive home was quick and amusing, Anthony's head being stuck out the window the whole time as he barked at people and animals alike. He seemed so happy. We got to the tower and as I parked I saw that both Tony and Pepper's cars were here. I began to grow nervous.

"What if they say no?" I asked MJ, and she let out a sigh.

"We'll convince them," she declared firmly.

"But what if?" I pressed, and she looked me straight in the eyes and said, "Then I'll take him for you, or I'll help you hide him here." With those words, she placed a kiss on my lips before getting out of the car. I smiled, finding myself really loving that girl.

She grabbed hold of Anthony's leash while I grabbed everything else. We got into the elevator and took it all the way up, my heart beating nervously the entire way. When the doors opened, I let out a sigh at seeing nobody on our floor. We quickly ran to my room to drop everything off, and MJ insisted on putting the Iron Man costume on Anthony. I had to admit, if Tony and Pepper said no after looking at this cute face, then they just might have no heart.

We set up the dog area in a corner of the room, putting his two new Iron Man themed bowls on the floor and filling them. I lay out his bed next to mine and tossed a couple of his toys around the room. Anthony immediately latched on to the Captain America stuffed toy that squeaked every time he bit down on it. He lay himself on his bed and began to chew on it, pausing every minute or so to look at me with a lopsided grin.

"Friday, where are Tony and Pepper?" I decided to ask.

"They are both downstairs on the Avenger floor, preparing to have dinner with Colonel Rhodes, Vision, Mr. Hogan, Dr. Banner, and Agent Romanoff," she responded. "I've already alerted them that you are home and with a friend, a _human_ friend, of course." I grinned, knowing that meant she hadn't informed them of Anthony. "They would like for you to join them for dinner."

"Tell them we're on our way," I responded.

"You going to bring him up?" MJ asked, and I bit my lip before shaking my head.

"Nah, I don't want to introduce him to everyone at the same time. He might get scared," I explained, and she just gave me a knowing look before walking out. "Be good, Anthony," I advised before following after her. We made it downstairs in a couple minutes to see everyone serving themselves.

"Hey lovebirds!" Tony called out with a teasing grin, and I just groaned in annoyance.

"Hello Tin-head," MJ returned dryly before giving Pepper a smile. Tony laughed at her teasing name before coming over and slapping me on the back.

"I like her," he mock-whispered to me, and I gave him a jab in the side. He grimaced, but the teasing look never left his eyes.

Dinner was enjoyable. I really loved the nights we all got together to eat. It's like right here, right now we weren't CEOs, super heroes, or secret agents. We were just a family of people who loved each other. We were just regular people, making dumb jokes, telling stories, teasing each other, and just relishing in each other's company. This was MJs first time attending a family dinner, and she was taking it in stride. She'd met everyone briefly, but had never really had conversations with any of them. I couldn't help but feel proud of how easily she was able to get along with everyone. I knew a lot of people, even Ned, found my family to be rather intimidating, but she treated them like regular people.

I was extremely unsurprised to see her attach herself to Natasha nearly from the get go, although, I did find it somewhat worrisome. Natasha clearly liked her, and for most of dinner, they were both engrossed in quiet conversation. Vision, although he didn't eat, always sat with us during these meals, and he and I spent dinner talking. He found the concept of school interesting, both the social dynamics and what we were learning. I was explaining to him the project I was doing for science class, and how Flash, a former bully of mine, was one of our group members.

"And, you chose him willingly?" Vision questioned curiously.

"Yeah, well, he's not like he used to be. Since towards the end of the last school year, he started to lighten up and treat me differently," I explained as best I could. "We're not friends or anything, but it's like I kind of earned his respect or something. Anyways," I continued with a shrug, "after everybody found out about the adoption, he was one of the few who didn't treat me any differently, and I really appreciate that. I chose him because I knew he wouldn't be annoying about Tony being my dad. I have to admit, though, he's been a great group member. He's smarter than he lets on."

"Wait, wait, wait," Tony interjected disbelievingly, "are you talking about Flash? The kid who bullied you for years Flash?" I threw the man a disgruntled look as everyone's conversations stopped to focus on this one. Thanks for embarrassing me, Dad, I couldn't help but think dismally.

"The very same," MJ supplied all too happily.

"You're working on a project with _him_?" Dad asked in disbelief. "Willingly?"

I rolled my eyes as I responded, "Yes, Dad, we're working with him and we're doing it willingly. He's not the same anymore. It's been ages since he's bothered me, and honestly, I'm grateful he doesn't treat me any differently because you adopted me. I'm still Parker to him, the scrawny nerdy kid who he used to torment; well, at least until I became a bit of a rebel. He seems to think you've been an awesome influence on me," I informed him sarcastically, and the man blinked.

"Not sure whether to be proud or offended given it's Flash who said that," Tony remarked evenly. "As long as he's not bothering you, I guess, then I'll leave him be."

"Tony, that is a sixteen year old boy we're talking about, so, of course you will leave him alone," Pepper spoke up sternly, giving her fiancé the evil eye. Chuckles were given as he held up his hands defensively.

"He is afraid of coming here," I had to add, and MJ snorted. "He knows you don't like him."

"Good," Tony declared with a nod. "Nobody messes with my kid." At Pepper's darkening glare, he hastily added, "Of course, if he were to come here, then I would be on my best behavior, not bothering him at all. Let bygones be bygones."

I couldn't help but laugh at how quickly he changed his tune because of Mom. She certainly knew how to handle the billionaire, but I guess she had many, many years of practice.

"I'm glad you can show maturity, Peter, unlike this father of yours," Mom commented, throwing me a proud look that warmed my heart.

"Peter's just good like that," MJ stated casually, and I couldn't help but blush at her praise. The blush deepened when I heard snickering from not just Tony, but Rhodey and Happy as well. Two smacks echoed in the room, followed by two pained yelps. It seemed Pepper had smacked Tony while Natasha had smacked Rhodey. Happy hunched down, throwing both women an apologetic look when their eyes turned to him. MJ and I laughed loudly as they all looked properly chastised.

"Thank you, _boys_ , for volunteering to clean up tonight," Natasha drawled before standing up and excusing herself. MJ and I immediately got up as well, throwing the men smirks. Tony groaned over dramatically while Rhodey and Happy just sighed unhappily. Pepper followed MJ and I to the elevator and to our floor. When we exited, my eyes widened when we were accosted by Anthony the second the doors opened.

Pepper screeched, rearing back as Anthony tried to leap on her.

"No, no, no! Anthony, sit! Get back!" I ordered, grabbing hold of the large dog's collar and pulling him off Pepper. Oh god, now how could she ever say yes to this?

"I'm so sorry, Pepper, he didn't mean anything by it," I rushed to say as I helped her up. The dumb mutt was now seated as MJ pet him, giving us a big, dorky dog grin. "He's a real sweet dog, and he just wanted to say hi." Pepper threw me a mom look that clearly said, explain this instant, so I obliged.

"I found him yesterday when I was out as Spider Man. These dumb kids were chasing him and going to beat him up, but I intervened," I recounted. "He was shivering and hungry, so I brought him home. I gave him some food and tried cleaning him up, but his fur was matted, so I decided to take him to a groomer today. He was shaved down and then MJ and I went to Petsmart to get him food and stuff, and um…can I please, please keep him, Mom?" I tacked on to the end pathetically. "I promise to take full responsibility of him. He's a real good dog, just give him a chance, please."

Pepper looked from me to Anthony, and sighed as she knelt down to pet him. He licked her hand and then tried to lick her face, but she held him back. The dog's tail was thumping against the floor out of sheer happiness, and I saw as her face softened. She was scratching behind the dog's ear when she turned to look at me. "Did you say his name was Anthony?" she asked in disbelieving amusement. "You named him after Tony?"

I nodded sheepishly before kneeling down next to her and the dog. "Look, he has an arc reactor like Tony, and he has a scar on his left front leg like Tony. He's had a rough life, being bullied and stuff. He's got the same color hair, er, fur, the same color eyes, and the ladies love him," I explained, and the more I spoke, the wider Pepper's grin became until she was full blown laughing. She stood up, shaking her head.

"It's okay with me, honey, but you'll have to convince Tony, which might be a little difficult considering you named the dog after him," she told me, still looking extremely amused. "Is he in an Iron Man costume?" she then asked, somehow looking even more amused than before, and MJ nodded proudly.

"He's got an Iron Man collar, leash, bowls, and costume," she said. "We even got him a Captain America chew toy, which he seems to love."

"Dads gonna love that part," I said with confidence, and Pepper just shook her head in bemusement.

"You better make sure he doesn't cause a mess in this house, young man," she warned sternly, and I nodded emphatically, assuring her I would take care of him. She walked off, and MJ and I shared triumphant looks. The elevator doors opened again, and our triumphant looks turned anxious as the Tony walked out, stopping in his tracks when he caught sight of us.

"Uhh, why is there a dog dressed up as Iron Man in my house?" he asked in confusion.

"He's my new dog," I decided to just say, feeling being blunt was the best method.

"You're new dog? Since when?" he asked, still not moving from where he stood. Anthony was trying to get to him, but MJ had a good hold on him.

"Since last night," I answered. "I found him on the streets being chased down and attacked by a bunch of kids. Got him groomed today, and bought him the essentials. Pepper already said yes," I quickly said, hoping that if Mom said yes, he'd just give in.

He frowned minutely before walking over and kneeling in front of my dog. "Hey there," he spoke softly, reaching out a hand to pet his head, "aren't you a cutie." I relaxed, feeling that he was on board.

"I swear I'll take care of everything," I told him. "I've already bought everything he needs, and I'll walk him and clean up after him. He won't cause any problems. Is, uh, so, can I keep him?" I asked hesitantly.

Tony looked at me with a slight smirk as he nodded his head. "Sure, pal, I trust you to look after him. Just make sure he doesn't chew stuff up or get anywhere near my lab," he advised, and I nodded my head in understanding. "So, what's his or her name?" he asked, and I bit my lip, nervously exchanging a look with MJ, who promptly burst into giggles. Dad threw her a thoroughly confused look before reaching for Anthony's collar, or more specifically, his tag. I saw his mouth fall open before he exclaimed, "You named a _dog_ after _me_?! What the hell, kid? _Why_?"

"He's a dog version of you," I explained weakly. "Look, he has a white patch on his chest like your arc reactor," I pointed out before pointing to the scar on his left front leg. "That's like your scar. He was bullied, and he's learned to fight to survive. He's a tough, smart dog, not to mention good looking," I added, deciding to stroke the older man's ego a little. "And the chicks dig him."

Tony threw me a disgruntled look, staring at Anthony straight on. The dog walked himself onto Tony's lap and licked at his face before nuzzling with him. He scoffed, but wrapped his arms around my dog's neck, rubbing a hand down his back.

"He also has your same fur color and eye color," MJ finally added, as if that settled the matter.

"You guys are idiots," Dad remarked in fond exasperation. "Of all the things to be named after me, you choose a freaking dog."

"I decided Anthony was more sophisticated than Tony," MJ said, "and it'd minimize confusion when Pepper or anybody else was looking for you."

My dad just chuckled before saying sarcastically, "Thank you for that bit of consideration. Nobody but my parents and Jarvis ever called me Anthony, so there shouldn't be any confusion there. Don't go shortening his name, though," he warned, throwing us both an evil eye that didn't faze either one of us as there was no heat behind it.

Standing up, he shook his head, much in the same way Pepper had done earlier. "Anthony," he murmured, more to himself than us. Rolling his eyes skyward, he just shook his head once more. "And I suppose, all the Iron Man themed stuff was to convince me to let you keep him?" he asked.

"Well, kind of," I admitted. "I mean, he is Anthony Stark, so I figured he could be Iron Dog. Maybe you should make him some real armor," I suggested amusedly.

Tony just huffed before letting out a laugh. "Yeah, right, that'll be the day. Iron Dog, honestly," he grumbled to himself as he began to head to the living room. "You two are impossibly adorkable." I grinned, knowing that he wasn't really annoyed with me.

I now had a dog!

 **A/N:** **Hope you enjoyed! Working on the next chapter already.**


	38. Chapter 38

**A/N: Thank you for the continued reviews, interest, and patience. I've still got a lot of ideas for this fic, but I don't want to rush it. The other avengers will make an appearance eventually, but not for a while.**

 **Chapter 38: Google: Tony Stark**

 **Peter's POV:**

"So, instead of talking to Tony you're just going to watch videos and read articles about him?" Ned asked skeptically, and I nodded my head.

"Pretty much," I responded. "I want to see how he dealt with the media growing up. Like, what'd he said or did to get them to back off. I know he puts on an act, and I want to see that act in action from when he was younger. Now he's got all the confidence in the world, but as a kid he wasn't like that. At least, that's what he's told me."

"I admit, it does sound like fun looking up stuff about Tony, but I still don't see why you won't just ask him. I mean, you _live_ with him, Peter. He's your dad," Ned remarked, and I just rolled my eyes.

"Tony is old now, and I think he's forgotten what it's like to be our age," I attempted to explain. "Besides, knowing how he feels about himself, he'll tell me not to do anything that he did, and to just be myself."

"Huh, well, nobody wants that," Ned said with a teasing smirk, and I gave him a light shove.

"Anyhow," I added, "My dad has been gone since yesterday regarding Avenger stuff, so it's just Pepper and I at home. He couldn't tell us how long he'd be gone, so Google it is."

"God forbid you just call him," Ned muttered quietly, but I ignored him. This way was faster and infinitely more interesting.

It was Friday, and Ned was spending the night with me for the first time in months. In fact, this was his first time in our new home, and he'd embarrassingly geeked out, oohing and aahing at every little thing like he'd done at HQ the first time. Being my home, and long since used to the Avengers being family rather than superheroes, I didn't see the big deal anymore, which, in retrospect, showed once again how much my life had changed. A year ago, I would've been the same as him.

"I love these holographic screens," Ned spoke in awe, looking up at the large floating screen in front of us. I had to agree. When my dad had shown me my computer could do this, my mind had been blown, much to his amusement.

"You know, your phone and tablet have this capability as well," he informed me, laughter in his voice, and I'd given him a wide eyed looked that had him dissolving into laughter. Needless to say, it was a function I utilized nearly all the time now, much to the jealousy and amazement of the people around me. I usually liked to hide things like this from my classmates, not wanting to seem like I was using Tony for money, but he was my dad, so wouldn't it make sense that I get the best technology? I have to admit, the look on Flash's face had made it all worth it. I had nothing against my former bully anymore, but a little payback was never amiss.

Attention, unfortunately, had not been dwindling. People continued to harass me, but unlike before where most of them had been trying to be my friend, now they were starting to think I was acting uppity or as if I were better than them because I continued to reject them. That's where my grand plan of seeing how Tony had dealt with the media came to fruit. He told me he'd been dealing with this kind of crap since he was born, so maybe if I saw video clips of him or interviews he'd given, I could see how he got people to leave him alone. Besides people at school, the media continued to haggle me as well, wanting interviews. The only words I'd spoken to the press were after the hostage situation, and they'd been quoted nearly daily. It was beyond annoying. I'd thought of agreeing to an interview, but I was afraid of saying the wrong thing. I hadn't talked to either one of my parents about this as I figured they'd say no. The only reason I would want to do an interview was to help them…and, yeah, to get them off my back, if only for a little while.

Which, was why we were here.

We put Tony's name into Google and we were immediately bombarded with headlines, videos, images, websites, and hell, there were even scholarly journal articles written about him. How odd.

"Woah," Ned said quietly, and I nodded, feeling just as surprised by how much information there was. We'd both searched up a lot of things and people over the years, but never had we gotten so many results. It was overwhelming, but also a testament to how much interest people had in my dad's life. A spark of guilt shot through me that I was one of those people, but I shoved it away.

"Let's narrow this down," I murmured, narrowing the search to Tony's childhood. Curiosity caused us to click on images first, and we couldn't help but smile at pictures of a dark haired toothy-grinned baby Tony. Damn, he was a cute baby. There were pictures of him with his parents and lots of people I didn't know. Jeez, it was like his entire childhood was on display as there were images of him from every age. There were a ton of him with his parents at event after event, birthday parties that seemed way too grand and formal for a four-year-old. I mean, he was wearing a suit! In every picture he was grinning charmingly, looking very much like a smaller version of his dad, not like a kid. The older he got in the photos, the more I recognized the smile. It was the one he always reserved for the media and public. It was one of his fake smiles.

I switched over to videos now, and saw more of the same. Tony smiling and waving, the perfect little gentleman in front of the camera. When did that change? When did he become the rebellious kid he was known for being? There were a few interview clips where Tony actually talked, but they were him talking about his achievements and how he loved his parents and was going to work up to save the world like his dad. In a couple he even talked about how he was going to help his dad find Captain America, his hero.

Ned let out a low whistle. "Tony's hero was _Captain America_?" he asked in shock.

"I guess it makes sense," I remarked, finding myself just as surprised. "I mean, he was our hero too growing up, and Howard Stark was the one who helped make Steve Rogers Captain America, so he no doubt told Tony loads of stories about the guy. How weird, though, to meet your hero and fight alongside them."

He gave him a pointed look, which caused me to blush as he murmured, "Oh, yeah, huh. Me and Tony. Anyways, I think it's sad considering all that happened," I commented quietly, and he shot me a curious look.

"What do you mean?" Ned asked hesitantly, and I shook my head as I responded, "Sorry, it's not for me to say. Suffice to say he hurt Tony, and the next time I see Steve Rogers, I'm gonna punch him in his perfect teeth."

Ned's mouth made an "o" shape, but he said nothing as our attention turned back to the screen.

Around age eleven Tony was sent off to boarding school, and that's when some of the first bits of negative press began to come out. Tony was fighting at school. Tony was excelling at school and skipping grades. Tony was expelled from boarding school. Tony was assisting his father with SI business, shocking the world with his ingenuity. Tony was seen publicly arguing with his father. Tony was fighting at school. Tony was drinking. Tony was stealing. Tony was crashing cars. Tony was expelled from another boarding school. Tony graduated high school at fourteen. Tony was accepted into MIT, the youngest student ever to attend. Tony was arrested. Tony was arrested again and again for crashing cars, destruction of property, and attacking paparazzi.

Videos showed Tony shooting a cocky grin at the cameras before flipping them the bird and roaring with laughter. He cussed out reporters, threw things at them, and even mooned them once, which had both us blushing and looking away.

"You know, Pete, I don't think Tony is a good example on how to deal with the media," Ned said, and I found myself agreeing. I knew Tony had been a troublemaker, but even I couldn't have imagined all this. I felt another flash of guilt as I realized Dad probably wouldn't want me and Ned knowing all this.

"Well, maybe when he was a kid he wasn't so great, but he definitely got better with age," I defended, but Ned didn't look convinced. We watched a few more minutes before we came upon news regarding Howard and Maria's deaths. The amount of media attention this received astounded me. There was article after article detailing their deaths and speculating as to the causes. What seemed to gain even more attention, though was poor Tony. The sixteen-year-old had been grieving, yet the media hadn't let him breathe for a single second. They'd managed to be there when he was told what happened by a man called, Obadiah Stane, his godfather. Tony's face, it was described went white, but other than that, he'd shown no expression. Speculations were made as to what he'd been feeling, which I thought was effing ridiculous. The kid's parents died. What did they think he was feeling?

There was even footage of the goddamn funeral! All of it was on Tony who stood solemnly, an older man (his godfather?) placing an occasional hand on his shoulder. Articles covered every second of the funeral, analyzing everything Tony said and didn't say along with analyzing his every expression. Speculations began as to if he'd return to college or what would happen to SI. Who would adopt the young genius? Oh, he was being emancipated. Was this wise? Shouldn't Mr. Stane, the new CEO of SI take in Tony?

There were articles, pictures, and footage of Tony from the night of the funeral, passed out drunk in his car in the parking lot of some bar. Reporters asked him how he was feeling and why he was drinking, but all Tony did was glare at the cameras before an older woman, named Peggy Carter, showed up and hauled him away, cursing at the reporters for their insensitivity.

"That's so messed up," Ned whispered, looking as upset as me.

"I can't imagine going through something like that," I said, Ned voicing his agreement. "There's our first clue as to how he dealt with the media, though," I added. "Ignore them."

"Yeah, well you know that doesn't work with you, and clearly that didn't work for him," my friend replied before asking, "Are you sure we should still be doing this? I really feel like we're invading Tony's privacy. He's going to be mad at us if he finds out."

"This stuffs all on the web for anyone to see, so it's not really—okay, it is, but I kind of want to keep digging, don't you?" I questioned nervously, knowing if he said no, that I would stop.

"Yeah, of course I do, but that doesn't mean it's right," he stated, and while I secretly agreed, I was too hooked to stop. We began watching, seeing, and reading about his next several years, seeing the reckless, arrogant, drunken playboy the world sometimes still saw Tony as; and I guess they had good reason to. There were tons of documentation of him drunk doing all sorts of stupid and illegal things, getting arrested, mouthing off at the press, with woman after woman in his arms. It was hard for me to watch my dad act like this cocky ass who cared only about himself. Among all this embarrassing stuff, there were also videos and articles about everything he did for SI and what a great weapons manufacturer he was. An American patriot. A hero. The Da Vinci of our time. A mass murderer. A war monger. The Merchant of Death. What kind of messed up nickname was that?

The more I saw, the easier it became to see why Tony would drown himself in alcohol, partying, and women. It was easy to see why he put on the persona of an arrogant ass who didn't give a shit about what anybody thought of him, because if he acted like he cared, then people would see what he was really feeling and use it against him…or, at least that's what I thought. As I watched videos and looked at pictures more closely, I felt as if I could see past that ever-charming grin he'd grace the cameras with. The smile was off like it'd been painted on him because the eyes rarely reflected the joy and confidence that smile exuded. His eyes seemed tormented, angry, sad or…lifeless at times. Maybe I was seeing too much or imagining things, but somehow, I felt my musings were spot on.

Pepper began to appear in our search, and we saw the continued speculations of whether or not she and Tony were dating. It seemed periodically over the many years they'd known each other, some tabloid would pop up with rumors of them dating. I found it amusing, but it didn't seem like Pepper had. We'd watched her learn to deal with the media as well, ignoring them, lashing out, and then treating them with indifference. Somehow, I felt she'd be a better role model than Tony, at least in terms of dealing with the public.

Despite all his embarrassing and shameful behavior, I saw moments where the Tony showed his heart, like when it came to making donations, building hospitals, and even making multiple visits to a retirement home. I found that last one curious. I did find it interesting how the times he did things like this there were no big press conferences, headlines, or even show boating. It was like every time he did something good, he didn't want people to really know. Maybe, because it was the real him doing it? Maybe, because in those handful of pictures taken over the years, his smile seemed genuine?

We reached 2008, and both of us knowing what happened next, we eyed each other, silently asking if we should continue. At Ned's slow nod, I clicked on the first newspapers and news casts announcing Tony's kidnapping. It was headline news, and it only took a week before speculations of his death arose, and another week before the media seemed certain he had to be dead. Months went by with the future of SI being questioned as Obadiah Stane took over as CEO once more. Then, Tony came back, alive and...well, he was alive. I clicked on a video of his first news conference when he got back to the US, and my heart ached at how bad he looked. He was dressed up, but the clothes didn't seem to fit him well. They were too big, which accentuated how thin his face was, signifying that he'd lost a lot of weight when in captivity. His face was pale, no doubt from so much time spent in the dark, and his eyes looked haunted. He had an arm in a sling and a few scratches on his face. All in all, he presented a pathetic sight.

The press conference started and I found it odd when he asked everybody to sit down along with him. He ate a hamburger before beginning to speak, his first words being, _"I never got to say goodbye to my Dad."_ He murmured them first quietly, as though more to himself than others before he repeated the statement louder.

 _"I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to protect them."_

 _"I saw that I had become part of a system that was comfortable with zero accountability."_

 _"That is why, effective immediately, I am shutting down the weapons industry until such a time…"_

His words, his tone, his expression…they were all so different from the Tony Stark of a couple months prior. This man was the _real_ Tony Stark, and the media just didn't see it. Everything after the press conference talked about how _crazy_ Tony acted, and how he must be suffering from PTSD. Well, they may be right on that account, but that didn't mean what he'd said wasn't true. He became the butt of may jokes, and it infuriated me.

"How could they treat him like that?" Ned asked through gritted teeth, and I was only mildly surprised by how much he cared about Tony.

Searching through more articles, I found tons concerning Tony announcing himself as Iron Man. I looked at what spurred that admission, and found that he'd gotten into a fight with some _robot_? Huh, I didn't remember that, but I guess I hadn't been paying that much attention to the news when Tony made his admission of being Iron Man. I noticed an article around the same time announcing that Obadiah Stane had died in a small plane crash. That was Tony's godfather. I wondered why he never mentioned him.

Anthony padded into the room suddenly, panting heavily before plopping himself down onto the floor between Ned and me. Pepper had probably just gotten back from taking him on a run. I ran my hand through his growing fur. He was filling out pretty quickly, and his fur had a shiny gloss to it that hadn't been there before.

"What're you two boys up to?" Pepper asked curiously as she walked into our room. She looked at what was on the screen, which was the article regarding Stane's death. The small smile she'd been wearing completely vanished, a deep frown and dark look replacing it. I was taken aback by how much hostility I sensed, so I quickly waved away the screen, which caused it to vanish.

Ned and I exchanged guilty looks when Pepper's eyes turned towards us. "Care to explain why you were looking up Obadiah Stane? How would you even have heard of him?" I shifted uneasily, looking down at Anthony's fur as I contemplated what to say.

" _Peter_ ," Mom addressed sternly, and I hunched my shoulders before shooting her apologetic eyes.

"I was trying to figure out how Tony has been able to deal with the media and press so effectively, so I started looking into his past," I explained, looking back down at Anthony, who was gracing me with an adoring look before licking my hand. "I guess we got a little too into it."

Mom sighed heavily, and glancing up, I saw she had her hands on her hips and was looking at me sternly. "What all have you seen?"

"Pretty much everything from when he was born until he admitted to being Iron Man," I admitted timidly, wondering if she was angry or disappointed with me.

She let out another heavy sigh as she walked over and sat on the edge of my bed. "Why didn't you just ask Tony this, Peter?" she questioned softly, and Ned threw me a pointed yet guilty look that I ignored.

"Seemed simpler this way," I mumbled, and she arched an eyebrow at me as she said, "You mean more interesting?" I nodded guiltily.

"You mad?" I asked in a small voice, and she gave me a sad smile as she shook her head.

"I'm disappointed that you'd invade Tony's privacy like this, but I understand that all of this is on the internet for anyone to see," she said. "Next time, just talk to him or me instead of doing this. I don't want you getting the wrong image about your dad because of"—

"I haven't," I assured her. "I get, at least somewhat, why Tony was the way he was. I also get that the way he dealt with things is not the way I want to deal with things. I don't need to drink or do drugs to forget or to try and be happy. I'm not alone like he was."

Pepper's expression turned affectionate and proud as she looked to me and nodded. Next to me, Anthony gave a groan before rolling onto his back and giving me an imploring look to rub his belly. I snickered as I did so, smiling widely when he began to move his hind leg rapidly signaling his enjoyment.

"Can I ask a question?" Ned finally asked when it looked like we weren't in trouble. "Why didn't Mr. Stane take Tony in? He was Tony's godfather, wasn't he?" I looked to Pepper, curious myself, but at the sudden anger on her face, Ned quickly held up his hands as he backpedaled. "Um, never mind Pepper, I'm sorry for asking. I didn't mean to make you mad," he said quickly in a small, apologetic voice.

Pepper shook her head, closing her eyes briefly before letting out a sigh. "No, I'm sorry Ned, I'm not angry at either one of you. It's a legitimate question, although, it is one you'll have to ask Tony if you really want the answer."

We both nodded, although, personally, I wasn't sure I wanted to know after seeing her reaction. What had the man done to make my mom so angry? Well, she had to have hurt Tony in some way. What else would cause her to look like that? But, what could the man have done? He was Tony's godfather, so he must've cared for Tony, right? I recalled now the file on Tony's computer regarding Obadiah Stane, and I wished I'd opened it. I remembered the other folder with the name Peggy Carter, and wondered who she was. She'd been the one to help Tony the night of his parent's funeral, but then there wasn't any more mention of her. I didn't dare ask, though, not wanting to admit to snooping through his personal files. While Googling him had been okay, seeing as this was all public knowledge, I knew that searching through Dad's personal files was not something that'd be taken well. Stomach churning nervously, I had a feeling if Tony found out about what I'd done I'd find myself over his knees getting my tail busted; which, was a position I strived to avoid at all costs.

"You going to tell Tony about what we were doing?" I asked nervously, and Pepper's lips pursed before she nodded.

"I think you should tell him," she said simply, "but if you don't, I will. Whatever it is you saw or found, just know that's only the public's perception of Tony. They saw what he wanted them to see, and rarely did they see anything else. Don't judge him based on that."

"We won't," I responded firmly as Ned said, "Of course not, Pepper. We know Tony is a great guy."

"Oh, and you're right," Pepper added as she got up. "Do _not_ use Tony as an example on how to deal with the media. Resorting to drinking, drugs, stealing, or getting arrested will land you in deep trouble with us, mister," she warned, wagging a finger at me. I blushed, embarrassed at her need to warn me like that. As if I didn't already know that behavior wasn't acceptable. Sheesh. She left after that, and Ned and I settled ourselves in my bean bags, both contemplating what we'd seen. Anthony walked to his bed and began chewing on his Captain America toy, which caused me to smirk as it gave off a dying squeak.

"That was some pretty crazy stuff we saw, huh?" Ned remarked after several minutes of silence. "I mean, we'd both heard rumors of what Tony used to be like, but to see it…he was pretty wild."

I shot my best friend a mild glare, which caused him to roll his eyes. "I'm not judging him, man, it's just he sure did a lot of stupid stuff, despite his reasons. Like Pepper said, if you did any of that, you'd be in big trouble."

"My dad didn't have anybody there to yank him in back in line," I defended, and Ned just frowned as he commented, "It's weird that his godfather didn't, isn't it? Or, I guess just because he was Tony's godfather it doesn't mean he took an active role in his life."

"I guess," I said.

"I hope Tony isn't too mad at us for what we did. I told you it wasn't a good idea. I don't know why I let you talk me into these bad ideas all the time," Ned complained, and I rolled my eyes before chucking a pillow at him.

"I don't think he'll be mad," I told him, although I wasn't really sure. I chewed on the inside of my cheek as I contemplated on Tony would react. If it hadn't been for Pepper finding out, I would've never planned on telling Tony what I'd done. "Well," I said, "even if he is mad, he'll be mad with me, not you."

Ned quirked an eyebrow at me before letting out a sigh. "So, I guess the Tony Stark act is not the method to follow," he mused, and I laughed as I shook my head. "If I did even a quarter of the things he did, my parents would kill me," he stated, and I couldn't help but nod.

"Yeah, despite all the crap he did, I know Tony wouldn't let me get away with any of it either," I remarked with a bemused shake of my head. "He'd probably lock me in my room and throw away the key, and that's after he'd blister my backside." We both grimaced at the thought.

"So," Ned said, changing the topic, "you ask MJ to the Halloween dance yet?"

"Actually, she asked me," I answered sheepishly, and Ned laughed. "Are you going?"

"Yup, and I'm dressing up as Bruce," he declared proudly.

I raised an inquiring eyebrow. "As the Hulk?"

"Nope, as Bruce Banner, the scientist," he clarified with a smile. "I've already talked to Bruce, and after he got over his surprise, he got me a lab coat to wear. I've already bought some brown pants and a purple dress shirt. He rolled his eyes when I told him that, complaining that he wears more than that, but Tony just laughed loudly while pointing out that Bruce was wearing those clothes at the time."

I chuckled, imagining Ned dressed like Bruce. It'd certainly be hilarious. "Who are you going as?" he asked, and this time I grinned proudly as I told him, "Iron Man, of course."

Ned rolled his eyes before asking, "Is Tony going to let you borrow a suit?"

Now I was the one rolling my eyes as I scoffed. "Yeah, right, as if. He doesn't even know that I'm going as him. I'm just gonna get a costume at Party City. I'll draw a goatee on myself or buy one, I suppose," smiling widely as I imagined how funny I'd look. Ned's snickering said he was thinking the same thing. "And MJ," I continued, "has been talking with Nat about dressing up as the Black Widow."

"Surprise, surprise," Ned commented as we shared knowing looks. "Figures she'd become attached to the scariest woman in the world."

"You want to plan on going together?" I questioned, and he raised an eyebrow as he asked back, "Won't I be a third wheel?" I shook my head as I said, "Nah, it's just a Halloween dance. We can get something to eat, have fun at the dance, and then come back here for a sleepover. Sound cool?"

He looked excited as he nodded his head up and down.

 **Tony's POV:**

"How are our mutual friends doing?" I asked T'Challa casually as we walked around the Wakandan embassy in Paris.

"Not well," he replied seriously. "They are suffering, and they have too much time to think over their actions along with stewing over their situation. There are more arguments now as they've been cooped up together for too long. Not knowing what is going on outside of my country is also grating on them. They are itching to leave and to fight. It will not be long, I fear, before some or all of them leave."

I sighed sadly, running a hand through my hair. "You've told them we're working on getting them pardoned, right?" I pressed, unsurprised when he nodded.

"Of course, I have," he answered in frustration, "and it is probably the only reason they are still in my country. The fact that I cannot give them a date along with the fact that they do not trust the UN is not helping. They are also afraid of what will happen if they are pardoned. They still are not in agreement with the Accords."

"Do they know I'm involved?" I asked evenly, unsure whether I wanted him to say yes or no.

"They do," he responded, and I waited for him to tell me whether they took that news well or not. "Their reactions have fluctuated. At times, they are grateful and relieved, and other times they are wary and fearful." I grimaced, unsurprised, but still hurt that they would have any doubt in me. We were family and despite everything that'd happened, I would never betray them.

"Assure them I'm doing everything I can to get them home. Despite our differences concerning the Accords, they are my family and I'll do everything I can to help them," I said passionately, and T'Challa smiled, giving me a nod.

"I shall inform them of that, and hopefully it will help allay their fears," he told me. "I can tell none of them want to mistrust you; well, most of them," he amended somewhat apologetically. "Scott Lang and Sam Wilson have their reservations, but I suspect it is because they barely know you."

I nodded in understanding. Sam and I barely spent any time around each other, and I had never met Scott until the battle in Germany. I was surprised that Wanda wasn't listed along with them. I knew she'd hated me and blamed me for her parent's deaths. Yes, her feelings had lessened over time to the point where we could get along with each other, but still…Well, I was glad to know she hadn't gone back to hating my guts. I was hopeful that once we got them back, I'd be able to have some sort of relationship with all of them. I didn't expect everything to be as it was, but I hoped we'd be able to repair the rift eventually. The world needed the Avengers, and the Avengers needed Steve Rogers to lead.

Rogers…he was the one who I'd have the most difficulty being around. I hadn't exactly forgiven him for everything that had happened, and the things he'd said. Granted, I knew it was a two-way street, and I'd done things I regretted, but that didn't absolve him of his sins. Things would be strained. My trust in him was strained, but not broken at least. Sometimes I was pissed with the guy and wanted to beat the crap out of him again while other times I missed him and wanted to just give him a slap on the back and welcome him home. I imagined the reality would be I'd punch him in the face before welcoming him.

"How is fatherhood treating you, Tony?" T'Challa now asked, a genuine smile on his face and a teasing glint in his eyes. "I have been tempted to inform the others if only to see their reactions."

"I doubt they'd be as amused as you think," I drawled before smiling soft. "Fatherhood has been great though," I admitted sincerely. "Peter is amazing, and I love him to death. Never thought I'd feel like that. Never thought I'd be a father. Kid can drive me up a wall, though. Seems to land himself in trouble more than I'd like, but I wouldn't change anything. Sometimes I'm afraid because I feel I'm a bad influence on him, or that I'll make a mistake; but, other times I think I'm doing okay."

The king nodded his head. "I am no father, but everything you have told me about Peter shows me how much you love him, and when it comes to being a parent, I feel that is the most important thing. Everything else will fall naturally. I am certain you are doing a wonderful job."

I gave the man a grateful look, appreciating his support. Over the past year, T'Challa and I had formed a close friendship due to working together on amending the Accords, and due to our mutual acquaintances. We'd worked together to achieve a common goal, but spending so much time together, especially in a stressful situation, we'd begun to rely on and trust each other. We began to open up, telling each other about things going on in our lives that had nothing to do with the other Avengers or the Accords.

"And you, your majesty?" I asked back with a smirk. "Does the great king of Wakanda plan on marrying or having children any time soon?"

T'Challa snorted and shook his head, but there was a small grin on his face. "Neither one is something I see in the near future, but yes, eventually I would like to find a wife and have a child. I just do not believe that now is the right time for me. I am still adjusting to wearing the title of king along with that of the Black Panther."

I nodded, feeling sympathy for the younger man. I couldn't imagine the stress he must be under. Not only was he a hero, but he was also running an entire country. "You know if there's anything I can ever do to help you, you only need to ask," I told him seriously. "I won't pretend to know anything about being a king, but I'll do whatever I can as Tony Stark and Iron Man."

T'Challa's smile was genuine and appreciative as he nodded his head. "Thank you, Tony," he said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Now, if you will excuse me, it looks like I am needed," he stated, and I nodded in understanding as he walked over to his posse. After all the time the king and I had spent together, I still didn't know who they were. They were always around, though, guarding and watching.

My phone began to ring, and I smiled when I saw it was Peter. "How's it going, spiderling? What're you doing up so late?"

"Hi Tony," he greeted back, "and it's not late. It's only 1AM. Ned and I are pulling an all-nighter." I grinned, glad to know he wasn't out as Spider Man. As proud as I was of the things he did, that didn't change the fact that I always worried when he was out. Right now, though, he was having a sleepover like any other teenager, and I loved that; so, if he wanted to stay up all night, then I wasn't going to say no.

"You two having fun?" I asked as I sat down at a bench.

"Oh yeah, of course we are!" he answered enthusiastically. "We've been stuffing ourselves with junk food, playing video games, watching movies, and now we're building a huge fort in my room using webs, blankets, and pillows. It's going to be epic."

I couldn't believe how much joy I got just from hearing how happy he was. I was also thrilled to hear how _still_ after everything he'd been through, he could still be innocent enough to play. I heard barking in the background, Ned yelling, and then Peter laughing.

"Anthony!" Peter yelled "let go of Ned's pajamas!" I laughed, imagining what must be happening while at the same time also rolling my eyes for the thousandth time over how he'd named the dog after me. Honestly. At least the dog was good looking and smart. If it'd been a chihuahua or something, I'd probably have dropped it off at a shelter in shame. I heard more barking, yelling, and laughter before Peter began to speak once more.

"Uh, so listen, Dad," Peter spoke, now sounding somewhat nervous, "I was kind of calling for a reason. You haven't spoken to Mom yet, have you?"

I raised an eyebrow that he couldn't see before responding warily, "No, I haven't. Should I have?" What did you do, kiddo? I couldn't help but think. If he was prefacing this conversation with asking me if I'd heard from Pepper, that usually meant he was in trouble.

"Well, no, I guess not. She was wanting me to be the one to tell you," he murmured, and I frowned.

"You in trouble, pal?" I asked softly, and he immediately replied, "No! I mean, well, I don't think so. Pepper didn't seem mad, just kinda disappointed, but she said I had to tell you or she'd tell you, and so I figured I'd just get this over with." I felt confused so I just remined silent, giving the kid time to just speak.

"Okay, so, uh…jeez, I feel dumb. I mean, I wasn't exactly—okay, so maybe I was prying, but it's all public knowledge," he said defensively, although I wasn't sure what he was defending against. "It's on the internet for everybody to see, so I wasn't _really_ invading your privacy or anything." My eyebrows rose now, the picture becoming a little clearer. There was _a lot_ on the internet about me, and in all truth, most of it I didn't want my kid looking at. Why was he looking me up, anyway?

"What did you see?" I asked warily after he'd remained quiet for too long.

"Oh, yeah, uh, you see…," he mumbled, clearly stalling, which only caused me to become more concerned. Jesus, with all the crap about me on the internet, what could he have looked at that had him hesitant about telling me? I felt impatient at how long it was taking Peter to talk, but held my sharp tongue in check. He was sensitive, and he tended to take my sharp words to heart, dwelling over my thoughtless words. There were more moments of silence, and I found myself becoming nervous. Come on kid, I begged mentally, scared now that something he'd seen had really upset him.

I heard the boy take in a deep breath, and mentally applauded him. "Okay…okay, here goes," he said with determination, and I couldn't help but quirk a smile. He hadn't put off telling me something this badly even when he'd tried to get Bruce to Hulk out. "So, I have to start by saying that Ned also saw everything, but don't be mad at him cuz this was my idea," he explained. "I wanted to see how you dealt with the media invading your life, so I just Googled you, starting with your childhood. We saw videos, pictures, and articles and stuff starting with your birth –you were a cute baby by the way—and we saw some of the trouble you got into while at boarding school. We read about your parent's death, and saw some footage of you from the day of. We then saw and reads stuff regarding your, uh, pre-Iron Man days. Then, we got to Afghanistan and your kidnapping, and ended with you telling the world you're Iron Man."

My heart was pounding, and I closed my eyes as I leaned forward. I had one hand on my phone and the other one gripping my hair as I attempted to comprehend all the kids had seen, and their idiotic reason why. He'd given me an overview, and _goddamn_. He'd seen everything from the day I was born until 2008. What the hell? _So damn much_ happened in those years, none of which I really wanted him or Ned to know about. A flash of anger and hurt coursed through me. On the internet or not, I still felt it was an invasion of my privacy. It hadn't just been a little bit he'd seen. He'd seen practically my entire life! And all because he wanted to see how I dealt with the media? Why hadn't he just asked me?! I took in several deep breaths, biting back a scream of frustration along with the urge to verbally lash out at my boy.

"Dad?" Peter said timidly, and I let out a loud sigh of frustration. I fought to keep my temper down, having no desire to hurt the kid. He hadn't done this to hurt me, but I still felt that way. He could've just _asked_ me.

"I'm sorry," he now added in a small, apologetic voice, clearly getting upset now as I hadn't said anything.

"I know, pal," I finally said sadly. "I just wish you would've come to me instead of going behind my back and Googling me. I'm not a stranger to you kid, and I would've answered any questions you had honestly. The internet is the last place I would've wanted you to learn anything about me. There's a lot on there that I'm ashamed of, and there's also a lot that just isn't true." Not to mention the private stuff the media had no right knowing, I thought to myself bitterly.

"I didn't mean to hurt you," the little spider told me, sounding extremely sorry. His sadness tugged at my heartstrings like it always did, and it worked to soothe away some of my anger. "I know it's not a good excuse at all, but I was just curious, and the more I found out, the more I needed to know. I also didn't think you'd tell me this stuff," he admitted, and just like that my anger shot up once more, and I clenched my teeth tightly to keep myself from speaking, but this time it didn't work when he decided to ask, "Are you really mad?"

"What do you think?" I snapped heatedly. "You went digging into my past behind my back when you could've just asked me! God kid, I don't want you to learn about me through the damn internet. Yeah, I get that all this is public knowledge, but to me, it's still an invasion of privacy and I can't help but be hurt. Peter, you've told me countless times you don't want the media digging into your past, and you just did that to me," I lectured, wincing when I heard the whimper he gave.

"I'm sorry," he repeated once more in that small, sad voice of his that always tugged at my heart strings. In the background I heard Ned telling Peter to tell me he was sorry too. I forced myself to take in a huge breath to calm down. It was probably a good thing I was in a different country right now or I would've been busting those boys' butts out of sheer anger.

"Kiddo, I've got to hang up," I had to say, feeling my temper simmering beneath the surface. He began to choke out another apology, but I hung up before he could even finish. Gripping the phone tightly, I let out a loud groan as I lay out on the bench. Taking in another calming breath, I resisted the urge to call Pepper. The boys may have been up, but I knew Pepper would only be awake at this hour if she was working. I lay there for several minutes, mind racing with all the possibilities of things the brats could've seen when my phone rang again. My eyebrows rose when I saw it was Pepper, but I more than happily answered it.

"Hey, Pep," I greeted happily.

"Hello, Tony," she responded lovingly. "A little spider told me about the conversation he just had with you."

I let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose as I told her, "I'm pissed, Pep, and hurt. What the hell did he think he was doing? Why not just _ask_ me instead of searching me up like some kind of fanboy? There's so much shit about me on the web that I don't need or want the kid to know about. And, he had to drag Ned into this. What all do they know about now? Did they tell you they searched everything up about me from when I was born until the Iron Man news conference?"

"I know," Pepper replied sympathetically. "I walked in to see them reading an article on Obadiah's death." I tensed at that, frowning darkly as I thought about the man and everything he'd done. "I told them I was disappointed in what they'd done and that they should've just talked to you. I knew you wouldn't like what he did which is why I had him tell you."

"I'm glad you did," I responded, "I'd rather know than not, but maybe next time give me some forewarning. I had to hang up on the nosy spider to keep from biting his head off."

"Yes, I gathered that," she stated, her tone apologetic. "Peter burst into my room immediately afterwards to tell me what happened. As you can imagine, he's quite upset, him and Ned. You know both those boys would never want to hurt you. They idolize you."

"Even after all they've found out about me," I grumbled.

"Yes," she replied firmly. "Believe it or not, the more they find out about you, the more they love you; and, I'm talking about both Peter and Ned." I shook my head, not understanding either one of those kids. How could they idolize me after all the crap they'd no doubt found out about me? It just didn't make sense. They had to have seen by now what an arrogant, selfish, bastard I was or had been.

"Tony, enough," Pepper ordered, "I know what you're thinking so just stop it. Peter and Ned are smart enough to see past headline news. They understand that many of the things you did were idiotic, but none of it changes who you are to them."

I thought over her words, the lingering anger and hurt I'd been feeling towards the boys leaving me. My feelings for them trumped everything else I was feeling. Peter was my son, and Ned—Ned was basically like a nephew I never knew I wanted, I thought with a soft grin. Those kids were family, and just like that I forgave them.

"Thanks for the pep talk," I finally said with a smirk. "I'm gonna call the little spider and let him know I'm not pissed. Love you."

I could hear the grin in her voice as she replied, "Love you too."

Hanging up, I dialed the spiderling's number, and he picked up before the first ring had even finished. Although he picked up quickly, though, the voice that greeted me was hesitant. "Dad?" Peter greeted timidly while Ned said in an equally timid voice, "Hi, Tony." I realized I was on speaker.

"I'm not angry boys," I decided to say, foregoing a greeting. Both their timid voices bothered me, so I wanted to allay their worries as quickly as I could. "I really wish you would've just asked me, but I'm not angry anymore, okay?"

I heard twin sighs of relief, and couldn't help but grin as both teens repeatedly voiced their apologies.

"We're sorry, Dad," Peter stated, "we should've just talked to you."  
"Yeah, Tony, we're really sorry," Ned apologized. "D-don't worry about us thinking any differently about you, alright. None of what we saw changes anything."

"You're still the best dad ever and the coolest super hero, right Ned?" Peter stated, and Ned voiced his agreement. My smile widened, and I couldn't help the rush of affection I felt towards both unruly kids.

"Alright, alright, you don't need to sweet talk me," I spoke gruffly, "you're not in trouble or anything. Just talk to me next time, alright? Don't go Googling me like some random fanboys who've never met me. If you want to know more about me, _ask me_. I promise not to bite your heads off, you got it?"

"Got it," they spoke in unison, and I was glad to hear they sounded more upbeat. Ugh, since when did I become such a softy that two morose boys could cause me so much grief. I should still be angry with them, but I couldn't bring myself to be.

"Sorry again, Tony," Ned spoke up. "Force of habit, I guess, seeing as we kinda used to be fanboys," he commented with some amusement, and I couldn't help but give a chuckle. That chuckle turned to laughter when I heard the boy give a cry as Peter no doubt shoved him.

"We weren't fanboys," Peter argued, and I could hear the embarrassment in his tone, which told me Ned had told the truth.

"Oh yeah we were," Ned argued back in amusement. "Remember the time that"—the rest of his words became garbled, and I could only assume Peter had covered his mouth with his hand or a pillow.

"Uh, we gotta go, Dad," Peter spoke, and it sounded like he was several feet away from his phone. "See ya soon!"

"Bye, kiddos," I said before hanging up. I let out another chuckle before sitting myself up. Natasha was seated on the bench a few feet away from me, and she raised an eyebrow at me.

"How much did you hear?" I asked curiously, and she answered, "Enough." I just nodded, not the least bit irritated. I was used to Nat knowing things she shouldn't and appearing out of nowhere. It's just who she was. Looking at her more closely, I couldn't help but grin widely as I noticed she was wearing one of _Peter's_ jackets. She simply stared at me with a blank expression, and I shook my head as I stood up, refraining from mentioning anything.

"We have another meeting to get to, and we're late," she informed me with an unconcerned shrug. This was one of the many reasons I loved her. Like me, she didn't much care for arriving on time to these sorts of meetings. If Rogers had been here, he would've been chewing us both out; but, he wasn't, so when we arrived at the meeting, we received some dark looks, some amused looks, and some looks of indifference. _Politicians, ugh_.

 **A/N:** Not much going on in this chapter, so I guess it's just a filler. Planning on getting into the Halloween dance next. Anyways, please REVIEW!


	39. Chapter 39

**A/N: I'm sure a lot of you have assumed somethings going to go wrong on Halloween, well, you're right! Just might not be exactly what you're expecting. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Chapter 39: Halloween Gone Wrong**

 **Peter's POV:**

"Pepper, come on! Moooomm!" I protested loudly as she gushed over how _cute_ we all looked. "You're gonna make us late!"

"Well, if you're posing as Tony Stark, then being late is perfectly in character," she replied smartly, ushering Ned, MJ, and I together for one last picture. I huffed, but gave in, especially when she said she wanted a picture to send to Tony, Bruce, and Natasha. "Be in character," she ordered, and I put on a cocky grin as I crossed my arms and stared at the camera dead on. Ned, on my right shot the camera a sheepish grin while MJ sported a slightly bored expression as she graced the camera with narrowed eyes. Right before the flash went off, Anthony ran up, in his Iron Man costume, and sat himself right in front of us, seeking out the limelight just like his namesake. The flash went off, and we all laughed loudly, Anthony letting out an energetic bark as he tried to tackle me to the ground.

"Love you too, Anthony, but I gotta go. Hang out with Mom tonight, okay. Watch scary movies and stuff your face with food," I told the dog, giving him a kiss on his head. "Alright, we're leaving now! Bye!" I said to Mom, quickly dragging my friends towards the elevator before she could embarrass me anymore. Both of them were laughing while Pepper said goodbye.

"I love Pepper," Michelle remarked happily as we rode the elevator down, and I rolled my eyes. We all piled into my car, heading straight for the school, where the dance was held. The only dance that wasn't held at our school was prom, thankfully. The ASB president was currently trying to convince me to hold it at my place, but I'd shot them down multiple times. I didn't anticipate them giving up any time soon, though.

We walked into our school and were surprised by how unfamiliar it looked. It was completely decked out for Halloween, cobwebs, fog machines, skeletons, and all sorts of scary decorations. I could hear screams, and it looked like there was a haunted maze going on.

"Oh, we are so going through that," Ned stated, excitedly jumping up and down on his feet, causing me to snicker. I gave MJ an inquiring look, and she just shrugged, so we all made our way to the entrance.

"Hi Peter!" the girl manning the line greeted happily. "Wow, you look just like Tony Stark," she stated, and I could see her blushing. The girl looked to MJ now, and then quickly averted her eyes as she told us to move on. I stifled a laugh as I was sure MJ had been throwing her a patented "Natasha death stare".

We bravely made our way through the maze, Ned clinging to both mine and MJ's arm. I could tell she was a little nervous, but she hid it better than Ned. I, on the other hand didn't find this scary at all. With my enhanced senses, I could hear and see anything coming our way. When Ned screamed, MJ screamed, and then I decided to scream as well for the fun of it. By the end of the maze, the screams had turned to laughter as one of the zombies had face planted when he'd tried to scare us.

We headed into the gymnasium to the sound of "Monster Mash" playing. It was a corny song, but everybody was singing and dancing along to it anyways. Grinning, we all threw ourselves into the fray, dancing and hollering. For once, nobody was pointing or trying to gain my attention. For once, it was like old times where I was just another kid at a school party having fun. We danced around, poking fun at each other for how ridiculous we looked. We took pictures at the free picture booth they had set up before finally heading to the food. As we grabbed candy, pizza, and sodas to chow on, MJ excused herself, saying she had something to take care of. I figured she was going to the restroom, but when twenty minutes passed by, Ned and I shared curious looks.

"Maybe she's having a girl thing," Ned suggested with a shrug, and I just rolled my eyes at him.

"I'm gonna go look for her. If she's not feeling good, then I'll take her home," I said, and he nodded, getting up with me to go search. We headed to the girl's restroom first, and asked a girl to check if MJ was in there. She went in and came out, saying nobody was in there right now. Ned and I exchanged looks again, but this time our curiosity turned to concern. I pulled out my phone and called her, but it rang and rang before going to voice mail. I called again, but she still didn't pick up. I was starting to grow really worried when I received a text from her.

 _I'm fine, Peter, don't freak out. I'll be back in a few minutes. DON'T come looking for me._

Ned read the text over my shoulder, and his brow furrowed in confusion and concern. "What's she doing?" he asked, and I shrugged, feeling rather dumbfounded. I texted her back.

 _What're you doing? And, I can't help freaking out when you disappear and send a cryptic message like that._

She didn't respond, and I huffed, feeling frustrated. Now, I was even more worried. What the heck could she be doing? What if she was in danger? Ned and I were looking at each other, wondering what to do when we saw Flash approaching us. He was dressed up as Batman, and he took off his mask when he reached us. I was going to snap at him to go away, but his expression caused me to keep my mouth shut. He looked uncomfortable, guilty, and concerned.

"Uh, look guys, I know you've got no reason to believe me," he rambled. "I mean, I know we're not friends or anything, but there's something you gotta know. You've got to tell Michelle that she's dealing with the wrong guys, okay? I know she's tough and all, but those guys are bad business. I'm not judging or anything"—

"What're you talking about?" I interrupted in confusion and Flash looked momentarily surprised before frowning.

"Oh," he sighed unhappily, "you don't know. Figures. I didn't think drugs were your kind of thing."

"Drugs?!" Ned gasped loudly, and we both shushed him.

Flash looked guilty now as he nodded his head. "Yeah, she's out back by the busses doing a deal with some guys I know."

"She's buying drugs?" I whispered in shock, and he just shook his head as he corrected me with a serious look. "No, Parker, she's selling."

I stiffened in both shock, confusion, and anger. No, this couldn't be true. He had to be mistaken. Brushing past him, I immediately began to run towards where the busses were. Footsteps trailed behind me, and I knew both Ned and Flash were following.

"Parker, wait!" Flash yelled as he attempted to catch me. "Goddammit, wait!" he hissed, slamming the door to the outside shut after I'd tried to open it up. I gave him a fierce glare that seemed to catch him off guard, but he refused to budge. "Just listen to me," he pleaded. "Those guys aren't students, okay? They're not people you want to mess with. You go out there and try to play the hero, you could get her or yourself hurt. Those guys are dangerous, you get me? That's why I was trying to get you to talk to her."

I took all this in, but I still couldn't believe it.

"How do you know them?" Ned asked, and Flash just let out a sigh.

"My uncle," he explained with a grimace. "He's into some bad stuff. I've seen those guys around at his place, and I've heard what they do. Now, I know I'm no saint, but I've seen what drugs can do to people, so it isn't my thing. If it were anyone but Michelle, I'd call the cops to bust those guys."

My heart hammered, panic setting in as I imagined the danger MJ could be in. Before Flash could stop me, I pulled the door open and ran outside. Flash cursed loudly before following behind me and Ned.

"MJ!" I shouted, concern overriding common sense. With my enhanced ears, I picked up the shuffling of feet and whispered voices. They were in one of the busses. "MJ, where are you?" I shouted again, and she stuck her head out of one of the windows and shot me a venomous glare.

"Go away!" she hissed furiously. "This doesn't concern you!"

I quickly went over to the bus, forced open the doors, and ran on in, only to be faced with three men pointing their guns at me. Oh, crap. Guess Flash hadn't been exaggerating when he said these guys were bad news. Flash and Ned appeared behind me, both immediately freezing when they saw guns pointed at them.

"Hey guys," Flash greeted with forced casualness, "how's it going? Didn't expect to see you here."

"Do we know you?" one of the men asked suspiciously, looking at each of us in turn. When his eyes settled on Flash once more, I saw recognition. "Hey, ain't you Kevin's nephew?"

"Yeah," he responded in relief, his voice coming off a little high pitch. "Yeah, I am." Their guns lowered, no doubt feeling secure that a couple of teens couldn't take them.

"You here to buy?" the same man asked skeptically. "Thought you wasn't into this kind of thing."

Flash shrugged before responding, "That was then, this is now."

"Yer uncle know 'bout this?" another man asked, and Flash glared before saying, "Don't know, don't care. What's it to you?"

"Don't want to cause problems with him," the same man stated with a frown. The first guy, however, was grinning as looked at Flash.

"Ah, leave him be, Speedy, he ain't no little kid anymore," the first man remarked. "Man's gotta right to buy what he wants. Gotta admit, though, didn't figure you was into acid. That's some hardcore stuff."

"Go big or go home," Flash remarked cockily, but I could feel him trembling next to me. MJ for her part looked devastated to see us, and her eyes flitted between the men, their guns, and us. We locked eyes for mere seconds before her mask came back into place, an irritated expression adorning her face.

"Are you guys going to buy or should I find somebody else to distribute," she pressed snappishly, and the men looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"Calm yourself, girly, don't forget who you's dealing with," the third man drawled. "Your brother may be hot stuff in the brig, but you're just a delivery girl, _easily_ replaceable."

"Don't even think about laying a hand on her," I snarled furiously, pushing past the first man before I found a gun in my face again.

"Easy tough guy," Speedy said, looking like he was enjoying himself immensely. "Who're you, her girlfriend?"

"Yes," I ground out, glaring at the man with no fear. The men laughed loudly at my answer, their guns once more lowering. I had to resist the urge fight, fearful that someone would get hurt accidentally. I swore when all this was over I was going to get Tony and Nat to train me how to disarm people with guns quickly and efficiently. This was the second time I refrained from getting involved for fear of causing more harm than good.

The third man, who was the least amused, looked at me more closely, and then cursed. "Shit, Bobby, that's Tony Stark's adopted kid!" he exclaimed, his gun coming back up. "What the fuck are you doing here, boy? Planning on ratting us out to your daddy?" He turned to MJ now, and grabbed her by the hair. "You set us up, bitch?"

"No!" she snapped as she tried to break away.

"Hey, stop that!" I hollered. "Just because Tony Stark's my dad doesn't mean I'm here to rat you out. I'm here to buy. I've got the money," I declared firmly, trying hard to bury the panic that was bubbling up as I pulled out my wallet from my pocket.

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Bobby growled suspiciously.

"Alright, alright, let's everybody calm down," Flash spoke up, holding up hands, managing to sound like he was amused by the situation. "You can trust him. He's with me. Who do you think introduced me to the stuff? Besides," he added in amusement, "just because his dads an Avenger doesn't mean he's changed a whole lot. You do remember what Tony Stark was like, right?"

"Yeah," I spoke up haughtily, "where do you think _I_ got my first hit? Not that he knew, of course." I felt sick at what I said, but at this point I'd do anything to diffuse the situation.

Ned and Flash began laughing at this point, and I hoped the men didn't notice the slight hysterical note coming from Ned. They both slapped me on the back, Flash throwing an arm around me like we were best buds. Honestly, after what he was doing, we may just be friends after this…that is, if he ever forgave me for dragging him into this mess.

Bobby and Speedy seemed to accept my answer, but it seemed the third man was a little smarter. He released his hold on MJ, thankfully, before throwing her a wad of cash. "Thanks, doll face. Same time next month?" he asked, and she nodded, all the while giving him a glare.

"Well, boys, pay up and we'll give you the goods," the man spoke, and I looked at my friends as I said, "Let me pay this round, guys. I've got more than enough cash. How much?" I asked, and Bobby smirked as he asked back, "How much you want?"

"Just looking for a good time tonight," I said with a smirk, and the man gave an amount. Thankfully, I had more than enough, so I paid him and he handed us each tablet.

"Party it up, my young gentlemen," Bobby said with a grand smile that we forced ourselves to return.

"Come on, MJ," I called, "Let's head back before people start to miss us."

"Woah, woah, woah, hang on, little Stark," the third guy ordered, placing a hand on MJ's shoulder. "I still don't trust that you ain't gonna run to the cops or your super hero family, so how about you three just take those tablets now, so we know you're serious. In fact," he said, looking at MJ, "how about all _four_ of you take a tablet, just so we know you's all being honest with us." Speedy and Bobby nodded in agreement, and I felt my throat go dry at the thought of taking this thing.

Flash didn't even pause to respond, just giving a casual shrug before downing the drug. I followed suit, Ned doing so as well with more hesitance. I saw the fear in his eyes, and I wanted to beg for his forgiveness. If I hadn't run off looking for MJ like an idiot, none of this would've happened. I should have listened to Flash. A tablet was handed to MJ, and she just huffed before taking it herself. "Happy now?" she asked waspishly, staring specifically at the man whose hand was on her shoulder. He nodded his head, looking satisfied. Nodding to the other two, he then said, "Let's go boys. We've got a lot of business ahead of us." The three men left, wishing us a good time before exiting the bus. We watched them disappear into the night before finally relaxing.

Ned immediately put his finger into his throat, attempting to throw up, but it wasn't working.

"It's not gonna work," MJ remarked dully as she sank to the floor. Tears were flowing down her cheeks, and she brought her hands to her face as she muttered over and over, "I'm sorry." I just stared at her, caught off guard by the uncharacteristic display of vulnerability and emotion from her.

"We need to get out of here and somewhere safe," Flash stated shakily. "We can't be caught here or out on the streets when this shit takes effect."

"How long will that take?" I asked fearfully.

"It could start affecting us anywhere from 10-40 minutes, definitely within a few hours, and it'll take another 9 hours or so for it to get out of our system," he explained, sounding as afraid as I was. "I've seen my uncle go through this shit," he explained. "I-I don't do this, you gotta believe me."

"We believe you," I remarked hoarsely, before walking over to MJ.

"We gotta go," I told her, firmly grabbing hold of her and pulling her up. "We can't be found out here." Looking at Flash and Ned, I asked, "Do you guys know anywhere we can go?"

"Not my place," Ned stated, and Flash voiced his agreement. "What about your place?" Flash asked. "It's huge, so we wouldn't be caught."

I shook my head. "There's an AI that sees everything. She'd give us up the second we walked in."

"My place isn't good either," MJ said, sounding broken. "My sister wouldn't hesitate calling the cops on us." We exchanged panicked looks before I decided to say, "Look, let's just get out of here. We're guaranteed to get caught if we stay." Nods were given, and we all got out of the bus before heading for the exit.

"We've gotta leave our cars," Flash told us. "We're not going to want to be driving when…well, y'know." I agreed, so we just left the school and settled for running as far away as possible.

"I know somewhere where there are some abandoned buildings," MJ stated, and she began to lead the way. We'd been running for only a few minutes when I began to notice that I wasn't feeling so great. This is what I'd been afraid of. With my metabolism, I knew that the drugs would affect me before they affected anybody else. I was shivering, teeth chattering, and I knew it wasn't from the cold. In fact, I was trembling, and an unnatural bout of fear made its way through my body. I could feel my heart pounding at an unnatural speed, and I grabbed onto Ned, who was the closest to me. He looked at me for only a second before he called to the others to stop.

"I-you guys, I don't feel so great," I admitted, my breath coming out in gasps as my legs gave out.

"Shit!" Flash cursed, as all three knelt next to me. MJ's hand was on my back, rubbing it in comfort. I was scared. Scared to death. I felt tears coming to my eyes, and I suddenly wanted my parents desperately. I didn't want them to see me like this, but I craved their comfort. I heard my watch beginning to beep loudly, shocking my friends. Karen's voice stated that my heart was unnaturally high and that my temperature was rising, both unexpected for my circumstances.

"Call Dad," I ordered, "call him, please," I begged, no longer caring about getting in trouble. I just wanted him here to help me and to make everything better. I was scared. No, I was terrified, and I needed him.

"You're calling Tony Stark?" Flash exclaimed fearfully. "He'll kill me!"

"No, he won't, you idiot," Ned snapped in uncharacteristic anger. "He'll help, and will probably even keep this from our parents."

My phone went off, and I answered it with a chocked sob, answering it and yelling, "Dad, please come get me, please! I didn't mean to, but they forced me, I swear," I told him, desperate for him to understand that I hadn't done this on purpose.

"Peter, I'm already on my way. I'll be there as soon as I can, pal. What happened? Are you hurt?" he asked, sounding deeply concerned. I just cried in relief that he was already headed here, so all I was able to say in response was, "Please hurry, Dad, please, please, please!"

"Peter? Peter! Hey, hey, hey, little spider, what's going on? Talk to me, please!" he begged, and I couldn't manage any more words, a flash of terror coursing through me when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Ahh! Get away!" I roared in terror, MJ grabbing my face and forcing me to look at her.

"Peter, it's okay, everything's going to be okay," she cried brokenly. "Tony is coming, and he'll make everything better, I promise."

 **Tony's POV:**

I pushed my suit as fast as it could go. The second I received the alarm from Karen that my kid's heart rate and temperature were unnaturally high, I'd gotten into my suit and taken off, not even stopping to tell the others what was happening. My brief conversation with the kid terrified me, and my heart nearly stopped when I heard him scream for someone to get away from him. When I heard MJ's voice, though, and how she was telling Peter everything was going to be okay, confusion was added to my concern.

"Tony, you've gotta hurry," I suddenly heard Ned say, and I immediately responded, "I'm going as fast as I can, Ned. What the hell is going on?!" I questioned.

"W-We didn't mean to," Ned stuttered, sounding scared and guilty. "They-they m-made us, and we didn't want to, b-b-but they w-would've hurt us if-if we didn't! We're sorry, please believe us!" he pleaded, and my mind whirled with what the hell my boys had gotten themselves into.

"Ned, kiddo, you gotta tell me what happened, okay?" I spoke gently. "What's wrong with Peter? I won't get angry, I swear. I'll believe you," I assured him, hoping my words would calm him enough to get him to speak.

"Holy shit! What the hell is he doing?!" another male voice exclaimed, and my confusion and concern only mounted as I had no idea who that was. I heard MJ yelling and pleading with Peter while Peter just yelled back. I had to fight off a wave of terror at what could possibly be happening.

"Tony, hurry please!" I heard MJ yell, and the amount of fear I heard in the normally calm and collected girl caused my heart to clench tightly. I could hear Ned sobbing into the phone, and I wanted to snap at him to tell me what happened, but I knew that wouldn't help.

"Please, Ned," I outright begged, "what's going on? I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong. Are you guys okay? Are you hurt? I'm nearly there, buddy, I swear, just please tell me what's wrong!"

"Drugs!" he exclaimed, his tone now verging on hysterical. "Th-they said it was acid! Oh god, oh god, oh god, what's happening?"

LSD?! What the hell?! How had this happened?! I was in the city now, my breath caught in my throat as I realized what those kids were going through. I'd taken that drug only once and never again. The effects had been absolutely agonizing, and it was only Obadiah locking me up in a drug center that kept me from committing suicide. I felt sick just remembering that experience. The hallucinations and feelings had been heart-wrenching, and that'd been when my worst memories were of just bullying and my parents' deaths.

"I'm minutes away," I spoke into the phone, and I heard as Ned's sobs took on a note of relief. Muting the phone only momentarily, I phoned Happy, ordering him to get his ass to the kids' location as soon as he could. My tone was enough to get him to obey without question.

I arrived in the middle of an empty street, landing hard to see four kids in the midst of a breakdown. I barely felt any shock as I noticed Flash was among them, because the second I stepped out of the suit, my arms were occupied with my little spider. My boy was trembling, his eyes wide, bloodshot, and full of terror. They were unfocused, and I realized the drug was going through his system faster than the others. He was seeing something that none of us could, and I pulled the boy close, tears coming to my eyes at his suffering.

Looking towards the other three teens, my heart broke for them as they were clearly all suffering from the initial effects. Flash was curled up against a wall, shooting me a terrified look while Ned and MJ were seated on the sidewalks outright sobbing. I had no idea how this had happened, and frankly I didn't care. These kids needed help, and I was at a loss on how to comfort them all. I locked eyes with Ned, and at his pleading look I held out an arm, and he immediately rushed over to me as well. I had my arms full with both boys, and as I tried to comfort them I kept my eyes on the other two, willing them to both stay and not run. MJ looked like she wasn't going anywhere, but with the look of terror Flash was gracing me with, I was afraid the kid would run.

I heard the screech of tires, and while I felt relief at the fact that it was Happy, all four teens jumped, giving yells of fright. They were all on their feet, and I held out calming hands to them all, telling them that it was Happy, and that he was a friend. "He's here to help, kids, he's here to help," I assured them. Happy got out of the car, Pepper on his tail, and I was beyond relieved to see them both.

"LSD," was all I said, and while both their eyes widened in shock, they asked no more questions as they rushed towards the kids. I took charge of Peter and Ned, leading them towards the limo, glad Happy had listened and brought a larger vehicle. We would not have fit in our regular car. After helping both boys into the car, I looked back to see Pepper leading a shell-shocked MJ while Happy was kneeling before Flash. He was attempting to coax the frightened boy to come with us. Realizing from the looks he kept shooting me, I knew that the only reason Flash wasn't coming over was because he was terrified of me. I cursed myself for scaring the kid all those months ago. His subconscious was making that fear into full blown panic, so I knew I'd have to allay those fears before he'd come with us.

I left my boys, their cries for me breaking my heart, but there was no way I was leaving Flash out here on his own. Didn't matter who he was or what he'd done, he was still a kid. Seeing me come over, he immediately yelled, attempting to disappear into the wall behind him. He pleaded with Happy to help him, and that broke my heart. I felt like a monster.

"Hey, Flash," I greeted gently, getting down onto my knees. "I'm not here to hurt you, I swear. I just want to help. Let us help you, okay? We'll take you somewhere safe where no one can hurt you. Come on, Flash, take Happy's hand." I saw some recognition flash in the boy's eyes, and felt relief that he wasn't so far gone yet that he couldn't be convinced. Nodding his head, he latched on to Happy's arm, allowing my friend to bring him over to the car. Flash got into the front seat with Happy, his hold firm on Happy's arm. Pepper and I got into the back, the boy's gravitating to me while MJ buried her head into Pepper's chest.

It took longer than I wanted for us to arrive home, and it took longer than I wanted to get the kids to the med bay of the tower. I'd contacted doctors already, and they met us there. MJ and Flash were put in one room while Ned and Peter were put in another. Getting Ned hooked up to an IV and into pajamas had been easy, despite the fact that he was sobbing and scared. Peter, however, was incredibly difficult. He was hallucinating now, and I had to call the Iron Man suit to me in order to hold him in place once he began to fight, throwing one of the doctors into a wall and landing a solid punch to my face. I held him in place, hating the fact that I had to restrain him like this, especially when he was screaming and begging for help. Ned was squeezed into MJ's and Flash's room because he'd begun to freak out due to Peter's behavior.

I held my little spider in my arms tightly, tears trailing down my own face. I knew even now that I'd never be able to forget this night. I'd never forget the terror in his eyes and the awful screams that escaped him. I could only imagine what he was seeing. A half hour passed before the other Avengers arrived, their eyes revealing their extreme shock and concern at what had occurred. Natasha sat herself down with me, running her hands through Peter's hair while Bruce and Rhodey went to the other room. It didn't matter whether they really knew MJ or Flash, because seeing two frightened, needy kids overrode all discomfort. They did all they could to comfort them. Peter calmed down eventually, and I released the suit, relieved to be able to comfort my kid rather than just restrain him. Nat and I moved him to the bed, and we both stayed with him as he rode out the rest of the drugs. We stayed with him for a couple hours, until he thankfully fell asleep. It seemed the drugs had gone through his system faster than normal, but with his metabolism I hadn't been surprised.

Both Nat and I got off the bed, reluctant to leave the boy, but needing to check in on the others. Unlike Peter, they were still in the throes of the drug. I ended up getting someone to bring Anthony down so that he would lay in bed with Peter. The dog happily complied, seeming to understand his human brother needed him.

Exhausted, but unable to stand seeing these teens suffer, I went to Ned while Natasha went to MJ. Happy and Rhodey were with Flash, and I would be forever grateful to them for comforting the poor teen who didn't know any of us, but who was clearly so distraught he happily accepted their comfort.

Bruce was with Ned, and when I sat myself on the bed, the kid latched himself to me, gripping me with more strength than I thought he had. Unlike Flash and MJ, who sobbed, yelled, and protested at times, Ned remained completely silent. Tears trailed down his face, but he did not make a sound. I didn't know if that was a good thing or not.

"Is there anything we can do for them?" I whispered to Bruce, knowing the answer, but still asking.

"Just be here for them," he replied wearily, rubbing Ned's back. "How's Peter?"

"Asleep," I answered hollowly. "His metabolism helped the drug get through his system quickly."

"How did this happen?" he then asked, and all I could do was shrug. No more questions were asked, all of us just intent on offering comfort to the kids. At one-point Pepper left to make phone calls to MJ's sister and Flash's parents, letting them know that they were spending the night. MJ's sister had no issues, but Flash's mom was obviously confused. Pepper expressed her own confusion that they hadn't been aware of Flash's friendship with Peter, informing them that due to a project they'd worked on, they'd gotten to know each other better. Flash had visited to watch a movie, and fallen asleep, so she insisted that it would be best to just allow him to spend the night. His mother gave their permission.

"I feel guilty lying to them," she stated, and I couldn't help but agree. Not knowing what happened, though, I was afraid to let them know. I would wait for the kids to recover and tell me what happened before deciding on whether to inform their parents of what happened. Right now, though, all that mattered was helping these teens ride out the worst of the drug.

Hours went by before the tears subsided, and all three of our charges fell asleep. Sighs of relief were given as we made our way out of their room, certain they'd be out for hours. We wheeled Ned back into Peter's room, and pushed his bed until it was right up against Peter's. Anthony gave a quiet whine before laying himself over both boys protectively. I patted the dog's head, appreciative of the comfort he was providing them.

Now, while we knew the kids would sleep for a while, we refused to go to our rooms. We dragged chairs into both rooms, and settled in for the long haul, doing our best to catch some shut eye. I wasn't sure when I fell asleep, but eventually I found myself waking up to Anthony licking my face. I grimaced, pushing the mutt's face away from me as I blearily opened my eyes. I immediately noticed Peter's eyes were open, and that he was looking at me with eyes full of guilt, apology, and sadness.

Standing up, I shoved Anthony over to Ned's bed before settling myself onto Peter's. "Hey, pal," I spoke softly, reaching a gentle hand out to brush some strands of hair out of his face.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered to me, sounding distraught as his eyes looked over to Ned. "God, I was such an idiot. How is everybody? Are they okay?" he asked, his voice turning panicked as he attempted to sit up.

"Shh, shh, shh," I said quietly, gently yet firmly pushing him back down. "Don't talk right now, everything's okay. Everybody's fine. They're just sleeping," I assured him, relieved to see the panic at least leave his eyes. The guilt stayed, and I hated seeing that. From the little that I'd heard on the phone call, I didn't think this was any of those kids' fault. My brave boy, though, my little hero had a habit of putting the weight of the world on his shoulders. He would blame himself for his friends' suffering.

"I need you to eat some food," I said, "can you do that for me?"

"Not hungry at all," he complained, but I insisted.

"Please, little spider, eat just a little bit. Do it for me, okay? Please," I begged unashamedly, and he reluctantly gave him, clearly only doing this to please me. I quickly left, grabbing a yogurt from a fridge before hurrying back. I attempted to spoon feed him, but he shot me down with a mild glare as he grabbed the spoon and began to eat himself. I could tell he was forcing himself, but he managed to finish the yogurt, which caused me to grace him with a proud smile.

"Good spiderling," I praised with a teasing note, and while he rolled his eyes, I could tell my simple praise pleased him.

"Do I get yogurt?" a sleepy voice asked, and I smiled in relief at seeing Ned's eyes opening and giving me a tired look.

"Sure you do, kid," I replied, rushing and grabbing him some yogurt as well. He eagerly grabbed it, scarfing it down. I offered him another, but he declined, saying that his stomach was feeling a little queasy now. I nodded in understanding.

"How are you guys feeling?" I asked concernedly, and they both assured me they were fine now. Tired and sore, but otherwise just fine.

A nurse walked in before I could say anything else, and she smiled brightly at seeing my boys awake. I moved aside, pulling Anthony off the bed so that she could look them over. They both protested at the examination, insisting they were fine, but when I shook them a stern look, they settled down.

"As far as I can tell, they're okay now. The effect of the drug seems to have left them, but I recommend rest and lots of fluids and food to flush out whatever's left. Their bodies have been through a traumatic event, and they will need it to get their strength back as well," she instructed, and I nodded, having assumed all this already.

"Are MJ and Flash okay?" Peter asked anxiously, and she nodded her head. "They both just woke up and they're fine. Everything considered, I think you four are incredibly lucky things turned out as well as they did." Ned and Peter frowned, shooting her a skeptical look as if to say things hadn't turned out fine. I was in agreement with both. I knew the effects of the drug could've been worse if they'd been left alone, but I also felt that the boys had still been through a traumatic experience despite the comfort we provided them.

"Are they good to leave here?" I questioned, and she nodded her head before once more repeating that they not over exert themselves today. I assured her I'd keep the kids in line, and she left.

"You two ready to head upstairs? I'm sure you'd like to get cleaned up and changed," I said, and they both nodded their heads eagerly. I grinned, shooting the spiderling an amused look as I remarked, "Your goatees kind of smudged."

He scoffed, giving me a light kick as he muttered sarcastically, "What a tragedy." Ned snickered, and I was pleased to see these two acting like themselves. After yesterday, I'd been scared that they would wake up afraid. I didn't assume everything was perfect, though, knowing that nightmares were in both their futures. Pushing those negative thoughts away, I helped them off their beds and guided them over to their friends' room. Pepper was helping MJ out of her bed while Flash was just sitting up, awkwardly looking around the room. When he noticed me, his face turned red and he looked down at his lap. Happy was standing by him and looking concerned as he hesitantly lay a hand on the boy's shoulder. Flash tensed before he shot my friend an embarrassed look.

When MJ noticed our arrival, she broke away from Pepper and threw her arms around both Peter and Ned. "Thank god!" she exclaimed in sheer relief. "Thank god, thank god, thank god you're both okay! I'm so sorry, this was all my fault!" she cried, looking close to bursting into tears, but both boys shook their heads, telling her she wasn't at fault as they hugged her back. When they broke apart, I watched as Peter walked over to Flash, hesitating briefly before holding a hand out to him. Flash stared at him warily before a smile graced his lips and he grasped my son's hand in his own. Peter grinned as he pulled the taller boy up and gave him a quick hug. Flash's expression was of complete shock.

"Thank you," my spiderling said gratefully. "You saved us."

Ned spoke up as well, echoing Peter's words while MJ just nodded her head.

Flash blushed, rubbing the back of his neck before muttering, "It was a group effort, guys. Don't sweat it."

I had no idea what they'd been through, but I knew that whatever it was, a bond had been forged between them all. Flash had just been welcomed into the fold, and the three musketeers became four. Whatever irritation I'd had with the kid completely vanished, and I resolved to get to know him better as I had a feeling I'd be seeing a little more of him.

"Come on you lot," I said. "Let's get you showered and changed before we talk. Flash," I addressed, and he shot me a nervous look, "I'll get you something to wear as Peter's clothes will be too small." The boy looked stunned, but managed to give a single nod and mutter a quiet, "Thank you, Mr. Stark."

We led the four upstairs, dropping MJ off with Nat before taking the boys to our floor. Ned and Peter went to Peter's room and I led Flash to the single guest room we had here. Within twenty minutes all three boys were showered and dressed, and I decided to take them to the Avenger floor that was more open, and hopefully more comfortable for MJ and Flash, especially. When we arrived, I directed them to the couch, offering them something to eat. They all declined, and we waited another couple minutes for Nat to arrive with MJ, who I was saddened to see looked like she'd recently been crying. Peter noticed the same thing for he immediately got up, wrapped an arm around her and brought her over to sit with him. Pepper, Happy, Nat and I took a seat. Rhodey and Bruce decided to sit this out, feeling that MJ and Flash would be uncomfortable having so many adults they didn't really know in the room. As it was, all four teens were nervously fidgeting in their seats as they avoided eye contact with all the adults. Pepper shot me a look indicating I should start things off, so I took in a deep breath.

"None of you are in trouble," I started off firmly, and I was graced with four sets of surprised eyes.

"You don't know what happened, though," MJ stated hoarsely, and I gave a half nod of acknowledgment before kindly saying, "Then, how about you tell me." Glances were exchanged by the boys before MJ started speaking, her voice barely above a whisper and full of shame and guilt. "I'm not lying when I say what happened was my fault. It's just..." she trailed off before letting out a sad sigh. She looked weary and older than she should. I knew she'd been going through a rough time, but I had a feeling there was a lot more we hadn't been aware of. She began to speak again, and I schooled my expression into a calm one as she began to recount the events of the night, which started with her taking a break from a school dance to sell a large bag of LSD to the head of a local gang. _What. The Fuck._ Pepper and Happy looked ready to start speaking, but Nat and I shot them silencing looks. I had a ton of questions too for the kid, but right now I just wanted to know about last night.

Flash began talking now, explaining how he'd seen MJ last month doing a deal, and how last night he'd followed her. "I knew better than to get involved, which is why I tracked Peter down. I thought he might know what she was up to, so I wanted to convince him to talk her out of whatever shit she was in."

"After he told me that," Peter spoke up, "I stupidly ran out to where Flash said she was. I-I, uh, yelled out her name, and she stuck her head out of one of the busses and told me to go away. I didn't listen and just ran into the bus. Flash and Ned followed, and we ended up with guns in our faces. That's when Flash took control."

"I knew the guys through my uncle, so I just said I was there to buy. We didn't know what they were selling, but-but all I could think of to get out of there was to just act like we wanted what they had," he explained, looking guilty.

"They believed Flash because of his uncle," Peter continued, looking firmly down at his lap, "but when they recognized me, they nearly freaked. I-I…you see, I had to say something or they would've shot us, and-and-and I didn't think I'd be able to-to save everybody." I had a pretty good idea what he was hesitant to say, so I gave the boy a look of understanding as I spoke.

"Peter, it's okay," I said, and he just shook his head, looking miserable.

"I told them I wouldn't tell you, but even if I did, you wouldn't care. We-we brought up how you used to be, and I said I'd st-stolen drugs from you before," he explained, and I felt my heart go out to the kid.

"I'm not mad," I told him firmly, waiting for his eyes to meet mine. "I don't care what you told those guys about me. If it saved any of you from getting shot, then I wouldn't have cared if you'd told them I was a drug dealer or the new kingpin," I added with the tiniest of smiles. "Your safety, all of yours," I declared, looking at each teen in turn, "is way more important to me than my reputation." Peter just stared at me with eyes of relief before Ned decided to finish their tale. He explained how Peter paid for the drugs and how the men said they needed to take the drug in order to convince the guys they were serious.

"We all swallowed the tablets and then we just ran," he recounted quietly. "We didn't know where to go, but we knew we didn't want to get caught. MJ said she knew a place with some abandoned buildings we could hide out in, and, uh, that-that's when Peter got bad. We then got Karen to call you, and you know the rest."

I nodded, leaning back in my chair, rapidly thinking everything over. I needed to speak to MJ, that was for sure. She was a good kid, and she wouldn't have been out selling to drug dealers without a good reason. This had to be related to her brother, who was in jail. Flash, I felt was the hero of the night. The kid had been looking to help MJ when he sought out my son, and when Peter had run off half-cocked, he'd followed; and, his quick thinking had possibly saved them from a worse fate than a bad high. Peter had been reckless to just run off looking for MJ, but I wasn't mad. I got why he did it. On his own, Peter would've been able to deal with the situation easily. As it was, I think we needed to work on close combat training some more, so he wouldn't be afraid of engaging with guys like that for fear of someone else getting hurt. As for Ned, he'd just been looking to help out his friends. All in all, I just felt immensely relieved that they were all okay, because things could've turned out worse.

"We're so glad you're all alright," Pepper said to them, and we all nodded in agreement. Ned gave us a small smile while the rest just looked guilty and ready for the other shoe to fall. They were waiting for us to start scolding. I looked at the other adults with raised eyebrows, noticing from Pepper's and Happy's sympathetic expressions that they realized the same thing.

"You can stop looking at us like we're going to kill you," Happy remarked, shooting the kids a kind look. "We're not mad."

"But we"—Peter started to protest, but I gave the boy a kick before shaking my head.

"You didn't," I stated. "You guys did the best you could in an impossible situation. Yeah, I wish you'd made some different choices, but after what you went through last night, all I'm feeling right now is relief that you're all okay."

"My mom," Flash spoke up, looking suddenly alarmed as he stood up. "She doesn't know what happened. Crap, she's probably freaking out right now," he stated, frantically looking for his cell phone.

"Sweetheart, relax," Pepper told him as she stood up, "I called your mom and your sister, MJ last night, asking that they give you permission to spend the night. We didn't tell them what happened."

"Are you going to?" MJ spoke up, her voice a fearful whisper. Looking at her, I felt disappointment and concern. Not anger, though. She was a kid, and I had a feeling she was being used.

"Please don't tell my mom," Flash begged. "She'll—she'll hate me. She'll kick me out like she did my dad because she'll think I'm like him, but I'm not. She won't believe me if I tell her I didn't mean to take it."

"Alright, kid, nobody's saying we're telling your mom," Happy stated as he gave the panicked teen a reassuring look. I sighed heavily as I ran a hand through my hair. This was screwed up. I felt these kids' parents needed to know, but with Flash's reaction, I didn't want to harm his relationship with his mom.

"She kicked out your dad?" Ned asked in surprise, and Flash bit his lip before nodding.

"Yeah, uh, it was last year right after I got arrested for drinking. My dad's a real jerk, though, said stupid shit to her all the time and cheated on her," he explained agitatedly, looking away from us all. "She finally had enough, though, when he…when he punched me. She slapped him hard and ordered him out of the house, threatening to kill him if he ever came near me again." The poor kid fidgeted, and I felt terrible for him. Looking at the other three teens' faces, I knew they'd had no idea any of this had happened.

"Don't worry, Flash, we'll keep this a secret," Happy said, breaking the silence. "I want you to do something for us in return, though, alright?" The boy looked immensely relieved, but wary as he gave a hesitant nod. Happy requested Flash's phone, and while confused, he handed it over. Happy then typed something into it before handing it back.

"I put my number in there," he informed Flash. "What happened last night was traumatic for all of you, and since you can't talk to your mom about this, know that you can call or text me whenever you need to. And, if you change your mind about informing your mom, I—we can be there for you, okay?"

"Yeah, in fact," I added, "let me add my number to all your phones." MJ and Flash were the only ones that needed to hand their phones over, and they did so with surprise. I put my number in and added Pepper's and Natasha's when they told me to.

"Call any of us at any time, I mean it," I told MJ, Flash, and Ned. "We're all here to help."

"You think we're going to have after effects or something," Ned asked nervously, and I gave a slight shake of my head.

"Nightmares," I answered honestly, three of them grimacing. Peter just sighed before giving a shrug as if to say, what's one more? It was sad that this didn't bother him as much as it should have. It was sad that he was already so used to nightmares that the thought of a few more didn't faze him.

"Please don't tell my parents either," Ned stated. "My dad hates drugs. I mean, he _hate_ hates them, and I don't know if he'll believe what happened, even if you tell them. They'll probably think you're lying, and I'm sorry, but they're still nervous about you," he explained, and while sighing inwardly, I gave the kid an understanding nod.

Natasha stood up at this point and sat herself down next to MJ. "What's happening needs to stop," she told her. "You're going to tell us why this is happening and we're going to fix it."

"No. No no, you guys can't get involved," she argued, rapidly shaking her head. "You'll make things worse. My brother could be killed!" she exclaimed, and Natasha wrapped an arm around her. Before the conversation could continue, Natasha gave me a look. She wanted to talk to MJ alone. I understood. We were going to get involved in whatever she was embroiled in, and we were going to fix it. The time for saying no was gone.

"Boys, I think it's time to get you home, if you're ready?" I suggested, looking at Ned and Flash, and they both nodded.

"My cars at the school still," Flash told me, and Peter said the same thing.

I led all three out of the complex and into one of my cars. I drove to the school and on the way there, that's when the last bombshell dropped.

"Um, so I know this is probably a bad time, but I just gotta say Pete, that I know you're Spiderman," he stated, and I immediately skidded to a stop, throwing the teen a foreboding look. He shrunk away against the door as he held up hands and quickly said, "D-don't worry, Mr. Stark, sir, I swear I'm not going to tell anybody! I swear!"

"How'd you figure it out?" Peter asked in surprise, and Flash's panicked looked turned somewhat amused as he replied, "You were kind of climbing the walls yesterday before Mr. Stark arrived, not to mention you," he addressed me, "called him little spider. Kind of a weird nickname unless…well, yeah."

Peter slapped a hand to his face, groaning as I let out a sigh of frustration. Shit. Too many people were finding out my kid's identity. Staring Flash straight on, I grabbed the boy's shirt collar and pulled him towards me. He let out a frightened whimper as I looked him in the eyes.

"You're going to keep this a secret," I ordered, and he nodded his head up and down.

"I-I swear, I will!" he assured me, and I held on to him for a few more seconds, sensing his honesty and earnestness before I released him. He looked petrified, breathing heavily, but when he looked to me again, he put on a brave face as he said, "I won't tell anybody, I promise. I know…I _know_ I can be a selfish jerk, but I'd never endanger Peter's life like that." I believed him before he'd even said the words, and even more so afterwards. Softening my expression, I let out another sigh.

"Okay, kid I believe you," I said before continuing to drive. The boys conversed quietly, but I tuned out what they were saying, my mind a whirlwind. Somebody else knew. Somebody else knew Peter's identity. The more people that knew, the harder it would be to keep this a secret. Sooner or later, I couldn't help but think pessimistically, his identity will be exposed. It's no longer a matter of if, but when. Hopefully, he'll be an adult by that time was all I could think.

I dropped the boys off at the school and watched them take off before heading home. Peter was under strict instructions to drop Ned off and come straight home. When I arrived at the tower, Friday informed me that Natasha wanted to speak with me. Rubbing a tired hand over my face, I went to her floor. She was sitting in an armchair just staring at MJ, who was sleeping. I raised an inquiring eyebrow at her, and she got up and led me to her kitchen.

"Long story short, she's being blackmailed to sell the drugs. She does what they say, and her brother remains unharmed in prison. She doesn't, well, you get the drift," she spoke plainly, and I nodded, having assumed something like this was going on.

"Whose messing with our girl?" I asked, and she shrugged before answering, "A soon to be dead person who calls himself the Ringmaster. Small player trying to make it big, probably. I'll know within the next hour," she told me. "I've already asked Friday and Hill to look into the idiot. I'll deal with him when it comes through. Short term solution, I feel, will be to keep MJ and her sister under our protection. They can stay on my floor until we've sorted this out. She told me no, but as you know, I can be very persuasive."

"I'll work on getting the brother out," I said with a smirk. "Instead of dealing with this ass clown yourself, however, I think we should play backup to the police. We can't let word get out that we're dealing with low level scum or the governments going to be all over our asses again. I'm not sure I can take another whooping from them like when we got into that bar brawl," I complained dramatically, and she laughed lightly before rolling her eyes.

"Your crying did break my heart," she remarked sarcastically, and I snickered as I stole the apple from her hand and took a bite out of it before giving it back. She rolled it back to me, and I shrugged before continuing to eat it.

"Guess I'll start looking into the brother's case," I said, standing up. "Let me know when you find anything out, and try to control your homicidal tendencies, spider sister. Let's not scare the children." I didn't even flinch when a knife imbedded itself into the wall next to me, just flipping her the bird as I got into the elevator.

As the elevator took me up to my floor, I thought over the coming days with an evil grin. Nat and I were going to take down those bastards who dared hurt our growing family.

 **A/N: I have never taken a single type of drug in my life, so the effects of LSD were a product of google and my mind. To me, I felt it accentuated the fear the kids were already feeling along with showing them bad memories. Thought it might be more interesting to see the kids with something stronger. What'd you think about Flash, though? In the comic series I read, he's a constant jerk, but I thought it'd be interesting to switch things up. Also, the image I have for Flash is from the comics, which is a tall, white, athletic blonde-haired kid. PLEASE REVIEW!**


	40. Chapter 40

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews! Glad to know you're still enjoying. This chapter won't really go into detail on how MJ is helped out, but it will discuss it. There's something in this chapter, though, that will catch your attention, especially since it's unexpected.**

 **Chapter 40: It's a Hard Knock Life**

 **Peter's POV:**

It was Monday, two days after that awful Halloween catastrophe. I hadn't heard anything from my friends since Saturday. Well, I hadn't expected to hear from Flash, but I'd been hoping to talk with MJ at least, considering the fact that _she had been selling drugs_! However, every time I'd tried calling her I hadn't received a response. I'd left messages and texts, but no response. I'd talked to Tony to see if he might know what was going on with her, but he'd just told me that Natasha was taking care of things. What did that mean? He'd just smirked before saying that I shouldn't worry.

So, I was walking up to the school now, my eyes roving all over the population of students. Ned appeared first, walking over to me from the left and giving me a small smile. He looked tired, and I felt bad as I figured it was nightmares that had kept him up. We did our handshake before his eyebrows rose as he looked to my right. I followed his gaze and watched as Flash walked towards us with his hands in his pockets and a bored expression on his face. When he arrived before us, he shot us a small, hesitant smile that we returned. We stared at each other for several awkward moments before laughter escaped us. Flash gave me a light shove as we continued our walk to the school.

"Either one of you hear from MJ yesterday?" I asked curiously, and they both shook their heads at me, which caused me to sigh. Despite Tony's reassurances, I couldn't help but be concerned. If she was okay, why hadn't she contacted me? Why hadn't she—

"Morning, boys," MJ greeted casually, from the entrance to the school. I looked her over for any injures before rushing and enveloping her in hug.

"Where have you been? Why haven't you returned my calls?" I asked desperately. "I've been so worried about you. Tony said Natasha was taking care of things, but he didn't explain"—

My concerns were cut off as she pulled me in for a kiss, her arms wrapping around my neck. When she pulled away, she was smirking at me. All I could do was stare. "I'm fine, Peter, I swear." She released her hold on me and began to walk inside.

"I've still got questions, though," I declared, both guys voicing their agreements. None of us knew the details of why she was selling drugs. None of us knew what Natasha was doing to help with this, because she sure as hell wasn't going to continue selling drugs!

Letting out a sigh, she gave us three a look of annoyance, her hands on her hips before she said, "During lunch I'll explain. Now, come on or we'll be late." We exchanged glances before we all shrugged and followed her. The first half of the day passed by slowly, and I was barely able to pay attention. I could honestly say I had no idea what we were taught or what our homework was as all I had on my mind was what happened Friday night, and all the crap MJ had been up to without me knowing. As I thought it over I couldn't help but be hurt and angry that she hadn't confided in me what was happening. I mean, I was a superhero, and even if she didn't trust me, I was living with the freaking Avengers who would've been more than happy to help. I eyed my girlfriend in the two classes we shared, and she eyed me right back, mild apology in her gaze. She knew what was going through my mind.

Lunch came, and Ned brought Flash to the empty classroom we ate in. I'd gotten permission from the principal to eat here. He felt guilty for all the crap I was going through, and for the part he'd played in it so he was more than happy to allow me this small privilege.

"Alright, MJ," I said with a frown, "I think you owe us all an explanation."

MJ narrowed her eyes before looking away, her eyes now showing her guilt. She wouldn't soon forget Friday night, and neither would any of us.

"This drug lord, I guess you could call him, approached me several months ago about transporting and selling drugs for him. He told me he'd met my brother in jail, and that Brock had disrespected him. I guess he'd refused to pass drugs around for him in jail, so he was going to use me as revenge. This creep, he calls himself the Ringmaster," she spat out hatefully, "and he told me right away that if I didn't do as he said that he'd have my brother killed. I…I didn't believe him at first, but then the day after I refused him I got news that my brother had been attacked and was in the hospital." My heart went out to her, and I more than understood her reasoning, but _why_ couldn't she have told me?

"The Ringmaster came back to me the next day, told me that had been only a warning, and that if I refused him once more, that Brock would be killed," she continued dismally. "He's my brother. He practically _raised_ me. I couldn't be responsible for his death, so I agreed. He wanted me to transport drugs to a couple different dealers for him. I wasn't known to the cops, and they wouldn't suspect me of this. About twice a month I've met with him and he's given me different drugs with directions on who to sell and how much to charge. This was the tenth deal I'd made for him…I'm sorry guys," she apologized, looking at us for the first time. "I never wanted any of you to get dragged into this. I don't know what's going to happen if that man finds out about you being there, especially _you_ , Peter. I wasn't supposed to tell anybody and he'll obviously think I did."

"How's Natasha helping you?" I asked curiously, and she frowned lightly before shrugging at me.

"All I know is that she's forcing me and Cassie out of our house today, and taking us to someplace under protective custody until everything is sorted out. She said she'll take care of the Ringmaster, making sure that he doesn't bother me or my family again. I have no idea how she's going to help Brock, though as he's in prison. Like, is she going to break him out, because obviously that's only going to make things worse," she pondered, putting her head in her hands.

"She's the Black Widow, a freaking Avenger," Flash stated confidently. "Not to mention you've got Tony Stark, Iron Man, involved as well. I guarantee you those two can more than take care of that Ringmaster _and_ rescue your brother."

"I'd have to agree with Flash," Ned remarked with a smile.

"Yeah, me too," I said more seriously, "which really brings up the question that's been bothering me most of the weekend: _Why didn't you tell me_? You know who I am, MJ. I'm not just some helpless teenager, I'm _Spider man_ ," I stated fervently. "If you didn't think I could handle it, then you know my dad could."

"How do you know that?" she countered, standing up and spreading out her arms. "How do you know he can fix this problem? Just because he's Tony damn Stark doesn't mean he can solve every problem in the world. What if he makes things worse, huh? What if his involvement gets my bother killed, or puts us in worse danger? He's not always going to be around to protect us, Peter."

"So, you just planned on selling drugs for however long you could get away with it?" I pressed in disbelief. "You know you would've gotten caught, eventually, right? You would've ruined your life, your _future_ , because of that asshole. _Why_ didn't you trust _me_?" I inquired, stepping closer to her so she could see my confusion, frustration, and hurt.

She looked at me, and I saw the fear she felt and had been feeling. I saw the dark circles under her eyes and the stress in her face. How had I not noticed any of this before? Well, I guess I had noticed some, but I'd chalked it up to the situation with her brother. I sighed heavily, taking on of her hands in mine, giving her a sad smile.

"I get it," I told her softly, understanding that fear for her family kept her silent. I was still hurt, but I couldn't judge her so harshly when I knew I'd do whatever I could to protect my family as well. I mean, I knew full well about keeping secrets, dealing with huge issues with no one the wiser. "I'm so sorry you had to go through all this by yourself. I'm just glad you're okay, and I'm glad we know now, because I _promise_ you that Dad and Nat will take care of everything."

MJ could only stare back at me, her face now weary, but there were the beginnings of hope. She was afraid, though, to put all her belief in my family.

"Where are you going to be staying?" Ned finally asked, breaking the lengthened silence that had ensued as MJ and I had stared at each other. "Are you still coming to school?"

"I don't know," she admitted, biting the bottom of her lip anxiously. "Natasha is meeting me at my house today, and that's when she'll tell us."

"Do you know how long?" I asked, and she shook her head with a sigh.

"No, I don't," she answered. "I don't like any of this, guys. I don't like hiding, because I just know that'll tip the Ringmaster off that I've told; and that will lead to Brock's death. I can't—I would never be able to handle it if he was killed, and I would never be able to forgive your family, Peter." Her eyes were dark and serious as she looked me right in the face, and I swallowed, my heart hammering as I digested her words. I could only hope things didn't turn out that way. It won't, I assured myself. I knew some of what Tony and Nat were capable of, and some low-level criminal like the Ringmaster was no match for them; and with the influence and money he had, I was certain Brock would be able to get Brock out of jail, or at the very least, transferred somewhere with more protection.

"I don't think I'll be able to go to school here," she admitted, looking down at her lap with an angry frown. "I mean, they know where I go to school, so even if I live somewhere more secure, they'll just show up here."

"We would protect you," I declared firmly, and while she gave me an appreciative smile, her words showed little confidence.

"I love you, Peter, but I don't think you can protect me and your secret. Besides, just look at what happened Friday. I know it wasn't your desire to keep your secret that had you not acting," she said gently. I could see she wasn't wanting to hurt me, but I couldn't help but rear back at her words, feeling like an absolute failure. I hadn't been able to protect any one of us on Friday, and that was unacceptable. She was right. How could I guarantee her protection when I could do nothing on Friday?

The bell rang shrilly signifying the end of lunch. We all grimaced as none of us wanted to go to class. There was so much on all of our minds, and we just wanted to talk. Talk about what MJ was going through, talk about Friday, talk about the nightmares, and talk about where things would go from here. Having Flash as a friend changed things also, not in a bad way, but things were different. He knew my secret identity. There were things I needed to tell him.

"Let's get out of here," Flash stated, standing up and giving us all a cocky grin. I couldn't help but be reminded of Tony as I looked at him.

"You mean ditch?" Ned asked nervously, and Flash nodded.

"I'm game," MJ immediately said, and I hesitated only briefly before nodding. Ned looked between us all before letting out a sigh as he nodded. Unlike MJ, Flash, and I, he'd never been in trouble at school for _anything_.

Sneaking out of the school was easy. It wasn't really a common thing as we weren't a regular high school. People applied to get in here, and it was well known that screwing around too much could get you kicked out. Those of us that had pushed the gambit, though, knew that getting kicked out was hugely unlikely, especially with Edwards as a principal. In his four years here, he'd yet to kick anyone out.

After we left, we took Flash and my car to his house as his mom was at work. We didn't want to be out on the street because people would recognize me, no doubt.

Conversation started slow and awkwardly before it eventually began to flow more easily. I informed Flash as to how I'd become Spider man and how I'd met Tony. He was fascinated, asking lots of questions. After that, he told us a little about his father, but more about how life had changed after his mother had kicked him out.

"She's happier now and way more involved in my life. My dad usually didn't get a damn about what I did as long as I listened to him, but my mom was never happy with the trouble I got myself into. Dad always told her to shut up, though, and I'll admit," he confessed ashamedly, "that sometimes I was grateful to him. I realized, though, as I grew that he was a disrespectful, domineering ass. Mom told me—no, she begged me to not get in his way or stand up to him because she didn't want me to get hurt. I spent a lot of time out of the house after that. Anyways, Mom's kind of gotten onto me about my attitude and grades, but it's nice with just the two of us. Life's better and more relaxing, even if she does hound me about my grades and stuff," He remarked with a happy grin.

Time passed quickly, the serious conversation turning into casual conversation before turning into jokes. Flash fit into our group faster and easier than any of us ever thought he would. Maybe it was because of what we'd been through on Friday. I guess going through such a traumatic experience couldn't help but bring people together.

The time for school to be over came quicker than any of us wanted, and we had to take MJ to her home as Natasha would be showing up soon. We all stayed with her, wanting to know where she'd end up. When Nat showed up, she just raised an eyebrow at us, but didn't tell us to leave, which I was grateful for. We anxiously waited to find out where MJ would be taken, and we were all shocked when we found out she'd be living in our tower.

"You two," she said to MJ and Cassie, "will be staying on my floor at the Avengers tower until everything is sorted out. It will allow for you both to go to the same job and school, and you _will_ be safe. Agents will be on the lookout for both of you while you're at work and school," she explained. "Rest assured, you'll be back home in a couple weeks max. I've already started looking into that lowlife whose been bothering you, and very soon he will not be a problem for you, I guarantee it."

Both women looked immensely relieved at this news, although there was still one concern. "What about Brock?" MJ asked.

"Tony is dealing with that matter, so I wouldn't worry about your brother's safety," she informed them. "Neither one of us will fail you, you have my word."

"Thank you," Cassie spoke, tears in her eyes. "I can't thank you enough for what you're doing. I had no idea what MJ was going through, and I can't help but feel like a failure to not just her, but Brock as well. I will be forever grateful to you for what you're doing for my family."

"You're welcome," Natasha said, offering them a small smile.

Flash and Ned went home at this point, while Nat and I helped the sisters with packing up some stuff before taking them to their temporary home. Once they were settled in, Cassie looked between Peter and I with a suddenly stern look.

"I know you two are dating, but just because we live in the same building doesn't mean you can hang out whenever you want," she told us firmly. "After 7PM, you are not allowed down here Peter, and MJ, you will not be allowed on his floor. If either one of you is in your bedroom together, the door will remain open, is that understood?" MJ and I both blushed at her insinuations. We would never do anything like that, especially not when I knew Friday would witness everything.

"I understand," I said, glaring at Natasha, who was smirking at me.

MJ looked highly irritated with her sister, but she grudgingly gave a grunt of agreement.

"What about the commons?" I asked, and Cassie shot me a curious look, so I explained about the common floor where we hung out when we were feeling social. Cassie frowned before looking at MJ and saying, "I'm okay with you being up there until 8PM, but after that, it's straight down here."

"Cassie, really? Do you really think we're going to have sex or something in the middle of the room for anyone to see?" MJ exclaimed exasperatedly, and my face went beet red at how plainly she was speaking. Natasha's eyes showed amusement as she took in my expression. She said nothing, though, not wanting to get involved. I didn't want to be involved either, but I thought sneaking away would be cowardly.

"It doesn't matter what I think you'll do, the fact is that you're going to be down here by 8:01, understood? There's no reason for you to be hanging around with friends after that," Cassie declared, hands on her hips. MJ glared, looking ready to argue, but I placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head to me, and I gave her a pleading look. You just got here, so don't get yourself grounded, I wanted to say. Clearly still furious, but understanding my silent words, she took in a deep breath before giving a curt nod.

"Fine," she spoke through gritted teeth.

Friday spoke up at this point, startling Cassie, to inform me that Pepper was requesting my presence. I gave MJ's hand a squeeze, grateful for the excuse, before bidding her goodnight. Taking the elevator to my floor, I wondered what Pepper wanted me for. Dinner, maybe? Or, perhaps she was going to make rules for me like Cassie did for MJ? I hoped not. It wasn't like we could get into trouble with Friday constantly watching. Then again, Friday hadn't exactly stopped me from getting myself into trouble loads of times.

I stepped out of the elevator, grinning widely as Anthony bounded over to me, giving a bark of greeting. I got onto the ground, laughing as he licked my face all over. "Hey, boy, how you doing?" I asked. "You been a good boy? Huh? Of course, you have. You're the best dog out there, aren't you, Anthony?" The dog gave a bark as though answering my question before sitting back and giving me his Tony Stark cocky grin that had me snickering.

"You see that, Pep?" I heard Tony remark. "He greets the dog before us, and does he ever greet us with such excitement? Nooo, of course not." I let out a laugh at his complaining before giving him a cheeky grin as I casually said, "Hi Dad. Hi Mom." The man scoffed while Pepper returned my greeting. As I stood up, though, I noticed she had her arms crossed and was giving me a stern look. Uh oh.

"I received a call from the school earlier today, Peter, saying that you left early," she said. "Care to explain?" Oh yeah, I thought dimly. Forgot the school would've contacted them. I noticed Tony raising an eyebrow in surprise from where he was standing in the kitchen.

"I was talking with MJ, Ned, and Flash," I explained, hoping she'd understand. "We were talking about what was going on with MJ, and there were just things we felt needed to be said. I really wasn't paying attention much today," I admitted. "My mind has just been distracted as I've been worrying about her, so we all just went to Flash's house. I'm sorry," I apologized, refraining from saying, it wasn't a big deal. Pepper's frown was more thoughtful than unhappy as she considered my words. In the end, I was relieved to see her nod.

"Look, honey," she responded, "I understand that you all went through something, and I understand your concern for MJ, but ditching school wasn't the best decision. Waiting until after school wouldn't have been too much for you. I think we can let this go this time, though," she remarked, looking briefly to Tony who gave her a single nod, "but don't make a habit of it," she added sternly, coming over and giving me a kiss on the forehead.

"I won't, I promise," I assured her, and she nodded in understanding before telling me to get cleaned up for dinner. I happily complied, glad to not be in any trouble for having ditched.

 **Two Weeks Later…**

 **Tony's POV:**

"Anthony Stark, get back here you four-legged mongrel!" I hollered as I chased after the scampering mutt who had a couple fingers from my Iron Man suit in his mouth. "Friday, close the door!" I yelled, hoping to trap the dog in Peter's room, where he'd ran into. The dog wagged its tail at me, but I maintained a displeased expression as I pointed to the spot in front of me.

"Come here, Anthony," I ordered, and the mutt lay down and began to slowly inch his way over. Every time he'd pause, I'd point to the ground before me again until eventually the dog was right in front of me. Kneeling, I said, "Drop it," and he gently set down the three fingers he'd taken from me. I made a noise of disgust at seeing my precious Iron Man fingers covered in dog slobber before pocketing them. Looking back at my naughty canine, I bit back a grin as I saw the puppy dog eyes he was throwing me. He was rolled onto his back now, exposing his belly while giving me an apologetic look. Smart boy knew he was in trouble and was now trying to suck up to me.

I shot the dog a stern look before reaching over and giving him a light swat to his furry bum. "Let that be a lesson to you," I lectured. "You don't steal my things, _especially_ anything to do with Iron Man. Do it again, Anthony, and it'll be no table scraps or visits to the park for a week." Anthony just thumped his tail against the floor as he licked at my hand and stared at me with his big brown eyes.

Huffing, I reached out to rub his belly, unable to keep from smiling as he let out a groan of enjoyment. The door opened and Peter stuck in a curious head.

"Uh, what's going on?" he asked, a smile forming on his lips as Anthony got up and ran to him.

"I was just teaching your dog a lesson for having stolen some of my Iron Man fingers," I informed him, showing him the still-drool-covered fingers. Peter's eyebrows rose in surprise before he frowned and looked back at Anthony.

"Did you do that? Did you take your daddy's things?" he cooed to the happy dog, and I rolled my eyes before freezing as I realized he'd referred to me as Anthony's daddy.

"Wait a minute! Now I'm the dog's dad as well?" I asked the kid, and he shot me a big grin as he nodded his head.

"Well, tell your furry, mischievous brother to stay away from my stuff if he knows what's good for him," I stated before walking out to the laughter of my son.

Congratulations, I told myself sarcastically, you are the proud father of a spiderling and an iron dog. I grumbled out loud to myself while inwardly I smiled in contentment.

Walking out of the hallway, my attention was caught my Natasha, who was standing next to the elevator with a bored expression. She was in her combat gear, and when she looked to me, she sported a satisfied smile. "The Ringmaster has been taken into custody along with most of his high-level staff. The low-level thugs and punks are still out there, and will no doubt be taken in by some other crime boss, but they're no danger to our girls."

I smiled before inquiring, "And your involvement?"

"Completely off the record," she replied proudly, and I gave her a fist bump. "I've already informed MJ and Cassie. Honestly, this took longer than I would've liked, but seeing as we had to do things by the book, well...," she trailed off, and I just nodded in understanding. If we'd gone in as Avengers, we would've taken care of the problem the same day. "How is everything with Brock? Is he still on track to get out next month?" she questioned.

"Nope," I answered, and she frowned. I smirked before saying, "He gets out Saturday morning." Her eyebrows rose in surprise before she just smiled and murmured, "I really shouldn't be surprised." I shot her a cocky grin as I said, "What can I say? I can be very persuasive."

She scoffed, shaking her head as she gave me a fond look. "You heading to tell them now?" I nodded, and she joined me as we went down to her floor, where MJ and Cassie had been staying for the past two weeks. We exited and found the girls running back and forth, grabbing their things as they wanted to move back to their home today. Upon noticing us, or _me_ , they stopped, giving me curious looks. I hadn't actually been down here once since they'd moved in, so I could understand their curiosity.

"Just heard the good news, ladies," I began, shooting them a smile. "From the looks of it, I gather you're ready to head home today?"

"Oh, god yes," MJ declared, while Cassie just smiled and nodded. "Thank you so much for what you've done, but I think it's best we return to our home. It's _home_ , you know?"

"I understand completely," I replied, thinking about how _this_ tower was somewhere I would always consider home, like the house in Malibu. "Now, before you head home I wanted to update you on your older brother's situation." Both girls' smiles dimmed, their expressions turning serious and anxious as they waited to hear what I would say.

Not feeling the need to draw out their anticipation, I immediately told them, "Brock's charges have been dropped. Upon further investigation, more witnesses were found and they corroborated the story that your brother was just defending himself. The judge took new evidence into account and decided to sentence Brock to time served. He'll be out Saturday morning," I explained, and the words barely left my mouth before MJ threw her arms around me, knocking the breath out of me.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she cried to me over and over and over, and I was surprised by how easy I found it to hug her back. MJ murmured her gratefulness an appreciation over and over until she was just crying tears of relief. I held the girl tight, rubbing her back as she released the emotions she'd been holding in for so long. I couldn't help but feel for the girl with all she'd been going through. She'd had the life of her brother thrust on her shoulders, and had been pushed into an impossible situation that would've eventually led to her arrest. As horrible as Halloween had been for her and her friends, I couldn't help but feel that it was also a blessing in disguise for her. I knew exactly how things could've turned out if she'd continued down the path she'd been on.

The young teen eventually pulled away, wiping at her face in embarrassment. I shot her a kind, understanding smile which she hesitantly returned before she then threw her arms around Natasha. The spy reacted to the hug a little stiffly at first before eventually relaxing and tightly hugging the girl back. Cassie came over and vigorously shook my hand as she too thanked me for everything we had done for her.

"I will never be able to repay your kindness, Mr. Stark," she spoke, voice thick with emotion. "Everything you've done for our family…words just can't express how grateful I am to you. You saved us," she stated, and I wasn't sure how to respond. It wasn't like I could say it was no big deal. I eventually settled with saying, "It was our pleasure, Cassie. MJ is a close friend of Peter's, which makes her friends of ours." Cassie just nodded, shaking my hand once more before going over to Natasha and hugging her. Nat was more prepared for the hug this time, so she didn't stiffen, but gracefully accepted the hug.

Inwardly, as I watched the ecstatic girls begin to pack once more, I couldn't help but marvel at how much I'd changed when it came to physical affection. A year ago, if I'd been hugged by MJ like that I would've stiffened, accepting the hug, but making no move to return it. Now, though, I'd accepted it with no problems. It hadn't been uncomfortable. I hadn't had to force myself to accept it or comfort her. It'd come naturally. How odd yet refreshing to realize this.

Leaving the girls to their packing, I went up back to my floor to inform Peter of the good news. He'd no doubt be relieved to know that his girlfriend was safe and happy once more. Walking out onto my floor I headed to my spiderling's room and knocked when I saw it closed. I heard something fall and Peter curse, so with burning curiosity I opened the door to see Peter sitting at his desk with a textbook opened and a notebook out looking forcefully casual. I raised an eyebrow at him, but resisted giving him a pointed look.

"So, I'm going to ignore you're clearly guilty look and assume whatever you did or were doing won't happen again," I drawled, feeling some amusement when he blushed and immediately began to stammer that he hadn't done anything. Oh, little spider, you are awful at lying to me, I thought as I shot him a fond look. Feeling that whatever he'd been up to couldn't have been serious, I moved on to the topic of his girlfriend.

"Good news, my dear spider-son, the Ringmaster has been dealt with and MJ's brother is set to be freed from prison Saturday morning. MJ and Cassie are currently packing to head home tonight," I declared grandly, smiling at the widening, shocked eyes that greeted me.

"Oh my God, that's amazing!" the boy finally crowed as he jumped to his feet. "I can't believe you guys did it! I mean, I can, but I didn't think you'd get it all done so quickly! This is so awesome! Thank you so much, Dad!" he shouted, and I found myself being embraced for the third time in the past fifteen minutes. I more than happily returned the hug, giving the kid an affectionate kiss to the side of his head.

"You're the best dad ever," he proclaimed, looking at me with adoring eyes. How did I end up so lucky as to end up with a son who could love _me,_ of all people, so much? I absolutely loved when this kid called me dad. I never thought I'd have the honor of being someone's father or that I'd ever be good at it.

"Come on, lover boy, go and help your future wife pack up," I spoke teasingly, and the boy pulled away from me and threw me an affronted look.

"Dad!" he cried out, looking askance. "Jeez, we've barely started dating! No need to jump to _that_ conclusion," he complained, giving me a firmer shove than usual so that I actually stumbled and ended up falling onto the floor.

"Hey!" I hollered at the brat who'd taken off running and laughing. I shouted at Anthony to fetch Peter, and the mutt happily bounded after his human. I got to my feet and followed, smirking when I heard a yell and the sound of someone falling.

"Get off of me, Anthony!" Peter yelled in between laughs.

"Good boy," I told Anthony, grinning widely at the boy who was being "attacked" by the vicious dog.

"Mercy!" Peter shouted in between laughs, "mercy!"

I snickered in amusement as I pulled the exuberant dog off my son. He lay panting on the floor briefly before I held a hand out to him and hauled him to his feet. He just shook his head at me bemusedly before heading into the elevator. Anthony eagerly followed after Peter, and they both disappeared from view when the doors closed.

 **Peter's POV:**

As I pet Anthony's head, I couldn't help but give a sigh of relief at not having been caught by Tony. God, that would have been disastrous, I thought fearfully. The man would've gone ballistic. I didn't even want to fathom how pissed he'd be with me. It wouldn't matter to him that I was trying to help. He'd just see this as interfering, and an invasion of privacy…admittedly, it was both of those, _but_ , somebody had to do something.

I'd called that number.

The number that'd been written down on the letter from Rogers to Tony.

I'd called, and Rogers had picked up.

Honestly, even as I dialed the number I hadn't really thought he'd pick up; or, if he did, that it would be somebody else answering.

 _"Hello?" a voice answered suspiciously, and I froze, heart pounding at the fact that he'd actually picked up. It was Rogers. I recognized his voice._

 _"Hello?" Rogers repeated, a trace of irritation in his tone, and I swallowed down any lingering fear and hesitation. I'd made the call and he answered, so there was no going back. If I hung up and he called back, my voicemail would give away who I was anyways._

 _"Uh, hi," I said, wincing at the crack in my voice._

 _"Who is this?" Rogers asked warily._

 _"It's uh, I'm—you're Steve Rogers," I eventually said, and I cursed myself for not having prepared on how this conversation was going to go. Silence greeted my words, and I really thought the man was going to hang up or deny it, but instead he replied, "Who are you and how did you get this number? There's only one person who has this number"—_

 _"Tony Stark," I interjected. "You gave this number to Tony Stark, and I'm, uh, I'm Spider man." Silence once more greeted my words, and I wondered if he remembered who I was. "Germany," I said hesitantly. "I-I stole your shield."_

 _"I remember you," Rogers said quietly. "The kid from Queens."_

 _"Yeah! That's me," I replied, relieved and surprised that he remembered that. Captain America remembered me._

 _"Why are you calling, son? Is To—Is Stark alright?" he asked, and I was glad to hear concern in his tone. Good, concern meant he cared, and if he cared then that meant their relationship could be repaired._

 _"He's fine," I quickly replied, "And he didn't tell me to call. I'm doing this on my own."_

 _A heavy sigh greeted my words, and I could hear weariness in his next words as he said, "Look, kid, I don't know what this is about, but I'm not in the mood for a social call. I gave this number to Stark in case of an emergency." I flushed at his words, but didn't allow them to dissuade me._

 _"This isn't a social call," I insisted, making sure my voice came out clear and firm. I couldn't come off like some fanboy who didn't know what he was talking about. I didn't like how he was calling me kid. I felt like he was judging me when he said that. "I'm calling to talk to you about repairing your relationship with Tony. Right now, he's working his ass off to help get you and the rest of the Avenger's names cleared so that you can come home. Okay? You get that? He doesn't want you guys to stay as wanted criminals. He doesn't want you in prison. If there comes a point where the only way for you guys to be free again is to sign the Accords, please just sign. Don't let"—_

 _"Enough," Rogers interrupted, his voice hard and angry. "You have no right to ask us to sign those Accords. Do you even know what they say, kid? Has Stark been completely honest with you? How old are you, anyways? I respect that he's trying to help, but if it comes down to us signing, then we'll stay fugitives. I'm not going to have politicians with their own agendas controlling who I can or cannot help."_

 _"You're being selfish," I retorted irritably, not liking how easily he dismissed my words. "I know more about the Accords than you think, and Tony has been completely honest with me. My age doesn't matter. I'm a superhero, just like you, and that's all you need to know. Look, I'm trying to help and I'm trying to be nice about it. I know what happened in Siberia, okay? I know how you lied to my—to Tony, and how you just left him in Siberia with a broken suit. You blamed him for the Avengers falling apart, but you are just as much to blame. You took half the team with you, Rogers!" I snapped. I could hear Rogers taking several deep breaths on the other line, and was glad that he'd yet to hang up on me._

 _"Whatever Stark has shown you,_ kid _, and whatever he's told you…you still don't understand everything that's happened," he stated seriously. "You haven't lived with the man for years. You haven't seen how his attempts to_ help _have led to people getting hurt or killed! I get his heart is in the right place, but I still don't agree with the Accords, and I still won't sign them. I'm not a weapon to be used by people in business suits."_

 _"It's not just people in business suits," I retorted angrily, upset that he could be so close minded. "It's the United Nations, Cap! It's made up of people from all over the world who were voted in by their country's people. Ross is gone, and you can thank Tony for that. Don't be so arro"—_

 _"Ross is one man, and yeah, I'm glad he's gone, but has anything else changed?" the older hero challenged. "Did Tony tell you about the raft? Did he tell you after we fought in Germany, my friends were rounded up and locked up in some maximum security prison in the ocean? Did he tell you how he did_ nothing _to help them?! I've never been the arrogant one of the team, son, that's always been Tony's trademark."_

 _I was the silent one now, not knowing what to say. I didn't know about the raft. Underwater prison? I couldn't believe that my dad would've let the other Avengers rot away, but Rogers said he had. He must be wrong, though. He just didn't know what Tony was doing. He didn't know what Tony had been through._

 _"My dad was kidnapped, tortured, and nearly died because of what he's done for you, Rogers!" I snapped harshly, breathing heavily at how furious I suddenly was with him. This couldn't be the great Captain America. This couldn't be one of the heroes I'd idolized growing up._

 _I heard the man suck in a startled breath before he rapidly began to fire off questions. "Kidnapped? By who? When? Is he okay now? Wait, did you just call him your_ dad _?"_

 _Ignoring the dad question, I answered the other ones. "It was during late summer, right after Ross was removed from his position. Ross had him kidnapped and tortured, and when we were rescuing him, he got shot in the stomach and nearly died," I informed him, my voice now quieter as the memories of that day resurfaced. "They beat him, whipped him, electrocuted him, and water boarded him because Ross was pissed at what he'd done. Tony doesn't owe you or your friends anything, but he's still risked his life to help. He, Nat, Bruce, Vision, and Rhodes are still working to this day on getting you guys cleared. Ask yourself this, Captain, what have you done to help the situation?"_

 _A knock sounded at my door, my eyes widening and my heart pounding as I dropped the phone. Quickly grabbing it, I ended the call before rushing to my desk where I opened a random textbook to a random page. The door opened and Tony shot me a quizzical look. I stared back with an innocent expression that he didn't buy at all. Thankfully, while he seemed to realize I'd been up to something, he hadn't cared enough to push, no doubt feeling it wasn't anything serious. If only he knew._

I leaned my head against the elevator as I took it down. Staring at my phone, I half expected to have been called back by Rogers, but I hadn't. Had I made the right decision? He'd needed to know this information, though, right? If my dad wasn't going to tell him what's what, then I would. Somebody had to interfere or these two men would never begin to repair the rift between them. I felt I'd given Rogers a wake-up call. I'd given him something to think about.

What would come of it, though? Would he keep our conversation to himself? Would he tell the others? Would he tell, T'Challa? I suddenly wondered fearfully. Oh, crap. If T'Challa found out what I'd done, then he'd tell Tony. Dammit! Heart racing, I could only hope that Rogers would keep our conversation to himself. He didn't seem the type to go blabbing things to people. I'd have to make sure, though. Should I call him? No, that'd be dumb. What would I say? _Hey, Cap, would you mind keeping this conversation a secret? Yeah, if my dad found out he'd spank me._ Yup, that would be a stellar conversation to have with one of the greatest heroes of all time. Not happening.

Let's hope that if the captain did tell T'Challa, that the king of Wakanda would shoot my dad an email rather than a phone call. I could get onto Tony's phone or tablet and delete or respond to an email from T'Challa. I couldn't answer the call in his stead, though. Crud. I'd just dug myself into a hole, and now I was just making it deeper. All this, because I wanted to help. Hopefully, I had. Maybe I'd call another day. Maybe.

The ride down to Natasha's floor seemed to take longer than ever, and when the door finally opened, I was beyond relieved to have my thoughts sidetracked by the sight of MJ. She was smiling, a real smile, and there was no stress or heaviness in her face anymore. Seeing me, the smile brightened, and my heart began to beat rapidly for another reason entirely.

"I heard the good news," I said, "and I'm here to help." MJ took my hand, pulled me in for a kiss and then handed me a box.

 **A/N: Really hope you enjoyed the chapter! I don't want to make Steve an enemy, but I do feel he's in a bad place right now. Tony is free and surrounded by family while Steve is in hiding with little knowledge of what's going on outside. Not sure Peter should have made the call, but what's done is done. Don't expect Cap to show up soon, though, okay? Things are going to take time!**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!**


	41. Chapter 41

**A/N: Okay, so I started writing a chapter that went in a totally new and weird direction, but I decided it wasn't quite time. It's a little idea I got from the Iron Man comics, but that'll come later. Instead, I've decided to it's time to delve a little more into our missing Avengers.**

 **Chapter 41: Steve Rogers**

 **Steve's POV:**

" _They beat him, whipped him, electrocuted him, and water boarded him because Ross was pissed at what he'd done. Tony doesn't owe you or your friends anything, but he's still risked his life to help. He, Nat, Bruce, Vision, and Rhodey are still working to this day on getting you guys cleared. Ask yourself this, Captain, what have you done to help the situation?"_

I was stunned at what the kid had said to me. Tony had been kidnapped and tortured by Ross? I thought those two were working together? I could feel a headache coming by the stress of this phone call. I was trying to figure out something to say in response when I heard the kid suck in a startled breath. It sounded like the phone then fell before the call was cut off.

I frowned in confusion and concern, and was tempted to call back, but after realizing I didn't know what to say, I just let it go. I couldn't decide whether I still wanted to continue the conversation or not.

"What was _that_?" Sam asked in bewilderment, shooting me a look of concern. "I thought the only person with the number to that phone was Stark."

I looked at the phone as I nodded my head. "It was that kid from Germany, Spider man," I informed him quietly, still trying to process the conversation. I had honestly not expected something like this to happen. Truthfully, I'd never expected to receive a call from this phone. I'd given Tony the number in case of emergency, but I knew the man well enough to know that he'd never use it. He wasn't someone to seek out help, especially not from me.

"That spider dude?" Sam responded with confusion. "What did he want? Did Stark put him up to this?"

I shook my head before then shrugging. "He said Stark didn't know he was calling me, but I find it weird that Stark would've given the kid this number. It doesn't sound like him at all," I remarked, my mind suddenly flashing to something the kid had said. He'd called Tony, Dad. That made no sense to me at all.

"What did he say?" Sam pressed, and I massaged my temples, not wanting to really discuss this, but needed a second opinion anyways as I didn't know what to think.

"He wanted me to know that Tony is working really hard to get our charges cleared so we can go home," I explained. "He…he said that if we were offered a chance to sign the Accords again, then we should."

"Bullshit!" Sam snarled, letting out a huff as he began to pace around the room. "Stark put him up to this, he had to. There's no way that kid would've done this call on his own."

I gave a half nod, not sure if I agreed or not. "Stark is a lot of things, Sam, but he's not a coward," I eventually said. "I really can't see him pressing that kid into doing this instead of himself."

"Well, then he's obviously brainwashed or confused," my friend continued irritably. "Clearly he has no idea what he's talking about. How old is he anyways?"

I gave a hollow laugh as I replied, "I said the same thing and asked the same question, but he responded that he knew more than I did, and that his age didn't matter."

Sam scoffed loudly before leaning himself against the wall. I could feel anger coming off him in waves, and I knew it was due to more than just this phone call. We were all angry. We were all tired. We were all worried. We were all scared, although nobody would admit that last one.

We'd been cooped up here in Wakanda for over a year, and the last time we'd left the country for any reason had been eight months ago. We were cut off from the world here, and now, more than ever I wished we knew what was going on. Hearing things from T'Challa didn't seem like enough now.

Everybody was frustrated, and the waiting for who knows what had started to wear on us. We were easily irritated, snapping at each other one moment and then laughing the next. I didn't know what to do. We were fugitives, and if we left the country, our chances of being caught would increase exponentially the longer we were gone. We were safe here. On the other hand, though, I think we'd almost all agree that at this point we'd prefer living on the run looking over our shoulders rather than the stagnant cut off life we had now.

This call from Spider man had been the first contact from the outside world we'd had in nearly a year, and I had the sudden urge to call the boy back if only just to find out what else was going on. The anger I'd felt from his words was completely gone, and I just felt tired and stressed. I felt concerned too. And confused. What was going on? I needed to talk to T'Challa.

"Did T'Challa tell you when he's due back?" I asked the other man, and he just shrugged before letting out a sigh.

"I've honestly stopped asking him stuff like that. He'll be back when he's back," he remarked, seeming to show the same weariness that I was feeling. "What else that dude say?" he then asked. "You seemed pretty shocked and concerned."

I nodded silently before telling Sam about Tony being kidnapped by Ross. Sam's brow furrowed in response, and he slowly made his way over until he was seated next to me. Several minutes went by before he said anything.

"Steve, you know Stark better than I do," he stated. "Do you trust him to have our back?"

"Yes," I answered without hesitation, surprising myself by how much I believed that. Despite everything that had happened, I knew Tony cared, and I knew he'd do what he felt was best for us. "The thing is," I added, "while I believe Tony is trying to help, I'm not sure if his help is the kind we want. Unless the Accords change, I still can't see signing them. I won't stop any of you from doing so"—

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Sam drawled, waving a dismissive hand. "We're with you 'till the end, Steve. We're not gonna jump ship just because we've got a little cabin fever." I threw my friend a small, appreciative smile. There were a lot of times where he reminded me of Bucky, pre-Winter Soldier Bucky, and that caused my heart to ache.

"Anyways," I continued, "Tony's heart is in the right place. I just hope that whatever he does to help us, _really_ does help us. I won't sign the Accords just to go home."

"Agreed," a new voice proclaimed, and we both looked up to see Clint leaning against the doorway. I raised an inquiring eyebrow at him to which he replied, "I've been here since Sam asked you what the spider kid said. So, Tony was kidnapped?" he asked in forced casualness, and I refrained from shooting him a knowing look.

"Yeah," I answered, giving a concerned frown. "Kid said it was Ross trying to get revenge for Tony getting him fired."

"Yeah, well, Stark has a way of pissing off people," Clint remarked snarkily, and I openly glared at him.

"He was tortured Clint," I declared firmly, shooting him a reprimanding look. Despite what side we were on, Tony was still a…still a what? Teammate? Friend? Family? I rubbed my aching temples once more before quietly saying, "Apparently he was beaten, whipped, electrocuted, and water boarded before being shot in the abdomen. He nearly died."

Silence greeted my words, and while Sam just looked down at the ground, Clint looked at me. I saw apology. I saw concern. I also saw anger. Tony was an easy target, a _really_ easy target for that anger. He was someone Clint could blame for the situation we were in, like for being a fugitive and not being able to see his family. The only reason Clint hadn't jumped ship was because he knew Natasha would make sure they were okay no matter what.

"They rescued him, but he never should've had to suffer through that," I commented, mentally berating myself. I didn't know why I felt guilty. It wasn't as though there was anything I could do. I guess, I blamed myself because what Tony went through was a direct result of him trying to help us. He didn't have to be doing anything to help us, but he was. According to T'Challa he was working extremely hard to get our charges cleared, and I was grateful. I was also afraid of what that would mean, though. What would that freedom cost us? I couldn't sign those Accords, not as they were…but, I couldn't stay a fugitive for the rest of time either.

I really needed to talk to T'Challa. Sitting tight and doing nothing wasn't enough for me now. I needed to know what was going on. I needed to know more about this kid. Why had he called Tony, Dad? I debated on mentioning that tidbit to the others before deciding not to. I wasn't sure why I was keeping it a secret, but I had a feeling the young hero had let that word slip. Thinking back, he'd been close to referring to Tony as Dad before, but had stopped himself. Was he Tony's biological son? How old was he? He sounded like a teenager, but Tony wouldn't have recruited someone that young to fight, right? He wouldn't have dragged an underage kid to fight in Germany where he could've been hurt or even killed? No, he could be reckless, but he wouldn't have been that reckless. But still…this didn't make sense.

I looked at the phone in my hand and was sorely tempted to call the number back. What if Tony picked up, though? I knew he hadn't put the kid up to this, but it was odd that he'd given the kid this number. Maybe he hadn't given him the number, though. How'd the kid get it then?

Sigh.

"You gonna call back?" Clint asked curiously, and I sighed again before shrugging.

"I don't know," I responded. "I really don't know what to say, and I'm still wondering how he got this number. The Tony I knew wouldn't have shared this number or the letter I sent him with anyone. He also wouldn't have forced a call like this to occur."

"Which brings up the question: Why did the spider boy call you?" Clint brought up.

"To convince us that Tony is a good guy," Sam answered, and I just nodded.

"I wonder how much that guy knows about the Accords," Clint remarked thoughtfully. "I doubt Stark has been completely honest with him."

I frowned deeply before realizing something. "He told me he knew about what happened in Siberia." How could I have missed that? How was that only just coming to me? How the hell did that kid know about Siberia? Who was he to Tony, because I never would've expected Tony to tell anybody about what happened. Well, maybe Pepper, but not some new hero he'd barely met. Not even Pepper, I thought back, recalling how Tony had said they'd been taking a break.

He'd said, Dad, though. Would Tony be so open with his son? I didn't think so, but then again, I couldn't even imagine Tony as a dad. I felt somewhat ashamed to think it, but I felt like he'd be an awful parent. Not intentionally, of course, but with his habits and personality…well, he wasn't the easiest person to talk to or get along with. He wasn't the most nurturing, affectionate, or patient guy either.

"That's odd," Clint said, echoing my confusion. "Stark isn't one to blab about stuff like that. I honestly could only see him telling Rhodes, not some kid he barely knows. You think he's spying on Stark or something?"

"Maybe," I allowed, not really believing that, "but if he is, it's out of concern. He sounded like he really cares about Tony."

"Alright, look, we're clearly all confused," Sam stated, standing up. "Let's go tell the others what we've been told, and let's call the kid back tomorrow. We can get some more information from him, like how much he knows about the Accords, and how he's getting all this information about Stark."

Clint just raised an eyebrow, but I could tell he was on board. The curiosity was burning in his eyes along with excitement. This, sadly, was the most interesting and exciting thing to happen to us in a while. I had no doubt the others would be on board…and honestly, so was I.

 **Peter's POV:**

I yawned widely as I traveled from my first period to second. MJ was at my side, smirking at how tired I was.

"You shouldn't stay out so late," she remarked knowingly, and I rolled my eyes. Like I'd allow sleep to get in the way of me being Spider man. "At least take a night off now or then so you can catch up on some sleep," she continued, and I just shrugged.

"I'm fine, MJ, quit worrying," I said.

"I'm always going to worry," she said, her tone more serious now, and I knew she wasn't just talking about me not getting enough sleep. I paused, and looked over at her with a small, apologetic grin.

"I'm sorry," I apologized, but this time she was the one to roll her eyes.

"Don't be," she replied casually. "I love who you are and what you do. I'd never ask you to change. I worry because I care, and that's that."

I grinned more widely, wrapping an arm around her shoulder before giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. She laughed before giving me a light shove. I was leaning forward to give her another kiss when my phone went off. Curiosity caused me to immediately reach for it as nobody ever called me during school. When I looked at the caller ID, my eyes widened and my heart began to pound in sudden anxiety. It said Steve. Shit!

"It's Captain America," I whispered fiercely to MJ, and her eyes turned shocked before she quickly looked around us. She was the only one I'd told about the call I'd made yesterday, and only because she'd seen how stressed I'd been immediately afterwards.

"Do you know why he's calling?" she asked, and I shook my head. Our last conversation hadn't exactly been stellar, and I'd hung up on him to avoid being caught by Tony.

"Cover for me," I told my girlfriend. "I'm taking the call."

"Wait, are you serious?" she exclaimed, but I ignored her, answering the phone as I agilely made my way through the hallways. "Hello?" I greeted with the same wariness Rogers had initially greeted me with yesterday.

"Kid, it's me," Rogers stated, and even though I already knew it would be, I still couldn't help but suck in a startled breath.

"Uh, yeah, hi," I said back awkwardly before wincing when the bell rang.

"Was that a school bell?" I heard a new voice ask on the other end, and I found my anxiety increasing. Idiot, idiot, idiot, I cursed myself.

"No!" I retorted, cringing when my voice cracked. Jeez, life! Must you hate me so? "Hold on," I then said, holding the phone to my chest as I made my way onto the roof of the school. "What do you want?" I finally said, my tone coming off harshly from stress and embarrassment.

"Just to talk," Rogers responded, before that other voice repeated, "Was that a school bell? How old are you, kid?"

"Who are you?" I asked instead of answering.

"Clint. Hawkeye," the voice responded, and I was momentarily stunned.

"Who else is listening in?" I decided to press, and I heard Roger give a sigh as another voice answered. "Sam aka Falcon, Wanda aka Scarlett Witch, and Scott aka tic tac."

"It's Ant-man!" Scott complained, and laughter was given at the good-natured teasing.

"Woah, wow," I couldn't help but say as I realized I was talking with all the missing Avengers. "I, uh, hi everybody, um…h-how are you?" I questioned, cursing myself once more for the stupid question. I was a little overwhelmed and star struck, though. I was talking with _all_ the missing Avengers!

"How do you think we are?" Clint retorted caustically, and I shrunk, glad that they couldn't see me. "You gonna answer my other question, spider boy? That sure as hell sounded like a school bell, which means you're under age. Question is, how much?"

"Yeah, it's a school bell," I allowed, "but I'm a teacher, not a student."

"The crack in your voice says otherwise, kid," Sam remarked in mild amusement, and I flushed, barely resisting from hitting my head against a wall.

"Look, my age doesn't matter okay," I declared exasperatedly.

"It kind of does," Wanda spoke up, sounding distrusting. "We are fugitives and conversing with a child is in neither of ours best interest."

"I'm a super hero, not a child," I snapped back, hating that my age would cause them to look at me differently. "I'm Spider Man, so just think of me like that. Now, how about you just tell me what you want so I can get back to my life." I was irritated and embarrassed now. I'd never thought Rogers would call me back, and especially not with the others listening in. I wasn't sure how to react, and I had to fight to keep from panicking. To a certain extent, Wanda was right. They were fugitives, so I needed to watch what I said.

"Alright, everybody," Rogers finally stated authoritatively, "leave him alone about his age. That's not the reason we called. We're looking for information," he told me, and I frowned, chewing on my bottom lip thoughtfully.

"What kind of information?" I inquired hesitantly.

"What has Stark told you about the Accords?" Sam pressed. "What did he say to convince you to fight for him?" I groaned internally, unsure how to answer the question. I settled for the truth.

"Tony approached me and said he needed help," I began, thinking back to my first encounter with him. A small, reminiscent smile graced my lips as I recalled how shocked, awed, and scared I'd been. "I don't know how he figured it out, but he knew I was Spider man. He talked to me for a bit, asking why I did this, and I guess he was satisfied because he then said he needed me in Germany." I hesitated briefly before continuing, knowing they weren't going to take the next part well. Truthfully, Tony should have been more open with me regarding what was going on, but this was ancient news to me. I didn't care. "Tony really didn't tell me much about why we were fighting. He just said you'd gone off the res, Cap, and that you were on the wrong side. I was there to help stop things from getting worse…not that it worked," I couldn't help but mutter.

As expected, I heard scoffs, grumblings, and a curse or two, all directed toward my dad. "He didn't tell you about the Accords by then?" Rogers asked softly, and I could hear disappointment in his tone. I bit back an angry retort. He had no right to be angry with Tony. None of them had any right to be angry with my dad!

"By that point he'd only told me that the UN was trying to put us, er, you guys in check," I explained coolly. "Tony said the government wanted to control what missions you guys could go on and stuff. He wasn't happy at all, he admitted to me. Way too many restrictions, but Tony said that signing at that point was the lesser evil. Fighting it, like you guys would lead to war…and that's exactly what happened. You should have trusted your teammates, your _family_ better than that," I scolded. "If Tony, Nat, Vision, and Rhodes were willing to sign, then you should've given in. Do you really think they were in complete agreement? They were just trying to stop something worse from happening. Better to give in and live to fight another day, y'know," I spoke irritably.

"You've got no right, boy, to be scolding us," Wanda snapped back, and I glared at nothing.

"And you've got no right to be pissed at Tony!" I shot back.

"Listen, kid," Clint spoke up sternly, "we've known Tony a lot longer than you have, and we've seen what his good intentions have led to. You ever hear about Ultron? Yeah, that was all _his_ fault. He was totally fine with the government controlling the Avengers because _he_ was afraid of fucking up again!"

I gritted my teeth at his insinuations. "Yeah, I know about Ultron, and I know he wasn't the only one responsible. I know _why_ he wanted to create something like that, _and_ I know that he and Bruce never actually succeeded. It was a horrible accident."

"A horrible accident that led to the destruction of Sokovia and thousands of lives," Wanda griped.

"From what I heard," I spoke chillingly, "you were on _Ultron's_ side."

"Yes, but I did not know what he was planning, and I changed"—she defended, but I cut her off before she could finish.

"Yeah, I know, and everybody's cool with that," I interrupted less icily, "but you shouldn't judge other's so harshly if you don't want to be judged the same way. Tony told me the vision you showed him. Do you know he still has nightmares because of that?" I pressed through gritted teeth, and there were several moments of silence before she replied with some regret, "I did not."

"What vision?" Rogers questioned. "Wait, you showed Stark something—when was this? Before or after Ultron?"

"Before," she answered, her voice quiet and ashamed.

"Uh, does anybody else not know what's going on?" Scott spoke up nervously, and Sam was the only one to say, "Yeah, I'm as lost as you."

"Look, we're not here to hash out what happened with Ultron," Clint asserted angrily. "We're here to figure you out, and to get more information on what the hell is going on." I didn't appreciate his snappy tone, but was cognizant enough to realize we were all feeling a little high strung at this point. "What do you know about what Stark is up to right now concerning the Accords? What is he doing to change them? You said he wants to, so what the hell has he done?! Because, as far as I can tell, nothing's changed. Yeah, Ross is gone, but there will always be another Ross. T'Challa keeps up updated on what's happening, but all he says is Stark is trying to get our charges of fucking treason cleared. I'll tell you this right now, _kid_ , that unless those Accords change, I'm not signing anything!"

"Neither are any of the rest of us," Sam asserted, and I heard a couple sighs before Rogers asked in a much calmer, yet weary voice, "What do you know?"

My mind raced as I tried to figure out what to say. I honestly had no idea what was going on concerning the Accords. Tony didn't talk to me about them, and I never asked. I just trusted that he was doing the right thing. I didn't want to admit, though, that I knew nothing. It seemed, unfortunately, that my silence spoke volumes as Clint spoke up in a cold tone.

"You don't know a goddamn thing, do you?" he voiced. "You're just a little kid who's in over his head, trying to play with the big boys."

"That's not true!" I defended hotly. "I'm trying to fix things because nobody else is!"

"Well, clearly you didn't think things through," Clint replied. "Tell me, spiderboy, have _you_ signed the Accords? You're a hero, right? Does the government regulate your actions? Do they know who you are?"

"N-no, I haven't signed them," I confessed, and there were a few scoffs and heavy sighs.

"He's a fucking kid," Clint said aloud, and I heard footsteps before a door slammed. I had a feeling he'd just stormed off.

"Do you want to sign it?" Rogers asked. "What's going to happen when you're forced, huh?"

"I-I-I…I don't know. I mean, no, I don't really want to sign, but that's because I don't want anybody to know my identity. If I'm forced, though…," I trailed off, not knowing what I'd do.

"Do you think Stark will defend you?" Wanda pressed, and I could tell by her tone that she didn't think so.

"He would," I declared firmly, as I knew my father better than her. "He loves me, and he'd fight tooth and nail for me."

"He loves you?" Sam inquired incredulously. "What exactly is—How are you two so close? I may not have known Stark for long, but even I know that he's not one to get close with anybody, especially that quickly.

"And not with a kid," Rogers added, his tone coming off curious. "Son, listen, I heard what you called Tony last time. Is he your…" he trailed off, letting me choose whether I wanted to reveal this secret. My heart pounded, and I suddenly wished I'd never answered the phone. This conversation didn't go at all like I was hoping, and I felt as I may have made things worse.

"That's none of your business," I finally said coolly. "And, you know what?" I continued in the same tone. "I'm done with this call. Clearly, you guys aren't willing to listen yet, so I won't bother calling you back. If you get your heads on straight, then feel free to call back so we can have a real conversation."

"We're not the ones that are being stubborn"—Sam began to berate, but I cut him off by hanging up the phone. Gripping it tightly in my hands, I had to resist the urge to crush it or throw it in frustration. Damn it! What had just happened? All I'd wanted to do was help, but I'd just made things worse. I had no idea they harbored such anger and resentment towards Tony. But why? At times it seemed like they cared, but then at other times they seemed ready to vilify him. I just didn't get it.

Jeez, what had I been thinking? Why, why, why did I ever think I could make things better! What was I looking to achieve? I mean, I guess I was hoping I could…fix their relationship? Help them see reason? I lay my head in my hands now, regretting ever having made the call.

What would Tony say if he found out? What would Tony _do_ if he found out? I shuddered, not even wanting to imagine his reaction or the consequences.

 **Tony's POV:**

I jolted awake at the sound of my phone ringing. Groaning, I reached out blindly for my phone, eventually finding it under a large stack of papers. Glancing at the number, I groaned again at seeing it was Peter's school. What'd you do now, kid?

"Stark," I greeted gruffly.

"Oh! Um, well, hello Mr. Stark, my name is Susan Palace, and I'm calling from Midtown High school. I'm terribly sorry to bother you, but I'm calling to inform that your son, Peter left school today after second period and hasn't been back. This is the second time in the past couple weeks he has left school early, and if it happens again, he will be suspended."

I sighed heavily, reaching a hand to rub the sleep from my eyes. What the hell, kid? "Alright, thank you for informing me. I'll make sure to talk with him."

"Thank you, and again, I apologize for disturbing you. Have a pleasant day," she said, and I replied, "Yeah, you too," before hanging up. Taking in a deep breath, I then dialed Peter's number, but he didn't pick up. I was unsurprised. The boy never picked up when he was in trouble.

"Friday, where's the kid at?" I asked aloud, and it was a couple seconds before she gave me his location. He was on the roof of the school? That was weird. "His tracker puts him there too?" I pressed curiously, and she confirmed her earlier assessment. "Are any of his friend's phones located there as well?" I then asked, and she replied that they were not. Frowning, I dialed my kid's number again, but he still didn't pick up. Irritated and concerned, I left a voicemail, telling him to get his butt home. I then sent him a text with a similar message, and decided to give the boy an hour before I went and retrieved him myself. I was positive he'd be home by then.

"Keep me posted on his location," I told Friday before I stood up and stretched. I'd had a late night last night followed by a very early morning due to SI business. Pepper was abroad, and I'd had to attend a teleconference. Looking over some paperwork afterwards, I'd apparently fallen asleep. Glancing over it all, I figured I could look it over later.

I was headed towards the kitchen when my phone rang again, and after a quick glance at the caller ID, I raised a curious eyebrow before answering.

"Hey T'Challa," I greeted amiably. "How's my favorite Wakandan king doing?"

A forced chuckle was given, which caused me to frown, before he responded, "Hello, Tony, I wish I were calling to just talk, but it seems your young son has been causing a stir amongst our mutual friends." I stiffened, feeling completely taken aback and alarmed by those words. How in god's name could Peter have anything to do with those guys? He didn't even know where they were at, or have any way of contacting them!

"Explain," I demanded, uncaring of my rudeness.

"Peter has been in contact with Steve twice now," he began. "The first time was yesterday when he called Steve, and the second time was about an hour ago when he accepted a call from Steve. This second conversation involved all the other's as well, and it did not go well."

Feeling like I'd had the breath knocked out of me, I found myself sinking into a chair without even realizing it. "How did Peter even get in contact with Rogers?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer. My mind flashed back to Bruce telling me how Peter had been snooping through my files on my computer last month.

"He called the number Steve had given you last year," T'Challa replied, confirming my fear.

"What did they talk about? How did things turn out badly?" I inquired, my heart sinking in mounting disappointment towards my spiderling. At the same time, my anger was building as well.

"I do not believe I was given all the details, but it was Clint who approached me first, and he was rather furious," he recounted. "He was yelling about you brainwashing a child along with insulting your son for thinking he had any right to berate them regarding their behavior. That was all I could get from him before he stormed off again. Steve told me that Peter's intentions were to help, but that it did not turn out that way. He was trying to convince them that signing the Accords was the best option if it meant they could go home, and that you were doing everything possible to amend them. He spoke very highly of you and defended you when they accused you of not only withholding information from Peter, but of only agreeing with the Accords because of your past…mistakes." I barely refrained from cringing, as there was some truth to those words.

"Steve informed me that Peter never told them his name or age, but that they realized he was underage," T'Challa continued, and while I was glad they didn't know his true identity, I wasn't happy about them learning how young he was as they would only think negatively of me. At least his secret was safe. "I must add, that Steve admitted to hearing Peter refer to you as his father. It was accidentally, and it occurred yesterday, so Steve was the only one who heard it. He has refrained from informing the others."

I closed my eyes tightly, not believing that things could get any worse. With a little digging, it wouldn't take long for Steve to learn Peter's identity. I was grateful to the man, though for not telling the others. However, I knew once they realized I'd adopted, that they'd be able to put two and two together.

"I'm so sorry, T'Challa," I felt the need to apologize. "I had no idea he did this. I had no idea he had Steve's number or that he even knew where they were. God, this is my fault," I lamented aloud.

"I assumed you were unaware, which is why I called you, and you have no need to apologize, my friend. This is not your fault," he replied kindly. "While I am admittedly irritated with Peter, I realize his heart was in the right place."

"Right place or not, he had no right to do what he did," I declared through gritted teeth. I was so going to tear a strip out of that boy's hide when I got my hands on him. Taking in a deep breath, I asked, "What are the ramifications?"

"I believe they will be leaving soon," he answered. "Honestly, I am surprised they stayed as long as they did. They are not meant to be restricted to such a sedentary lifestyle."

"Yeah," I spoke quietly in understanding. I'd have to keep an eye and ear out for them, and make sure they didn't get themselves arrested. I voiced my thoughts to T'Challa and he responded that he would do the same.

"I doubt we will need to interfere," he stated. "Steve, Sam, and Clint are well trained warriors, and with Scott's brain and ability to shrink along with Wanda's psychic abilities, they will be just fine." I nodded in agreement.

"Thanks for the call," I said, "I appreciate it."

"Not a problem. Take care, Tony," he stated, and I responded the same before we hung up.

"Friday, pull up video recording from Peter's phone call with Steve yesterday, and give me a transcript of their conversation," I ordered, "and tell Karen to give me a transcript of today's conversation."

"Right away, Mr. Stark," she answered. With a growl of frustration, I stood up and began to pace around the living room.

Goddammit, Peter! Why? Why would you do this?

I know why. He wanted to help.

But this wasn't something he needed or should have gotten involved with. He had no business calling Steve.

He had no business snooping through my personal files either! I should have confronted him about this ages ago, but because nothing ever came of it, I wanted to just let it go. After the punishment he got from trying to Hulk out Bruce, I didn't want to get in to anything else. I didn't want to add to it.

I didn't want to know, I thought to myself. I didn't want to know what he found.

"The transcripts have been sent to you," Friday announced, and I thanked her before asking her to pull up the history from my computer from the day Peter got on. While Friday worked on that, I read over both transcripts of the phone conversations Peter had, and I cursed over and over in my head.

Why did my kid have to go and do things like this? Why couldn't he keep his nose out of my business? This had nothing to do with him! He had no fucking right to get involved!

But, god, Peter had defended me over and over again.

But, he'd also told them about my kidnapping. What right did he have to do that? I would never have wanted them to know!

He'd snooped through my stuff! He'd looked through my private files when he knew he shouldn't have!

And, he knew he shouldn't have called Rogers!

Fuck, fuck, fuck! Goddamn, well meaning, interfering, spiderling!

"Sir, I have the history of what Peter went through," my AI announced, and I told her just to send it to me. I didn't want to look right now. I didn't want to get angrier than I already was.

"Friday, whose home?" I asked, and she promptly responded, "Dr. Banner and Agent Romanoff."

"Tell them to come here, please," I ordered, and she complied. I sat in my chair, silently fuming over everything. Why, why, why?! Stupid kid! Stupid me! The elevator doors open, and I looked to see Bruce walk in with Anthony at his side.

"Is my dog wearing a lab coat?" I asked in surprised amusement.

Bruce, sporting a small smile, glanced down at the dog and nodded his head. "Yeah, he wanted to help in the lab, so I figured he should be protected.

I couldn't help but laugh out loud at the ridiculousness of his statement and reasoning, smiling fondly when my four-legged companion walked over and placed a paw on my knee. Scratching behind his ear, he threw me a lopsided doggy grin. I buried my head into his fur and groaned aloud. "You're supposed to keep your human sibling out of trouble, Anthony. You've got to protect him, okay? Even from his own stupidity," I spoke beseechingly to the mutt, and when I pulled away, he gave me a lick to my face as he shot me an adoring look.

"What'd the baby spider do now?" Nat asked, seemingly and unsurprisingly appearing out of nowhere. Stoic expression and all, she knelt and wrapped her arms around Anthony, actually grinning as the dog licked her face and happily wagged his tail. That dog had no idea how shocking this scene was.

"Peter's been in contact with Steve and the others," I informed them, and even Nat's eyes widened as they stared at me. I recounted my conversation with T'Challa, and then shared the transcripts with them. Sharing normally wasn't my thing, but for something like this, I didn't want to deal with it on my own. This involved our friends, so they would want to know…and I needed advice on how to deal with this.

"Steve gave you a number to call?" Natasha eventually asked, and I frowned before realizing I'd never told them that.

"Yeah, shortly after Siberia, he wrote me a letter and gave me a phone to call him with. I wrote down the number on the letter and scanned it into my computer. The kid snooped through my files last month, and I just…I didn't think to look into it, and I guess that's on me," I admitted, raking a hand through my hair.

"It's not your fault, Tony," Bruce argued firmly. "Peter's old enough to know better."

"How often I've uttered those same words recently," I grumbled aloud, and Natasha drily shot back, "How often I've uttered those words when thinking of you."

I let out a loud laugh, shaking my head in amusement. She smirked before petting my head the same way she did Anthony's.

"Let's call Steve," Natasha stated.

 **Steve's POV:**

My phone rang, and I huffed out a sigh as I glanced at the caller ID. I didn't recognize the number, but I assumed it had to be the kid. "Look, kid, you really shouldn't be"—

"Rogers," a voice interrupted curtly, and I nearly dropped the phone I was so caught off guard.

"Stark," I eventually greeted. Why was he calling? Had the kid told him about our conversations? Had he been the one to push the kid into calling us?

"T'Challa told me what happened, and I just wanted to apologize," he said in a guarded tone. "The kid shouldn't have been calling you, and he didn't have the right to accuse you of anything." Wow. This day was getting stranger and stranger. Tony called me after over a year to apologize because the kid called me?

"Uh, yeah, it's fine," I said lamely, and there was an awkward silence that followed. Curiosity eventually got the best of me, and I asked the burning question. "Is he yours?"

A harsh sigh greeted my question, and I wasn't sure he was going to answer, but then he said, "Not biologically, but I adopted him last March when his last living relative died."

"Wow," was all I could say, stunned that Tony of all people was a dad. It was sad that the kid had lost his last relative, but I still couldn't imagine him adopting a kid, an actual human kid. Somewhat ashamedly, I couldn't help but wonder if he'd made a good decision. He just wasn't the type. I mean, he couldn't even take care of himself.

"I can feel your judgment from here, Rogers," Stark growled icily, and I felt a flash of guilt, not bothering to apologize, though.

"I just, I know how you are Tony, and I just don't get why you'd take in a kid," I defended. "You can't even take care of yourself. How many times did we have to make sure you ate or got a decent amount of sleep when we all lived together?" I withheld a cringe at my own words, berating myself for getting into an argument after exchanging only a few words.

"Don't judge so harshly, Steve," a new voice scolded, "Tony is a fantastic father."

"Natasha," I breathed, once more caught off guard.

"Hello, Steve," she greeted emotionlessly. "Bruce is here as well."

"Bruce?" I gasped in even more surprise."

"Hello, Captain," he greeted amiably, "It's good to hear your voice."

"You too, Bruce," I responded, truly meaning it. "It's good hearing from all of you, it really is."

"Yeah, kumbaya and all that bullshit," Stark grumbled irritably, and I let out a weary sigh.

"Look, Stark, I'm not looking for a fight," I stated, and his response was typical Tony as he snarked, "Of course not, you never are, you righteous pain in the—Ow! Dammit Nat, what the hell was that for?!"

" _Be nice_ ," Natasha ordered, and I had to fight back a laugh as I wasn't looking to incense Tony any more than he already was.

"I've missed you guys," I admitted softly, and Tony was the one to let out a heavy sigh this time before he returned in a quiet, reluctant voice, "I may or may not have missed you as well…maybe."

This time I didn't bother withholding my chuckle. "I'm glad you're all together, and it seems you're happy, which is great. I'm happy for you all," I spoke honestly.

"How are you all holding up, Steve?" Bruce asked concernedly, and I wondered how exactly to respond.

Eventually, I settled on saying, "We're okay. Everybody's holding up as best as we can. I assume you know where we're at."

"Since forever ago," Stark replied cockily, and I rolled my eyes. Why wasn't I surprised? "So, you're welcome for not ratting you out, y'know, in case you thought I'd do something shitty like that."

"I…thank you," I settled for saying, not wanting to admit that it had been a fear of ours. "I should also thank you for getting rid of Ross and the Raft, and for whatever you're doing to help. I've got to be honest, though, Stark, that unless the Accords change, none of us are going to sign them, even if it would guarantee us freedom again."

"We figured as much," Natasha responded wearily. "We're working on it."

"Have any changes been made?" I asked curiously, and it was Tony who answered.

"We've fixed it so that nobody needs to reveal their secret identity to the world or the entire UN anymore. As long as someone whose identity is known vouches for that hero, then their identity remains secret," he explained, and I raised eyebrows.

"That's awesome, guys. It's a step in the right direction," I told them.

"We're currently working on what to do with those heroes who are underage," Natasha continued. "We are working on keeping them off record until they turn eighteen. The vote on that is in a couple weeks, and we're pretty confident it'll pass. Very few adults want to admit to openly persecuting children."

"Once again, I have to say well done you guys. I'm really glad to hear about what you're doing," I said, truly proud of the work they'd done.

"Question is, Rogers, what's it going to take before you star-spangled butt will give in and sign the fucking document?" Stark pressed in a mock sweet voice.

I frowned thoughtfully before saying, "A lot more than that. My— _our_ main problem with the Accords is the people governing our actions. The Avengers should be trusted to make their own decision, not required to ask for permission or be forced to go into a situation we don't want to," I explained. "You understand that, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Stark grumbled tiredly. "Fuck, Rogers, you ever hear of compromise?!" he snapped heatedly, and I pursed my lips.

"I won't compromise on something like that," I declared firmly, my voice deepening. "If we give in now, then there's be no changing it. Amending the Accords is nice, but they need to be eradicated. End of story."

"Steve," Bruce said in his ever-calm voice, "Do you really think that'll ever happen? If you were to sign, then you could fight against this _with_ us. You're Steve Rogers, people respect and look up to you. If you were with us, then you could work that famous Captain America charm to help the situation. Right now, though, all you're doing is adding to the problem. You've gone rouge, for all intents and purposes, and you're currently wanted. Is that the way you want to live? Do you want to be part of the solution, Steve, or part of the problem?"

I rested my forehead in my hand, the headache I'd had earlier coming back with a vengeance.

"You still there, Steve?" Bruce asked after a certain amount of time.

"Yeah," I answered quietly. "Look, it's been great hearing from all of you, but I…I need to think things over."

"Take your time," Stark remarked, "But not really. You're a pain in my ass right now, so it'd be really nice if you'd get off your high horse."

I rolled my eyes, shooting off a goodbye, before hanging up. Pocketing the phone, I set out for a run.

 **A/N: Another chapter down. Hope you guys liked getting things in Steve's POV. I tried to do him justice, but I don't know. PLEASE REVIEW!**


	42. Chapter 42

**A/N: As the title says, Petey is busted! Daddy Stark ain't too pleased with our spiderboy. Enjoy! Oh yeah, and thank you thank you thank you to all of you who have stuck around since the beginning and faithfully reviewed! Those reviews are the reason this story has continued! :)**

 **Chapter 42: Busted**

 **Peter's POV:  
** I arrived home and slowly made my way into the private elevator. The school had told Tony I'd ditched, and then Tony had called me. I'd still been reeling from the talk with Cap and the other Avengers, and hadn't wanted to be interrogated by Tony, afraid that I might slip and accidentally tell him what happened. His voicemail and text had told me to be home within an hour, though, and since I didn't want to anger him, here I was ten minutes before the deadline.

"Good afternoon, Peter," Friday spoke, and I grunted back in greeting. The elevator doors closed, but it didn't ascend. I gave the camera a confused look.

"Uh, Fri, why aren't we going up?" I asked.

"I regret to inform you, Peter, but King T'Challa called Mr. Stark today to inform him of your conversations with Captain Rogers," she said, and I froze, my blood freezing. Oh my god. Oh no, oh no, oh no! "He has the transcripts of both conversations, and he has the search history from the day you went on his computer," she continued, and I felt downright sick at her words. My heart was racing, and I was close to panicking.

"Friday," I stated, pitifully, "How mad—What do I do, Friday? He's going to kill me! What do I do?" I asked the AI desperately. "How-how furious is he with me?"

"Take some deep breaths, Peter, deep breaths," the AI directed, and I forced myself to do as she said. Once, I'd managed to somewhat calm myself, I raced towards the elevator doors, waiting for them to open.

"I'm sorry, Peter, but I have been ordered to not let you leave. Mr. Stark is aware of your arrival, and he says you are to go straight to your room and stay there," she informed me kindly, and tears welled up in my eyes as I nodded my head. The elevator shot up to my floor, the doors opened, and I hesitantly stepped out, exhaling a breath of relief when I saw there was no one here.

"Mr. Stark is down in the common room," Friday said, interpreting my relief. I nodded, and then quickly made a beeline for my room. Anthony perked his head up sleepily from his bed, jumping to his feet when he saw it was me. I sank to my knees and wrapped my arms around him, tears escaping me as I realized how much trouble I was in. Anthony made a whining noise as he sensed my distress, and licked at my face as I cried into his soft fur.

"Anthony," I cried, "I messed up. I really, really messed up, and Dad's gonna kill me. He's gotta be so mad at me, Anthony. God, why am I such a screw up?" The dog whined some more as he nuzzled my face and attempted to lick away my tears. He then tugged at my shirt with his mouth gently pulling me until I was at my bed. A watery chuckle escaped me as I crawled up onto my bed. Anthony jumped up and lay himself across my body protectively as if to say, 'I've got your back.' I grabbed hold of the pillow I'd stolen from Tony a couple days ago, and breathed in his scent.

God, how maddening it was that I didn't want to see Tony while at the same time I wanted him here with me.

How mad was Tony?

Stupid question. He had to be downright furious. Apoplectic even. I went through is private files. I took information from those files and used it. I called a fugitive. Even if it was Captain America, he was still wanted by the freaking United Nations. After that lovely conversation, I'd then accepted a phone call from that fugitive once more, and had spoken with all the other missing fugitives. I hadn't told Tony of either one of these talks even though I knew I should have. To top it all off, I'd then ditched school, putting myself into even more trouble.

I had messed up. I had messed up big time. Bigger than ever. The only way I could've made this worse was if I actually went to Wakanda. Good thing that thought had never crossed my mind…more than once…or twice.

I let out a loud groan, burying my head into my pillow.

Would Tony ever forgive me? Or trust me? I'd betrayed his trust. I'd lied to him. I'd gone behind his back. This would be it, wouldn't it? This would be the moment he realized I wasn't worth it. He'd no doubt regret ever taking me in. God, I was so much more trouble than I was worth. Stupid, stupid, stupid! How could he want me around after this? And I'd probably ruined any chance of him repairing the rift between himself and the other Avengers. I'd probably made things worse.

That's what I always did, wasn't it? I just made things worse. Always, always worse.

"Friday, do you think I'm bad?" I asked her hesitantly. "Do you think Tony r-regrets adopting me?"

"No, Peter, of course not," she responded sincerely. "Mr. Stark loves you very much, you know this. Don't doubt that because of what's happened."

"He doesn't even want to see me," I argued.

"That's not true," she replied firmly, her voice tinged with concern. "Your dad is very upset by what happened, and the only reason he is not here right now is because he doesn't want to speak with you when he's angry. He is afraid he will say something he'll regret, and he doesn't want to hurt you."

Tears leaked from my eyes, and I understood what she was saying, but I was still so afraid. I was afraid he hated me or didn't want me anymore. I was afraid that he'd regret adopting me. I was afraid he'd never be able to trust me. I was afraid I'd made irreparable damage.

"Peter," Friday called gently, and I made a pitiful noise to show my acknowledgment. "Mr. Stark has sent you a voice mail he'd like you to listen to, or if you'd prefer, he has also sent you a text message. Please listen or read it as I believe it'll help you feel better." I sniffed noisily, wiping at my face as I dug my phone out of my backpack. I noticed I had a missing call, voicemail, and text message from Dad. I was tempted to read the text message, but I also wanted to hear his voice, so I settled for listening to the voice mail, hoping Friday was telling me the truth.

 _"Hey, Peter," Dad's voice greeted softly, "I know about everything, okay? I know, and guess what? I still love you. You're still my little spider, a very much in trouble little spider, but my little spider nonetheless. I'm angry, yeah, pissed actually, but that doesn't change the fact that I love you and you're my son. Stay in your room, and you'll receive a call from your mom soon. Once again, I love you, and please, for my sanity, stay out of trouble."_

I couldn't help but grin through the tears at hearing he still loved me. I was in huge, huge trouble, but he still loved me. I hadn't ruined things.

But, god, I was in huge, _huge_ trouble.

My phone rang, and knowing it was Pepper, I picked up. "Hi, Mom," I said in a small voice.

"Hi, honey," she spoke back lovingly. "Tony told me what's going on. How are you?"

"M'okay," I murmured back. "When're you coming home?"

"Oh, Peter, I'm sorry, but not for another week at least," she responded, and my heart sank.

"I miss you," I told her, and she replied, "I miss you, too."

"Are you mad at me?" I asked nervously, and she promptly answered that she wasn't. "I only wanted to help," I explained, and she responded with a sigh.

"I know that, Peter, and so does Tony," she stated kindly.

"He's mad," I then murmured softly, a few more tears leaking out of my eyes at the thought.

"He is," she acknowledged honestly. "Mad, disappointed, and hurt. _But_ , he still loves you."

"Yeah, he told me in a voicemail," I told her.

"A voicemail? Um, okay…well, please remember that, honey. Please remember that when you two start talking about this," she advised, and my stomach filled itself with butterflies.

"I don't think there'll be much talking on my part," I bemoaned, and while she made a sympathetic noise, she also didn't disagree.

"Do you know when he's going to talk to me?" I questioned, wanting yet not wanting to know.

"Tonight," she answered surely, and my earlier nausea came back.

"Oh," was all I could respond, and Mom once more made that sympathetic noise before she said, "It'll be okay, Peter, I swear it will. I wish I could be there for you right now, but know that you can call me whenever you want to. And, like I said before, remember that your dad loves you very, very much and only wants to teach you to _think_ your actions through." I let out a whimper.

"Tony's lessons are painful," I couldn't hold back, and she just sighed in response, saying, "I know they are." I sniffed noisily, feeling incredibly sorry for myself. Pepper spent the next half hour just talking to me, telling me about what she'd been up to and what her plans were for the upcoming week. She then went on to tell me how she was bringing back Anthony and I matching souvenir shirts, which caused me to laugh.

"In fact, I'll get everybody a matching shirt and we can take some corny family photo to send out Christmas cards," she continued amusedly. Anthony let out a bark, and I took that as his agreement with the idea of a family Christmas photo.

"You want to be front and center, don't you buddy?" I cooed to the happy dog. "In fact, let's just take a picture of you and send it to everybody." I could hear Pepper chuckling in the background, and my heart ached for her to be here. I wanted to feel her arms wrapped around me and her hand running through my hair comfortingly. Moms were the best. They knew how to make everything better.

Another half hour passed with Pepper discussing Thanksgiving plans with me. She wanted to know what I wanted to do, and I wasn't sure. Last Thanksgiving it'd been just May and I, and it'd been great, but this year things were different.

"What do you guys normally do?" I asked curiously.

"Hmmm," she mused, "Well, we've done different things such as attending charity banquets, throwing our own parties, or nothing. It's never really been an important day for us to celebrate as we're usually busy. Knowing so many of our employees have families, we usually took on extra work so that they could celebrate the holiday. With you here, though,"—

"Don't change things for me," I quickly interjected. "I don't want you guys to change you're, uh"—

"We don't have traditions, honey," she interrupted with mild amusement. "And, I want to celebrate it. We're a family and this is a tradition I would love to start."

"Oh, well, if you want to, then I want to," I responded, feeling excited at the prospect of a Thanksgiving with my new family. "We should get everybody together for a dinner or something," I suggested. "And, we don't have to do turkey if you guys don't want to."

"Thanksgiving means turkey, Peter, so turkey it will be; and yes, I think having everyone together is an excellent idea," she replied happily.

"I look forward to it," I stated, excited at the thought of a family Thanksgiving. It wouldn't be anything like what May and I had, but still, it was a tradition I didn't want to lose.

A firm knock sounded at the door, and I sucked in a sharp breath, looking towards my door with wide eyes. Uh oh. The door opened, and I quickly sat up, one hand wrapped around Anthony, who was between me and the door, and the other hand holding up the phone to my ear. Tony took a step in to my room, and quirked an eyebrow as he asked, "Pepper?" I gave a mute nod, and he approached me with his hand held out. Shrinking down as if to hide myself behind Anthony, I reluctantly placed my phone in his hand.

"Hey Pep," he spoke into the phone, his tone serious and business-like.

"Are you calm?" Pepper questioned, her voice just as serious.

"Of course, I am. How's he doing?" he asked, knowing that I could hear him, but clearly not caring. I couldn't stop the mild glare I shot his way, that he quelled with a single raised eyebrow.

"Just as you expected," Mom answered. "Now, let's stop discussing our son as if he isn't in the room hearing our every word. You two have things to talk about, so get to it and call me when you can. Pass the phone to, Peter," she then directed, and Dad frowned mildly before holding it out to me. I took it back just as slowly as I'd given it to him.

"Hi," I said quietly, "Guess it's goodbye."

"Yes, it is, but just remember that I love you, and you can call me whenever you want," she told me lovingly.

"Love you too," I replied, and then we hung up. Heart increasing in tempo, I dropped the phone onto my bed and hugged Anthony as I very slowly lifted my eyes towards Tony. He watched me with a blank expression, yet his eyes were full of emotion.

"You and I have a long talk ahead of us, pal, and I'd like for you to follow me to my room," he stated, gesturing for me to lead the way. I just bit my bottom lip, tightening my grip on Anthony, who sensing the atmosphere began to whine in agitation. Why did he want to do this in his room?

"Come on, Pete," Tony urged. "Let go of Anthony," he then ordered, and I very reluctantly loosened my hold on my dog. Tony held out a helping hand that I really didn't want to take, but I reached my hand out anyways. We were both taken aback, however, when Anthony let out a growl towards Tony, placing himself directly between him and me.

Tony's eyes immediately narrowed, and in a sharp voice he said, "Anthony! Off the bed, now!" The dog continued to give a low growl in the back of its throat, so Tony reached out and took hold of his collar, forcefully pulling him off the bed. With wide eyes, I watched as Anthony fought against Tony, even nipping at his arm in order to be released. My dad wasn't having any of that, so he forcefully dragged the dog over to his bed, sat him down, and then knelt in order to look the dog straight in the eyes. Taking hold of Anthony's face in his hands, he began to speak.

"Anthony Stark, you _never_ growl or snap at me again, do you hear," he scolded sternly. "I am not going to hurt Peter. I love him, and no matter what feelings you're sensing off him right now, I promise you he'll be just fine. It's great that you want to protect him, but I'm not someone you need to protect him from. In fact, you need to protect your two-legged sibling from himself, because he lands himself in an awful lot of trouble that worries the hell out of me and Pepper," he informed the dog, his tone now much softer and kinder. Anthony seemed to calm at his words and tone, and while his tail began to wag, he also gave a whine as he tried to lick at Tony's hands.

"I forgive you, buddy," Tony replied, giving Anthony a kiss on the head. "Now, I'm leaving you in time-out right now. You're to stay in this room until I'm done talking with Peter." I couldn't help but feel a bizarre urge to laugh at how he was treating Anthony, as if the dog understood everything he was saying. Maybe he did, for Anthony gave another whine as he seemingly shot my dad an apologetic look.

Tony stood up, and with his hands on his hips, gave the dog a stern look before looking to me and pointing towards the door. I immediately got off the bed and made for the doorway, not wanting to anger him. He was right on my heels, closing my door as I walked towards his. Opening it, I stepped in, took a few steps, and then stopped. "Bed," Dad instructed, and I hurriedly sat myself down on it, eager to keep my backside out of harm's way. I'd better enjoy sitting comfortably, because I knew that feeling wasn't going to last for much longer.

Tony placed himself less than a foot away from me, and he stared me down for several tense seconds before he said, "I know you wanted to help, so let's skip your defense. What I want to know is, what exactly were you hoping to achieve by calling Rogers? Was this spur of the moment, or had you been planning on making that call since you'd found the number?"

"I-I-I wasn't planning—okay, when I saved the number I wasn't sure what I'd do, but-but," I stuttered, avoiding his gaze like the plague as I gripped my pants tightly. "I didn't—it was spur of the moment. It's just, I know you miss them, a-and I k-know…I mean, you…I just wanted to help," I told him lamely. "I th-thought that if they k-knew what you were doing, then they might, y'know, just sign the Accords. I didn't think"—

"No, you didn't," he interjected with an exasperated hiss. "You didn't think as usual! You, once again, put it into your head that you knew best, and you recklessly and idiotically called known fugitives."

"It was Captain America," I defended weakly. "It's not like he'd hurt me or anything."

"That's not the point, Peter!" Tony snarled heatedly. "The point is that you stuck your nose where it had no business being! It was _never_ your job to fix what was going on between them and us. You had no right, Peter, no goddamn right to interfere in my business!" He let out a harsh sigh, running both hands through his hair as he turned his back on me and walked a few paces away.

"I don't need you to fix things for me. I don't need you endangering yourself for me in such a stupid manner," he continued without turning around. He was too angry to even look at me, I thought dismally.

"I'm so sorry, Dad," I apologized thickly, bringing my knees up to my chest. "I just-I just wanted to h-help you all. I w-wanted you to b-be h-happy."

"Happy?" Dad questioned incredulously as he turned around. "I am happy, kid. You don't have to do anything for me to be that way. Just having you in my life makes every day a good one," he remarked sincerely, walking towards me once more. A few tears cascaded down my cheeks at his words and caring tone. "I know your heart was in the right place, but…this had _nothing_ to do with you, Peter. You had no right to call them and demand anything. You don't know the full story of what happened, and you don't know the details regarding the Accords."

"I k-know, and I'm sorry," I told him, futilely trying to wipe away my tears.

"Jeez, I just don't get you at times," Tony expressed exasperatedly. "I don't get why you make decisions like this without thinking! I get _why_ you did this, but I just don't get _how_ you thought calling them was a good decision. What you did was illegal, Peter, do you get that?"

Looking at him with wide eyes, I gave a brief shake of my head. I hadn't really thought of it as being illegal.

Tony just stared at me as though I were a difficult math problem he couldn't solve. The look seemed to cut right through me. "You understand you're not to call them back, right?" he asked abruptly, and I nodded my understanding. "And, if they call, you don't pick up, and you tell me right away." I once again nodded in understanding. The man pursed his lips, and just looked at me with that analytical expression he sometimes got. I wasn't used to it being used on me, though. It made me extremely uncomfortable.

"I called Rogers," he informed me, and my mouth fell open in shock. "I apologized to him on your behalf." I flushed. "I updated him on what's been going on with the Accords, and I told him to get off his high horse. Nat and Bruce made the call with me, so they know what you've been up to as well." I flushed even more at the thought of knowing what I'd done, but I'd also admit, that I was pleased to know that Tony had actually called Rogers. That was progress, right?"

"Don't think for even a second, kid, that what you did was okay, even if it did force me to speak with the self-righteous captain," he rebuked, shaking a finger at me. "I didn't want any of them to know about you, and I certainly didn't need them knowing that Spider man was my kid. For someone who wants to keep their identity a secret, I swear to god, you do an awful job at it. You slipped during your first talk by calling me, Dad." I shifted guiltily, knowing I had, but having hoped the captain hadn't noticed.

"Why does it matter if they know?" I felt the need to ask. "They-they wouldn't tell anybody, w-would they?"

Dad sighed heavily, hands on his hips before he said, "I doubt it, but that's not the point. The point is that you told those guys things you had no right to say, like my kidnapping, for example. I would never have wanted them to know. They had no business knowing, and you had no business telling them."

"But I just—I wanted them to know everything that you were doing"—I began to explain, but he cut me off with a sharp wave of his hand.

" _It wasn't your job_!" he yelled sharply, and I flinched, which caused him to take a step back and take a deep breath. "This can't happen again, Peter. This _won't_ happen again," he stated firmly, and I immediately reassured him that it wouldn't. "I promise, Dad, it won't happen again. I won't get involved with them." His eyes bored into mine, and he gave the barest of nods in acknowledgment to my words.

"You went through my private files," he then stated, and the amount of hurt in his voice caused me to nearly start sobbing. As it was, I finally stopped trying to stem my tears. "Do you get how that is upsetting, kiddo? Do you get what a betrayal of trust that is?" he asked, and I mutely nodded my head up and down. I wanted to apologize, but there was a lump in my throat that kept me from being able to speak.

"Friday's given me the info on what you looked at, but I haven't seen it, and I'd prefer to hear from you what all you actually saw," he stated, crossing his arms as he stared me down sternly.

I really didn't want to answer. I didn't think I could, but one look into his stern eyes, I knew I didn't have a choice. I forced myself to take in a shaky breath before opening my mouth to answer him. I kept my eyes focused firmly on my legs as I told him everything I'd seen, from his emails with T'Challa, files on the Avengers, Extremis, and ending with information on the arc reactor and the damage his body had sustained. Tony had remained silent as I spoke, but I could feel his disappointment and anger.

" _Why_?" he then asked as he grabbed hold of my chin and forced me to look up at him. More tears fell at the amount of disappointment and hurt his eyes displayed. I squirmed uncomfortably, averting my eyes, but quickly flashing them back to his when he firmly called my name and demanded I answer the question. Face heating up in shame, I gave my dad eyes full of sorrowful apology as I admitted, "I was curious." It was an awful, childish, shameful excuse.

"Like when you decided to Google me?" the older man pressed, and since I couldn't nod, I gave a quiet, "Yes." He released his hold on my chin, closing his eyes and once more turning his back towards me. I could hear him taking in several deep breaths, and knew he was doing that in order to calm himself down.

"Have there been any more instances like this? Have you looked for more information about me? Looked through anymore of my private files?" he asked, and I immediately replied, "No, I swear I haven't."

"You telling me the truth?" Tony asked, turning back around, and I nodded my head, giving him an earnest expression. He eyed me dubiously for several moments before giving a nod of satisfaction.

"Okay," he stated, "I think it's time we moved onto your punishment." My stomach flip flopped as I knew what was coming. "You're getting two spankings," he informed me, and my heart rate picked. "The first spanking will take place now, and it's for the phone call to Rogers. Your second spanking will be tomorrow, and that one will be for looking through my private files. In addition to that, you've lost computer and phone privileges. I'm going to fix your phone so that it will only accept or send phone calls from people in this household. If you need a computer for school, then you will use it when I can watch you. This will be in effect for a month starting immediately, understood?"

I nodded miserably, not arguing as I felt more than deserving of the consequences. In fact, I felt for the betrayal he must be feeling, he was being rather lenient.

"Am I grounded from Spiderman?" I asked, and he nodded his head. "During the weekday, your bedtime is now 9PM, no excuses. I'll allow you to go on patrol Saturday and Sunday, however, and your curfew will be 2AM," he explained, and I couldn't help but feel some relief that I wouldn't be completely banned from going out. The weekday curfew would be awful, but I'd still get the weekend to patrol. "No hanging out with friends and no having friends over. The usual grounding drill," he remarked strictly. "One month with good behavior. You push me, and I will only lengthen it. That clear?"

"Yes," I answered dutifully, feeling increasing anxiety as I knew what was coming.

"I can't begin to express to you how disappointed, angry, and hurt I am over your actions," he lectured, and my heart clenched painfully. "You've crossed lines before with me, pal, but this time you've taken leaps and bounds over lines I didn't even know needed to be drawn. Do you get that? I never thought this would be something I'd have to tell you not to do, because frankly, kiddo, I thought you had more common sense." My face turned red with embarrassment and guilt.

"Stand up," he ordered, and I bit back a whimper as I knew it was time. This was going to really suck. As with the last time I'd been spanked, I seemed to have gotten into even worse trouble, meaning an even worse spanking. Dad went to his dresser, and I couldn't hold back a shocked gasp when I saw him pull out a slim, metal paddle. He set it down on the bed and then turned to me, placing a hand on each one of my shoulders. I looked at him with wide, pleading eyes that he always managed to ignore. I opened my mouth to say something, but he shook his head.

"What you did was serious, _extremely_ serious," he explained, forcing me to look into his eyes rather than at the paddle he was about to use on me. "Every time you get in trouble, you up the ante and I don't want to know what you could do that is worse than what you just did. I've said it several times before, pal, but you have got to start using that head of yours before you act. I get that being impulsive is a teenage thing, but you need to rein that in. Stuff like this _cannot_ happen, do you hear me?" I nodded my head morosely, tears falling rapidly down my face.

"D-dad, that's a p-paddle," I complained, reaching a hand out to grab onto his suit jacket. "I-I've never been…it's gonna"—

He cut off the rest of my words by pulling me in for a tight hug. It ended much too quickly, and when he pulled away, his eyes were determined and serious as he said, "Let's get this done." I began to cry, shaking my head, but Tony just ran a hand through my hair before quickly taking his jacket off and throwing it on the end of his bed. I didn't put up a fight as he pulled me over to him, unbuttoning my jeans because my hands were too shaky, and then pulling me over his knees. He easily yanked down my jeans and boxers, his iron hand then coming down hard. I was relieved not to feel the paddle, but just knowing it was coming when Dad's hand already hurt enough had me in tears sooner than usual. I wriggled, apologized, and cried as my punishment went on, my rear end already feeling like it was on fire. Reaching out, I grabbed hold of my dad's discarded jacket and buried my head into it as I sobbed.

At one point, he paused long enough to warn me he was going to use the paddle now, and I barely opened my mouth to tell him not to, when it came down hard on my already punished backside. I yelled loudly, kicking my legs in a futile effort to alleviate some of the pain. I felt Tony's hand tighten around my waist before the paddle began to come down again and again. I let out a loud cry with every swat, pleading for him to stop before sobbing pitifully. It got to the point where I was crying so hard I couldn't even manage to speak or struggle, so I just lay there as that wretched paddle blistered my rear end.

Eventually, the punishment ended, and I felt my rough jeans being put back in place. I felt Tony's hand rubbing at my back, and could tell he was saying something, but I couldn't tell what it was. I was too distraught, my head buried into his jacket as I cried out my pain. Dad shifted himself so that I was no longer on top of him, but on the bed, and he knelt by my head. Touching my forehead with his, he began to speak softly and lovingly as one of his hands gently massaged the back of my neck.

"Daaaadd," I whined pathetically, and he shushed me, telling me that everything was fine.

"You'll be alright, pal, just breathe. In and out, in and out," he directed softly, and I struggled to do as he said.

"I-It h-hurrrrtts," I wailed, and he made a noise of distress as he reached out another hand to rub my back. Placing a kiss to the side of my head, he told me how much he loved me and how sorry he was that I was hurting. Eventually, I managed to release my hold on his jacket, and reach out to grab onto him instead. I sobbed into his chest as he pulled me into his arms. I cried and cried, and he just held me tight, continuing to tell me how much he loved me and how well I'd taken the punishment. He told me he knew I'd only wanted to help, and he appreciated how I defended him. His words were like a soothing balm to my aching heart, and I just pressed my face more firmly against his chest as I expressed how sorry I was.

 **Tony's POV:**

My kid clung to me like I was his lifeline as he cried into my chest. I had him wrapped tightly in my arms as I told him I loved him and that I'd forgiven him. I fought back tears the entire time, the boy's pain getting to me. The entire talk and then punishment had been awful. I'd made that paddle months ago, afraid that there would come a day where my little spider would land himself in enough trouble to warrant more than just my hand. I hoped it wouldn't happen, but Peter kept landing himself in worse and worse trouble. I'd almost used the paddle last month after the incident with Bruce, but he and Pepper had both talked me out of it. This time, though, I didn't hold back on my boy. I'd roasted his rear end until it was a painful looking dark red, and I anticipated it'd take several hours before he'd be healed.

In truth, the paddle wouldn't have added that much more pain than the Iron Man gauntlet. It covered a wider surface area, and no doubt added a bit of a bite, but it was more a psychological punishment than physical. Knowing that I'd felt upset enough to use an actual instrument on him would work far better than if I were to actually have given him a harsher spanking; which, at this point would've meant actually bruising the boy. Yeah, that was never going to happen. Based off my little spider's reactions, I knew he'd do all he could to avoid another meeting with that paddle, so I considered this a success.

Peter cried himself to sleep in my arms, and I just lay there, allowing him to sleep. I rested my head on top of his as I rubbed comforting circles on his back. He was still hiccoughing and letting out whimpers, but those eventually stopped, and he slept peacefully. When I knew he was completely out, I extracted myself from his grasp, replacing myself with a pillow. It was nearing dinner time, so I headed to the kitchen to make something. When I arrived, though, I found Bruce and Natasha cooking, the table already set. I couldn't help but smile at my friends gratefully, and they both shot me inquiring, sympathetic looks upon noticing me.

"Awful," I stated, my voice cracking before I let out a heavy sigh as I sank into one of the bar stools. "He's asleep right now."

"We heard," Bruce informed me with a grimace, and I just let out another sigh as I dropped my head onto the counter.

"Am I a monster?" I asked miserably, and I felt my science bro's hand land on my shoulder briefly as he responded, "Only if I am."

"You did what you had to," Nat stated firmly, as she pulled out a roast from the oven. "Peter's been incredibly lucky so far that his recklessness hasn't gotten him into more serious trouble. It's best to try and nip that in the bud now, then wait for it to end disastrously."

"This part of parenthood sucks big time," I murmured into the counter, and I felt Nat's hands softly petting my hair. I felt embarrassed at how much I craved her comfort.

"I'm sure Peter is just fine, Tony. Now, go wake him up and tell him it's time to eat," she ordered, and I gave a dramatic groan before making my way back to my room. Peter was exactly as I'd left him, and I considered letting him sleep. Knowing that he'd be hungry, though, I gently shook the boy's shoulder.

"Come on, little spider, time to go catch some flies," I called, and he made a groaning noise while attempting to burrow into my pillow. "Let's go, dinner time," I continued, shaking him more roughly. He opened tired eyes, and I once more repeated that it was time to eat. He yawned widely, saying he just wanted to sleep, but I told him he could sleep afterwards. "Up, up," I urged, "Nat and Bruce made dinner and they want us to eat together." The kid's eyes widened and his face reddened.

"Do they know?" he asked quietly, and I placed a hand on his head as I nodded my head. He looked even less inclined to go eat then before, but I wasn't having it. I placed my arms under the stubborn teen and picked him up before setting him on his feet.

"Dad," he complained, but I just wrapped an arm around him as I guided him out of the room.

"We're going to have a nice, family dinner, and you have no need to be embarrassed, Peter. They're not going to make fun of or scold you," I explained before giving him a light shove in the direction of the kitchen. "Head on down. I'm gonna go let Cujo out of your room." Peter snorted at the nickname, shaking his head as he walked away from me. I gave my little spider a sympathetic look as I noticed him rubbing his backside before letting out a pain groan.

I walked to his room, opened the door, and found the apologetic dog right in the entry way, his belly exposed as he wagged his tail. I grinned as I reached down and scratched his belly. "Come on, Anthony, your time-outs over with. Go and see for yourself that Peter is okay," I told the mutt, and he immediately bolted in the direction of the kitchen, giving a loud bark as if to notify Peter he was on his way. By the time I arrived, the dog was licking Peter all over his face, his entire body radiating with happiness.

"See, Anthony?" I said to the dog. "I told you Peter was just fine." The dog shot me a lopsided grin, his tongue hanging out. He came over, licked my hand and then went right back to Peter. I rolled my eyes, assuming that was Anthony's way of apologizing for having growled at me earlier.

"Alright, time to eat boys and girls," Natasha announced, and we headed to the table. Peter sported a hesitant expression that turned confused when Nat guided the boy to a certain chair. He then blushed furiously when he noticed the chair had a pillow on it. "Sit," my spider sister ordered before taking her own seat next to him. When she noticed the boy's mortified expression, she rolled her eyes before affectionately ruffling his hair. Dinner was a pleasant affair, and I enjoyed having Bruce and Natasha here. Despite living together in the building, meals with all of us together wasn't that common an affair. The three of us maintained a steady conversation, leaving my spiderling mostly alone. We attempted at one point to include him, but when he only squirmed uncomfortably, we let him be. I withheld a guilty sigh, but this was normal behavior for him. Every time I chastised him physically, the boy went quiet for some time. I figured he was processing what happened and what landed him in that position.

When dinner ended, we all worked together to clean up before I decided to address my misbehaving spider's ditching.

"Peter," I called, my voice taking on a stern edge, and he shot me a wary look, chewing on his bottom lip nervously. "Ditching classes and school is not acceptable. The school warned me that if you do it again, you're going to be suspended, and if that happens, you'll find yourself in hot water with Pep and me. We clear?" I asked, not feeling the need to spend more time on this topic.

Sporting a highly embarrassed look, no doubt because I was scolding him in front of Bruce and Peter, he gave me several nods. Noticing his desire to flee, I sent him to his room to get some homework done. With a look of relief, he quickly disappeared, Anthony happily trotting after him.

"He'll be just fine," Bruce stated, once the boy was out of ear shot. "Besides a good amount of embarrassment, which is normal, he seemed no worse for wear. It looks to me like you got your point across, and he's not angry or traumatized over it."

I felt some of my muscles relaxing at his words, and I let out a sigh of relief. "Yeah," was my response, and my friends, noting I felt the need to be alone, bid me a good night. Feeling it would be a good time to call my future wife, I stretched out on the couch and dialed her number. She picked up before the first ring had even finished, and I smiled as I figured she'd be nervously waiting for this call.

"How is my baby?" she asked immediately, and I assured her that he was just fine. I gave her a recap of what we talked about, but avoided giving details on the punishment. She didn't need to hear about that, and she ended up not asking.

"Do you think I should call him?" she then asked, and I thought it over before saying, "No. He knows he can call you, Pep, so give him some time. He needs to digest everything that happened. If he doesn't call you by tomorrow evening, then you call him." She didn't seem happy, but she still agreed.

We conversed briefly afterwards about what she was up to before she had to go. She'd been putting off work because of how concerned she was.

"Friday, what's the kid up to?" I asked curiously, and she responded that he was working on his homework. Deciding to let him be, I headed down to my lab, instructing Friday to contact me if the spiderling needed me.

As I worked on some minor repairs to my suit, my mind wandered to what files Peter had looked into. I figured I should probably talk with him about what he'd seen in case he had any questions. He'd no doubt seen what had happened with Pepper along with x-rays of me. I knew he'd be both curious and concerned.

When I'd finished my repairs, I worked on minor updates, and that took my full concentration. I lost track of time, my mind so focused on what I was doing that I nearly didn't hear Friday.

"Sir. Sir! Mr. Stark!" she called loudly, and I jerked, accidentally burning myself. Shit! Immediately running my hand under water, I irritably asked the AI what was so damn important.

"Peter is crying in his sleep," she informed me angrily, and sucking in a breath of surprise, I jumped to my feet and ran to my little spider's room. Upon arrival, my heart sank at seeing how distressed he seemed. He was lying on his back, which no doubt wasn't helping his sore backside, so my first action was to turn the kid over before pulling him into my arms. I lay on the bed, enveloping him in a secure hug that nearly immediately calmed him. His eyes opened sleepily, and he looked at me with sad eyes that broke my heart.

"Heeyy, pal," I greeted softly and lovingly.

"D-Daaaadd," he whined pitifully. "I-I-I'm s-sorry!" he cried, and I shushed him while telling him I'd already forgiven him. "Dad, Dad, Daaaddd," he continued to cry in that sorrowful, guilty tone of his, and I just held him tighter placing several loving kisses on the top of his sweaty head. I hated hearing the emotional pain that he was in, and I felt helpless as I was unable to stop his tears.

"What do you need from me, pal?" I asked, desperate to do something for him. "What can I do to help?"

He just made a whining noise as he tried to burrow his head against my chest. He was crying too hard to answer, so fighting back tears of my own, I just held him, letting him cry himself out. It took far too long for my liking, but he eventually began to calm down, his crying reduced to shuddering breaths and loud sniffles. My shirt was soaked in tears, and probably now snot, but I really didn't care. Just as long as he was okay, he could ruin as many of my shirts as he wanted.

"You okay?" I asked after several moments, unable to hide the anxiety in my voice.

He sniffed noisily before nodding his head and mumbling a nearly unintelligible, "Uh huh." I nearly cried out of sheer relief as I cradled the back of his head and placed a kiss on top of it.

"Sorry," he then murmured, and I firmly told him, "Don't be. You've got nothing to apologize for. I'm here for you whenever you need me to be."

He now made a noise of content as his hands that had been tightly gripping my shirt loosened in order to wrap themselves around my torso. "Try and get some sleep now, if you can. I'm not going anywhere," I reassured him when a distressed noise escaped him.

"You sleep too," he stated, and I smiled at his concern.

"Of course, kiddo. I'll sleep too," I responded, unsure if I'd be able to do so. "I'll excuse you from school tomorrow," I then informed him, knowing that the kid would be stressing over his second spanking. I also wanted to address what he'd seen on my computer.

"No, you don't have to do that," he argued, but I shushed him.

"Not up for discussion," I told him, my tone telling him my mind had been made up.

"Dictator," he murmured teasingly, and I relaxed even more, knowing that if he could joke, then he really was okay.

"Damn right I am," I responded in humor, and he gave a quiet snort of amusement. He went quiet afterwards, exhaustion taking over, and it wasn't long before he fell asleep. I stayed awake for another hour before I too fell asleep.

 **A/N: Hope you're still enjoying!** **PLEASE REVIEW!**


	43. Chapter 43

**A/N: Thank you, thank you for the continued reviews! I can't believe I've written so many chapters and gotten so many reviews! I've never been so addicted to writing since I started this one, and it's your reviews that keep me posting! Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 43: Story Time**

 **Peter's POV:**

It was around noon, and I was barely leaving my room. Since Tony had called the school to excuse me for the day, I'd been able to sleep in, and it'd been great. Upon waking, for the first time in a while I'd felt well rested. Maybe it was because I'd gotten a full night's sleep, or it could've been because the gig was up, and I was no longer keeping anything from my parents. They knew what I'd been up to, and things would be okay.

I froze in the hallway, grimacing as I remembered I had another spanking coming my way today. Stomach curling in on itself, I desperately hoped Tony wouldn't use the paddle this time. I couldn't believe he'd actually made that damned thing! Shuddering as I recalled yesterday's punishment, I roughly shook my head to rid myself of the images. Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I wondered now if I really wanted to run into my dad right now. I didn't want that second punishment.

"Peter, are you alright? Mr. Stark is wondering why you are just standing here," she said, and I inwardly cursed the omnipresent AI. Couldn't she ever mind her own business? Huffing, I mumbled, "I'm fine," as I walked into the living area.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," Tony greeted cheerfully, and I couldn't help but smile back as I greeted him back. "You look well rested," he remarked.

"Yeah," I replied, my smile turning somewhat sheepish. "I needed the rest."

The man had that knowing look on his face as he nodded his head back at me. "Well, good thing you're no longer patrolling during the week. You'll have plenty of time to catch up on that beauty sleep."

I let out a sad sigh at the reminder, but didn't bother arguing. Walking to the kitchen I looked for something to eat.

"Let's get lunch together," Dad suggested from the living room, and I perked up at the thought of going out with him.

"Yeah, sure," I replied happily, and he jumped to his feet, messing up my neatly combed hair as he walked by. I just rolled my eyes.

We ended up going to a shawarma place, which was something I'd never had before. Tony told me it was great, so not being a picky eater, I was fine with trying it. When we got there, he walked in and was immediately greeted by the workers. An elderly man came over and began to shake his hand, speaking to him in rapid Arabic. I was shocked when Tony responded back in his language. I had no idea he spoke Arabic. I was also surprised by how everyone here seemed to know him, like really know him. This wasn't people recognizing someone from the TV or newspapers. Tony had been here before. Probably loads of times, if the way he was greeting everyone was anything to go by. His smiles were genuine, not the ones he reserved for the public.

We were both ushered to a table, food being placed in front of us even though we hadn't ordered anything. At this point, Dad felt the need to introduce me. "This is my son, Peter," he told the man, and the man reached out to shake my hand. A couple of older women said something to Tony that actually caused him to blush, which caused me to blush. What could they have said to have gotten _the_ Tony Stark to blush? The women laughed before being shooed away from us.

When we were finally left alone, I gave my dad a pointed look.

"What?" he asked in mock confusion, a slight teasing look in his eyes.

"What was all that? How many times have you been here?" I pressed in burning curiosity.

He smiled softly as he piled food on to my plate. "Eat first, and then I'll explain," he ordered, and rolling my eyes, I dug into my food. Instantly liking it, I inhaled my plate, surprised yet pleased when another plate was instantly placed in front of me by a smiling worker. I thanked them before inhaling a second and then third plate. After the third plate, I let out a large sigh of content, patting my stomach.

"That was good," I expressed, and Dad chuckled softly as he eyed all my empty plates. "So, explanation," I demanded.

Dad snorted at my enthusiasm before beginning to explain. "After the New York battle with the Chitauri,"—he began, and I cut him off.

"What's a Chitauri?" I asked, and he blinked once before seeming to realize that it wasn't something he'd discussed with me before.

"The Chitauri are what those aliens that attacked New York were called," he answered, and I nodded my head. I'd had no idea what they'd been called. "While I was fighting, I ended up being hit down here, and as I was kicking ass, I noticed this restaurant. I'd never tried shawarma before, so it kind of stuck in my head. After we won the fight, I asked everybody if they wanted to try it, and they agreed. When we showed up, the place was trashed, but the workers here still agreed to feed us. They weren't even going to charge us as thanks for saving the city, but, well, I decided to pay not just for our meals, but for all repairs they needed. Since then, I've been coming here once a month or so. When the Avengers were together, we were down here nearly once a week," he explained.

Wow, I thought. I felt a flash of amusement that while in the middle of a battle with aliens, he'd had time to notice a restaurant and file away that he'd want to eat there; and, then he'd convinced all the other Avengers to eat there after that battle. That was such a Tony thing to do.

It was strange, though, that he hadn't mentioned this place in all the time I'd known him. Well, maybe not, I thought, realizing that he'd mentioned he and the Avengers used to come here often. Dad had probably wanted to avoid a place that'd remind him of what used to be.

As we left, Tony tried to pay, but the owner and his wife refused to take his money. Surprisingly, Tony argued only briefly before relenting, making me feel like this was a normal ritual he'd long since grown accustomed to. He rolled his eyes good naturedly before the owner's wife pulled my dad aside and began to speak with him…okay, she was actually scolding him. I watched in fascination as his expression turned abashed before he seemed to nod a lot.

"What was that about?" I questioned as we were walking out.

He threw on his sunglasses and grumbled, "She's upset about what happened between all us Avengers, and tells me I better be working on getting us back together."

Yikes, I thought, choosing to remain silent.

We drove on home next, and when we arrived back on our floor, Dad placed both hands on my shoulders and pushed me towards our living room couches. Crap. He pushed me down onto the couch, and then he took the seat next to me, stretching his legs out onto the coffee table as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I stretched my own legs out, and leaned my head down on his shoulder. We sat in comfortable silence for a minute before Dad spoke up.

"You told me yesterday what files you looked through on my computer," he stated, and I stiffened. He rubbed his hand up and down my shoulder slowly as he then asked, "Do you have any questions regarding what you saw?"

I looked at him, not having anticipated his question. Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, though, I promptly said, "I read that Mom got this Extremis stuff in her. I saw videos of people turning red and blowing up, and then there was the video of Mom getting injected with it. The files said you got it out of her, but what is it and what happened?" This had been rolling around in my head for ages, and I was relieved and glad to finally be able to ask about it.

A pained expression crossed his face as he pulled me closer against him. "The story is kind of long, and it really starts back in 1999, New Year's Eve," he began, and my interest piqued. He slowly described the events of the night, meeting Maya Hansen, and Aldrich Killian. He explained how poorly he treated Aldrich, and then explained about Maya's research. "She was trying to come up with a formula that would stimulate limb regrowth in humans. At the time, she was working with plants, but she didn't quite have it down yet, because while I was there, the plant ended up exploding. Flash forward to 2013, and Killian and Maya are back in my life. This was at the same time the Mandarin was wreaking havoc," he told me, and I nodded my head, recalling when that'd happened. By that point, Ned and I had been such huge fans of all the Avengers, that we'd avidly kept up to date on anything regarding them.

"You threatened the Mandarin, right?" I asked with a frown. "You told him your address, and then your house got blown up, and everybody thought you died."

Tony grimaced as he gave a single nod. "Yeah, I was a complete idiot, and I put Pepper in danger." He continued speaking, telling me about the people he'd encountered who'd been injected with Extremis, and how the concoction didn't always work. Sometimes there were misfires, and people would explode, vaporizing themselves and anyone in the immediate area. "Happy was critically injured when he confronted one of these guys. I was so pissed about what happened, as I'd ignored his concerns about the man he went after. That's why I threatened the Mandarin," he explained, and my eyebrows rose in surprise. Happy had been injured? He'd almost died?

The story continued, Tony recounting his time in Rosehill, Tennessee and how a kid named Harley Keener had helped him out. I found myself extremely interested in this kid, and wondered if Tony was still in contact with him. After Tennessee, Tony had headed to Florida, where he'd infiltrated the Mandarin's home, only to discover the farce. The Mandarin had been some junky actor who'd been oblivious to what'd been going on. He'd just been a cover for the true Mandarin, Killian.

"I was captured at this point, and that's when Killian showed me he'd kidnapped Pepper as well, and had injected her with Extremis," he told me, his voice quiet and full of pain and anger. His eyes were distant as he told me the rest of the tale. Escaping, joining up with Rhodey to save the president, and then defeating Killian with the help of Pepper. "It took some time, but since Maya had given me all her research notes, I was able to come up with a way to get Extremis out of Pepper."

I was silent at the end, not really knowing what to say. I couldn't believe all that had happened. It'd certainly hadn't made the news. All the media had revealed was that Tony and Rhodey had saved the president and had taken down the Mandarin.

Dad rubbed a hand over his face, his eyes brightening before he asked me for my next question.

"The arc reactor," I stated. "I saw your x-rays…a-are you okay?"

"Yeah, pal, I'm fine," he immediately answered, giving me a reassuring smile.

"You lost ribs, Dad," I told him, heart clenching at what that must have felt like. "You've got scarring on both your lungs and heart. How are you okay?"

"I'm not 100%," he admitted more seriously, "but I swear that I'm as fine as I can be. My lung capacity isn't as great as it could be, and nor is my heart, but because I work out and eat healthy (for the most part), my heart really is in better shape than many people who haven't experienced heart damage.

"Are you sure?" I pressed anxiously.

"Very sure," he declared firmly, giving me an honest look. I relaxed, trusting that he was telling me the truth.

"Who's Obadiah Stane?" I then asked, taken aback when the man immediately stiffened, his expression turning blank. "I didn't read through his file, but I did read a little about him on the internet, and I've heard you mention him," I remarked rapidly. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to," I added, sensing that this man wasn't a topic he wanted to talk about.

Closing his eyes briefly, my dad forced out a breath before slowly inhaling deeply. He did this multiple times until I felt his muscles relaxing. I noticed his right hand absentmindedly reaching up to where his arc reactor used to be, and my confusion, curiosity, and concern mounted.

"Sorry," he apologized, "I just wasn't expecting that question. Obi was my godfather," he informed, fury and hurt coloring his tone and face. "He was like a second father. I'd known him my whole life, and when my parents died, he was kind of all I had besides Rhodey. He took over as CEO of Stark Industries until I took over at 21, and we worked together after that. He mentored me, and made sure I fulfilled my potential…well, he made sure I excelled at what he wanted," he explained bitterly. He fell silent, his face taken on a brooding expression. I said nothing, waiting the couple minutes it took for him to continue.

"He hired the men who kidnapped me in Afghanistan to kill me," he stated abruptly and emotionlessly, and I let out a gasp of shock, horrified by what he'd said. "The reason I wasn't killed was because the terrorists realized who I was, and decided to use me. We both know how that turned out. When I got back, Obi worked on getting me shut out of SI, claiming I had PTSD. Well, I guess that was true, but whatever. Turns out my kidnappers contacted him, giving him the suit I used to escape. Obi, apparently liked it, because he hired people to build him one. He realized he couldn't power the suit, though, without a power source…without my arc reactor." He paused once more, and I felt sick at what I knew was coming.

"He showed up at my house, gave me temporary paralysis, and then he pulled out my arc reactor," Tony recounted, his voice sounding hollow and detached. "This is when he told me about hiring the terrorists, building his own suit, and how he was going to kill Pepper because I'd involved her in my plans." Tony swallowed at this point, and I saw fire in his eyes. "Thankfully, Pepper had forced me to keep my original arc reactor, so after installing it, I took my suit, fought him, and killed him." His eyes closed at this point, and there was raw pain all over his face. I could feel his body shaking, and I couldn't imagine how much hurt he had to be feeling. He'd been betrayed by someone he'd known his entire life…by someone who he'd considered a father. My own heart ached terribly at what he must've felt. His godfather had hired people to kill him, and when that hadn't worked, he'd literally taken out his life force, leaving him to die.

"I'm glad he's dead," I stated, reaching out a hand to hug him as I lay my head on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry you had to experience that, Dad."

Tony forced himself to take in several deep breaths, the first few coming out shaky. Once calmed, he placed a kiss on my head before offering me a quiet, "Thanks".

"I'm sorry for bringing him up," I then apologized, guilty for forcing him to relive such painful memories.

My dad waved away the apology. "Don't sweat it, little spider. You didn't force me to answer. Trust me, if I hadn't wanted to, I wouldn't have."

I felt somewhat mollified.

"Any other questions?" he asked, and I immediately shook my head. After what I'd heard, I couldn't imagine asking him anything else. It seemed I'd made the right decision, for his muscles seemed to relax even more in relief, no doubt.

Minutes passed by in silence, but it wasn't uncomfortable. That changed, however, with what Dad said next.

"Okay, pal, I think it's time we deal with that second spanking," he declared, releasing his hold on me to stand up. I froze, heart beginning to race in nervous anticipation. I couldn't fight back the puppy-dog eyes I threw him, even though I knew I more than deserved this.

As always, Dad ignored my silent pleas as he held out a hand to me. Biting my bottom lip, I hesitantly took his hand, and he pulled me up, his hand then coming to rest on the back of my neck. Reluctantly, I allowed him to guide me to my room, and I decided to ask an important question.

"Are…are you going to use the p-paddle?" I asked, embarrassed at how small and child-like my voice sounded.

"No," he answered promptly, and I let out a small sigh of relief. When we entered my room, we noticed Anthony was chewing on one of his toys. He gave us both curious looks, no doubt sensing our emotions.

"Out Anthony," Dad ordered, and Anthony slowly got to his feet and gave a whine as he trotted over to us. Dad repeated his order more firmly, and Anthony gave another whine, licking my hand before walking out. My door was closed, and I was gently led over to my bed. Dad activated his gauntlet before sitting himself on my bed. Looking me in the eyes, he then said, "This second spanking is for looking through my files. I hope this is the last time I need to address this issue."

"It will be," I assured him.

"I'm going to make sure of that," he responded sternly, motioning for me to unbutton my jeans. I held back a groan as I slowly unbuttoned them and was then laid over his lap. My face turned beet red as always, embarrassed by being in such a childish position. The embarrassment would always leave me by the end of the punishment, but still, I couldn't help but to feel humiliated.

In mere seconds, my pants were pulled down, and the punishment commenced. My dad quickly settled into a familiar pace, and I couldn't help but curse myself for the fact that this position was way too familiar to me. It didn't take long for the heat to build, and for me to start fidgeting uncomfortably. The tears came next, followed by apologies, and then pleading. As the heat increased, sobbing followed, incoherent pleads and apologies escaping my lips. Before I knew it, the dreaded punishment was over with, and I felt the harsh material of my jeans being pulled over my well-punished backside.

I was then helped onto my feet where I immediately sought out his comfort. I marveled at how far our relationship had come. A year ago, Tony had still been uncomfortable with hugs or any type of physical affection. Now, however, he was a pro at it. He had no problems ruffling my hair, putting an arm around me, or hugging me, like right now. He held me tight, rubbing my back as I sobbed into his chest, soaking his shirt with my tears. He never seemed to care about that, either.

Caring, loving, reassuring words escaped his lips, and just like his hugs, his words soothed my guilty conscience. It didn't take long for me to calm myself down, rubbing at my face as I fought to stop the hiccoughs that always hit me after crying. I considered myself lucky. This hadn't been the worst spanking I'd gotten; which, after how many times I'd invaded the man's privacy, I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd given me a harsh whooping.

Dad's hands were on my shoulders now, his kind eyes focused on mine as he nervously sought to see if I was okay. I gave him a small smile, reassuring him that I was alive and well. He smiled back, pulling me in for another brief hug.

"Glad that's over with," he sighed, and I emphatically nodded in agreement. Even though it hadn't been a terrible spanking, my backside still smarted, and I found myself rubbing at it before I could stop myself. When I realized what I was doing, I stopped, blushing in embarrassment. Dad didn't acknowledge that he'd even noticed though, and I was grateful. He never teased or poked fun at my punishments or how I took them. He was considerate like that.

 **Tony's POV:**

"Can we have ice cream and watch a movie?" the spiderling asked, looking at me with those brown, puppy-dog eyes of his. Like I could deny him anything when he looked at me with those eyes.

"Sure thing, pal," I replied with a smile, opening the door to his room. We'd barely taken a step out before Anthony came full sprint and leapt into Peter's arms. Due only to his spider reflexes and strength, the kid was able to both catch the overly excited mutt, and hold him. Peter laughed delightedly as Anthony licked him all over before being set on the floor. Turning to me, Anthony then made grumbling and whining noises, and I felt as though the dog were chastising _me_. What the hell?

"Hey, mutt," I said sternly, raising a finger to the pretentious dog, "Keep Peter out of trouble, and I won't have to bust his butt so much. Why do you think I let you stick around?" The dog's grumbles quieted, but his expression was still disgruntled as he walked past me, purposefully bumping my leg. Hearing a loud snort behind me, I glared at my little punk. "Don't think I won't spank you, little spider, for _your_ dog's behavior." His expression smoothed out, and he then rushed after his mongrel. I smirked when I heard him scolding Anthony.

Rolling my eyes, I couldn't believe I was now dealing with teenage rebellion from a dog. "You're a bad influence on him, kiddo," I informed Peter as I walked past him into the kitchen. Opening the freezer, I smothered a laugh when I saw him keeling, whispering fervently into Anthony's ear. When he was finished, Anthony gave a shake of his head, slobber landing on my pristine floor, before he padded over to me. He sat himself down, and just stared at me with adoring eyes. Dammit. Why did he have to be so cute? When did I become such a softy?

"You're forgiven," I grumbled, inwardly calling myself a pushover. Digging out the ice cream and grabbing spoons, I shot the dog a mild glare before heading into the living room. "Pick a movie, Pete," I instructed as I tossed him his ice cream and spoon.

"Any particular genre?" He asked, and I just shrugged.

"Nah, whatever you want," I answered, throwing myself onto one of the couches. I was getting comfortable when Anthony came over and lay himself on top of me, licking at my ice-cream covered spoon. "Dog," I stated, slowly and dangerously, "you're dead."

"Woah, woah, woah!" Peter cried out, picking up his naughty puppy and placing him on the couch he was using. He then gave me his clean spoon, having no problem whatsoever using the same spoon as his dog. Shaking my head, I refrained from bodily chucking the mutt across the room, reminding myself that, that would be abusive. Maybe I could throw the spiderling across the room. He'd be fine. Probably stick to the wall or something.

I huffed, sticking my new spoon into my ice cream and resisting from glaring at the happy teen and mongrel. The movie the spiderling chose was _Up_ , and I rolled my eyes as I knew he'd chosen it because of the character, Doug.

"Trying to tell me something, pal?" I asked dryly, and he grinned cheekily as he threw me thumbs up.

"Yeah! Can't you make a collar like Doug has that'll help Anthony talk to us?" he questioned eagerly, and I noticed he'd abandoned his ice cream to Anthony, whose face was all in the gallon container. At hearing his name, though, his face came out, covered in vanilla ice cream. I let out an amused chuckle.

"Not possible," I responded, and the boy's expression turned into an actual pout that had me raising an eyebrow.

"It'd be awesome," he mumbled, reaching down to help clean up his dirty pet. I just shook my head in amusement before turning back to the movie. We watched the rest of it contentedly, and I found myself nearly drifting off to sleep. When it ended, though, the kid had to ask an awkwardly uncomfortable question.

"Hey, Dad," he called hesitantly.

"Hmm," I acknowledged sleepily.

"Were, uh…were you sp—punished like I am when you were a kid?" he asked, and inwardly groaned as I turned my head towards the teen. He was currently hugging Anthony, who was on the couch with him, and peering over the dog's head at me.

"Yup," I finally decided to answer. "My dear ol' ma had a hand made of steel, I swear. She smacked me back into line every once in a while. Probably a good thing I spent so much time at boarding school and then college, or I'm sure I'd never have walked comfortably again," I joked. Peter's head poked up a little more from behind the dog, so I could actually see him grinning now.

"Was it just your mom that punished you?" he then asked, and I nodded my head.

"Yeah, my dad was more of a yeller, and that's if he was around. Mom was the more hands-on type," I explained, memories coming forth, some good, some bad.

"Did she ever use a paddle on you?" he then pressed, managing to sound accusatory. I smothered a grin as I turned to shoot the pouting teen a raised eyebrow. He was back to hiding behind Anthony now, and all I could see were his slightly narrowed eyes.

"No," I eventually responded, and before he could start to complain about me being unfair, I added, "but she did use a belt on me once." Whatever complaints he had never came, his narrowed eyes widening in surprise.

"What'd you do?" he asked in a hushed voice, and I chuckled lightly before responding. "Nothing like the trouble you land yourself in," I said. "Not being a teenage super hero, my kind of trouble was all regular kid stuff." Peter nodded, remaining silent as he waited for me to continue speaking. I bit back a sigh, realizing the kid wanted me to tell him the story. I allowed my mind to flash back to that awful event. I'd never seen my mother so furious with me. She'd never punished me when she'd been that angry, and she'd never left me a sobbing mess…

… _March 1991_

 _It was spring break of my second year at MIT, and I was spread eagle on the floor of some police station. Why was I here? Because I'd been caught flat ass drunk yelling and cursing at people in the middle of busy street. Why had I done that? I have no idea. Why had I been drinking? Cuz it sounded like fun…and, I was pissed off…with everybody. Which, I guess was fine. Everybody was pissed with me too. What's new, right?_

 _People sucked. They pretended to like you, but all they did was use you. They pretended to be your friend, only to then stab you in the back. Why did I think college would be any better than high school or middle school? People were dicks. They were leeches. They were parasites. Who needed friends anyways?_

 _Shit had gone down at school, so I'd come home for spring break. Mom had apparently heard about my tryst with the only daughter of the famous Beckett's. I'd tried to explain that nothing had happened. She was a friend, key word being 'was'. We'd been hanging out for a while, and I thought there was a slight chance that something could develop between us. She was eighteen, so not too much older than me. Rhodey told me she was no good, but I hadn't listened to him. I'd thought he'd been jealous. Turns out he was right, though._

 _Susy Beckett had been using me. She wanted a bit of fame for being together with the famous Tony Stark. What a load of horseshit. She'd come onto_ me _, but I hadn't wanted it like that. I wasn't ready. Yeah, I was a fucking genius, but I was also an embarrassingly inexperienced fifteen-year-old when it came to stuff like that. Yeah, a part of me clearly wanted to, but not then. Not in some back seat of a car in some parking lot. I wanted it to mean something. It wasn't like I loved her._

 _I'd told Susy I hadn't wanted to, and she'd turned offended and then angry. She'd kicked me out of her car, and I'd had to hail a taxi to get back to my dorm. I hadn't really known what to think at that point. I thought maybe we'd be able to talk about it the next day. Maybe she'd come to her senses or something. Unfortunately, things hadn't gone like that._

 _I'd been too embarrassed the next day to go out. I thought maybe I should've just done what she wanted. Now, she'd think I was just some uppity little kid like everybody else. Things turned our worse, though. Rhodey banged on my door the day after, and when I'd answered he'd started asking me what the hell I had been thinking. Rather stunned at having my head chewed off for no reason, I listened as Rhodey talked about how I'd come onto Susy, and how she'd had to fight me off. Infuriated by the accusations, I yelled right back at Rhodes, telling him what really happened. My supposed friend looked skeptical, so I'd slammed the door shut in his face._

 _Spring break started the following day, and I hightailed it home, in need of some friendly faces…or at least one friendly face. Upon arrival, though, that friendly face, the face of my mother, had looked outraged and irate. I'd barely walked in the door and she'd started laying into me for my wretched behavior. She was appalled that I could treat such a nice young lady as I had. She went on and on, and every time I attempted to speak, she cut me off. Incensed, I yelled right back at her, hurt that she wouldn't even hear me out. I couldn't believe she'd think I'd be that kind of guy. She'd raised me to be a gentleman._

 _She sent me to my room to wait for her, but I'd just stormed out, hotwiring one of the cars before taking off. For the first day I just drove around, but on the second I felt like I needed a drink. I'd only been drunk twice, but I'd had fun. I set out in search of a club that'd let me buy my way in and sell me drinks; and, surprisingly, I'd only had to make one stop. Unsurprisingly, it'd taken only a handful of shots to have me rip roaring drunk. I still wasn't quite sure how I ended up in the middle of some busy intersection or why I had been yelling, but here I was, lying in some random jail cell._

 _My head was pounding, and I'd already lost the contents of my stomach twice. I'd like to think these guys would just let me go if I paid them enough, but once they realized whose kid I was, there was nothing I could do. I'd been told they'd had to repeatedly call over the span of a couple hours before they'd been able to get hold of a maid who contacted a driver who contacted a security guard who contacted his boss who finally got a hold of my doting father, who was very happily on his way to pick me up._

 _Lo and behold, when he arrived, he looked as happy to see me as always…which meant he was frowning deeply and glaring heatedly. Nothing new, so I gave him a wave as I said, "Hi, Dad." His glare only seemed to darken as he tightly gripped me by the back of the neck and not-so-gently led me to the car. As the driver took us home, he spent the entire drive telling me how shameful my behavior was, and what an embarrassment and disappointment I was. Blah blah blah blah. Stuff I'd heard so many times over the years that I just tuned it out. He seemed to realize that, because he fell silent, his entire face red with fury as he stormed out of the car and into the house. I walked in more sedately, intent on getting to bed and sleeping. Mom had other plans._

 _I shuffled into my room, and froze when I saw my mother standing in the middle, her arms crossed and her expression of extreme displeasure. Stomach sinking, I resigned myself to what was coming, or what I thought had been coming. Things turned out worse, though, because that's how awful my luck was. Things always seemed to go worse when I was involved._

 _Mom ordered me to sit on the bed as she began to lecture me. It started with lectures concerning the dangers of alcohol and getting drunk. With everything she said, I felt like a right idiot and coward for using alcohol to escape my problems. The lecture only got worse, though, and I realized how infuriated my mother really was. She was rarely one to criticize or belittle me, but I'd apparently pushed her too far, because she, like Dad, accused me of being an embarrassment and disappointment. She told me how ashamed she was of me, and that I too should feel the same shame. The scolding continued, and I'd been unable to stop the tears that fell down my face at hearing such harsh words come from her._

 _I'd come home because I was hurting, and had wanted her comfort, but she'd been anything but. Even now, she still wasn't letting me speak. She said my actions more than told the truth. I was a selfish, thoughtless, arrogant child who needed to grow up and understand his place in the world. I needed to understand how the real world worked, and how the media would always see my actions as a reflection of her and Dad's parenting. It was like a slap in the face, and I cried silent tears. If this had been Dad, I would've gotten angry and yelled, but Mom never spoke to me so harshly. Mom didn't act like this._

 _Unable to stand the scolding, I asked her to just punish me, so that we could get past this. I wanted her to punish me, so she would forgive me, and tell me everything was okay. I wanted her to tell me she was sorry, and didn't mean what she said. I wanted her to say it was only her concern that had her say such harsh words. None of that happened, though. Instead, Mom walked into my closet and came out with one of my belts. Giving the woman a shocked look, I was frozen. She couldn't be serious. She'd_ never _used an instrument on me before. Never ever._

 _I shot my mother a fearful, pleading look as she ordered me to stand up. I did so with shaky legs, and was further shocked when instead of sitting down, she turned me around and ordered me to bend over the bed. Confused and scared, I finally began to plead with her, telling her I was sorry, but she shook her head firmly at me, repeating the order to bend over the bed. Feeling more tears welling up in my eyes, I began to do as instructed, but had to stop when she reminded me to lower my jeans and underwear. Face flaming in humiliation, I did as she said._

 _I'd barely bent myself over when the punishment began. It was shorter than some of my previous punishments had been, but it'd been the most painful and memorable one she'd ever given me. I'd been a sobbing mess by the time she'd finished, and it'd taken me minutes to realize that after she finished, she wasn't even in my room any more. She wasn't hugging me or trying to comfort me. I only cried harder, pulling my pants up with trembling hands over my battered backside. I then threw myself onto my bed, burying my head into my pillow before I cried myself to sleep…_

…As I finished my story, I was sitting up now, elbows resting on my knees. I'd grown an audience since I'd started, Bruce and Nat having showed up to check on us. Part way through the story, instead of not finishing, I'd rolled my eyes, giving them a brief recap before finishing. Peter's eyes were wide and horrified, while Bruce's and Nat's were sympathetic.

"Are any of your childhood stories ever happy?" my kid eventually asked, his voice sounding choked up.

"Yes," I answered with a charming grin, masking the heartache that memory brought up, "but you seem to only ask about the unhappy ones."

"I'm curious," Natasha spoke emotionlessly from the armrest she was perched on, "why the playboy persona?"

"One of the lessons I learned from that event was that it was easier to give women what they wanted, even if it made me uncomfortable," I explained. "When I got back to MIT, while some people looked down on me for what I'd supposedly done, there were several guys, especially, who felt Susy was in the wrong, and that I'd been played with. It got me attention. After the years, instead of it just becoming a persona, I kind of became one," I told them, keeping my eyes on Nat only. I didn't want to know what my kid was thinking. My spider sister's eyes showed understanding and empathy, so I shot her an appreciative smile.

"Well," I declared as I stood up, a crazy idea coming to me. "I'm done with this depressing talk. Let's go do something fun. Let's go surprise Pepper!"

"But, she's in Mexico," Peter stated incredulously, and I just said, "So?" My kid's eyes lit up as he immediately agreed to my plan, and the other two just shrugged before agreeing as well. We all quickly packed some bags, and Happy showed up to both drive us to my private jet, and to join us. When we arrived, Rhodey and Vision were already waiting for us.

"You're late," Rhodes declared with a frown, and I just raised an eyebrow at him.

"Uh, who invited you?" I asked cheekily.

"I did," Natasha said, brushing pass me to get on to the jet. "Now, let's go boys." Letting out a laugh, we all boarded the plane, our course set for Mexico City, Mexico. Being one of my planes, we shaved off 2 ½ hours of fly time, and when we landed, it was around 8PM Mexico time.

As we were getting off the plane, a sudden thought occurred to Peter. "Wait! I don't have a passport," he declared, looking anxious. "The one I used for Germany was—it's—"

Rolling my eyes at the fact that he thought I wouldn't have planned for this, I reached into my jacket pocket and threw the kid his passport. "I had this made as soon as I knew I was adopting you," I informed him casually, and he shot me a sheepish look.

"Anybody else have passport issues?" I decided to ask, and Bruce raised a short hand, his sheepish grin looking exactly like Peter's. Rolling my eyes once more, I reached back into my jacket pocket and threw my science bro his passport that I'd had on me since we'd originally lived together in the Avengers Tower.

"Do you have passports in there for everybody?" Peter asked, reaching out to open my jacket. I slapped the boy's hands away before just shrugging and saying, "Maybe."

Chuckles were given from some of the group as we headed to the airport. We cleared customs quickly and easily. In fact, much of the staff was so shocked at seeing so many Avengers together that I had little doubt they would've let us in without even checking to see if we had passports.

As we walked out of the airport, a large limo was waiting for us there as I'd called ahead for one. I found a good amount of amusement when Happy headed to the driver's seat only to be met with our Mexican chauffer. Both men eyed each other up and down, and I was sorely tempted to let them duke it out before I told myself that wouldn't be very responsible of me.

"Happy, relax, let him do his thing," I called to my friend. "You're here on vacation as my friend, not driver."

Happy seemed surprised and pleased by my words, which guiltily let me know I wasn't very good at letting my friends knew I cared. "Thanks, Tony, but I'll ride in front with…Jaime here," he informed me. "Just got to make sure he knows what he's gotten himself into."

I graced the man with a confused look, unsure of whether I should be offended by what he'd said. I settled for just copping this up to Happy being weird, and got into the limo.

"Dad!" Peter exclaimed excitedly, moving around the limo like an energetic puppy, "look how huge this limo is! They even have a mini-fridge with drinks and there are snacks! Is this for us? Do we have to pay for it?" he asked quickly, and I couldn't help but throw my little spider a fond look at how easily excited he became.

"Have whatever you want," Rhodes answered in my stead, an opened beer bottle already in his hand. "Your old man owns this limo." I narrowed my eyes at him. He did know _he_ was older than me, right?

"Wow," the kid said before grabbing himself a soda and three candy bars. He then came over to where I was, unconsciously pouting when he saw Bruce sitting on one side of me and Rhodey on the other. The boy gave each man a stare, and of course, it was Bruce who got up and moved with a laugh of amusement. My spiderling promptly sat himself down next to me, offering me one of his candy bars. Highly amused and pleased with his actions, I took it even though I wasn't hungry. Seeing how happy he was caused my heart to warm.

The drive to Pepper's hotel took twenty minutes, Peter managing to finish his soda and two candy bars. He would've gone back for more, but I cut the kid off, telling him I'd get him some real food at the hotel.

"So, does she really not know we're here?" Peter asked, and I shook my head negatively.

"What if she's not happy to see us all?" he questioned anxiously, and I shook my head bemusedly. "She'll be happy," I assured him. The kid had no idea how much Pepper adored him. She could be in the middle of a busy meeting, and she'd still be ecstatic to see our boy.

"Alright, everybody," I stated when we were at our hotel. "The kid and I are going to see Pepper tonight, and you can all join us tomorrow morning for breakfast. What you do tonight is up to you," I said with a shrug, smirking at the way Rhodey and Natasha's eyes lit up. Those two were no doubt going to go out on the town. I hoped they'd drag the other three along. Who was I kidding? Of course, they'd drag the other's along.

"Have fun children!" I told them as Peter and I got off on our floor. "If you get arrested, don't call me because I'm not bailing your stupid asses out of jail." Scoffs, rolled eyes, and a middle finger were the responses I got, and I laughed as the elevator doors closed on them.

"Would you really not bail them out?" the spiderling asked in concern, and I just smirked at him. His eyes widened before he then asked, "What about if I got arrested? Would you bail me out?"

I huffed before answering, "Of course I would, you're my kid. Mind you, I'd also tan your hide, but I wouldn't leave you in jail. And, don't worry about the others, I was only kidding. If for some odd reason they did end up arrested, I would get them out. I just like to tease, they know that."

"Oh, that's good," he remarked, looking relieved, and I just threw a casual arm around the kind boy.

Nearing Pepper's door, I made a quiet motion to the kid before knocking. According to Friday, Pepper was in her room, or at least her phone was. I also knew it was too early for her to be sleeping. On business trips like this, she'd stay up until 2AM usually.

The door opened, and Pepper's eyes widened comically before she threw the door all the way open and pulled Peter in for a hug.

"Ohhhh, Peter!" she cried excitedly, hugging and kissing the boy's head. "I missed you so much, honey, are you okay?" she asked, and I just watched with a smile as she showered the boy with love and attention. She brought him into her room, and I followed.

"Why hello, Pepper. It's nice to see you too. Yes, it was my idea to come see you. Well, you know how much I love surprising you," I spoke, having a fake conversation with myself as I graced my future wife with a pointed look. I was teasing, and she knew that. It was only right that she go to our kid first. We were no longer the center of each other's universe. He was, and that's the way it should be.

Pepper released her hold on the spiderling, and threw her arms around my neck before giving me a kiss. It was briefer than I would've liked, but we were both very much aware of the teenager in the room, no doubt cringing at this small amount of affection between us.

"I'm so glad to see you both," she expressed, giving us both loving looks.

"Good idea?" I asked, and she nodded her head emphatically. "Good idea," she replied.

"Well, hopefully you like the rest of my idea, because the rest of our rag tag family is here as well. Although, I told them we'd meet them for breakfast tomorrow, so tonight it's just us," I informed her, and her smile just widened. She looked tired, so I figured she'd been working herself ragged in order to get back home as soon as possible.

"Can we eat now?" Peter asked, a slight whine to his voice. "I'm starving."

"Of course, Peter," Pepper immediately answered, turning back towards him. "You haven't fed him yet?" she accused, narrowing her eyes at me.

I held up defensive hands. "He's sixteen, Pep, and I figured we'd eat when we got here. He had some snacks," I defended, and she still shook her head like she couldn't believe me.

"Do you want room service, honey, or would you like to go to a restaurant in the hotel?" she asked the kid.

"Room service? Yeah, let's do that!" he answered eagerly. "I've never had room service! We just order food and they bring it to us?" he questioned, looking through the menu Pepper had given him. "Wow, this is so cool!" he exclaimed, once again looking like an overly excited puppy. It was cute seeing him get so excited with things that I'd been exposed to my whole life. Leaving the country on a whim, being in a limo, or getting room service was a regular part of my life, but to Peter, it was like a grand adventure.

When he was ready, Pepper called and let him place his own order, which he did with a lot of nervous stuttering. I noticed, however, that he seemed to order as much as he wanted, not letting the prices bother him. I was pleased to see him so comfortable with us and our money. I didn't want him to feel bad about me spending money on him. I knew he'd grown up, not necessarily poor, but not well off either. He'd been extremely hesitant about me spending any money on him at first, especially when he knew how much when we'd first adopted him. Now, however, he seemed to have realized, at least, that it made me happy to be able to get him what he wanted.

The food arrived within half an hour, and Peter's mouth was nearly watering as he took in everything. He quickly began to inhale everything, pausing momentarily to make sure we didn't want anything. We had each ordered some tacos, which were safely on our plates, so we let him eat to his heart's content.

"How can he still be so scrawny when he eats like that?" Pepper whispered to me, and I just gave her an amused smile.

"He's a teenage boy," I replied, "Not to mention, he's got an enhanced metabolism."

"I c'n hearf you," the boy mumbled through a mouthful of food, and in unison, we both responded, "Don't talk with your mouth full." Peter rolled his eyes, giving us a mock salute before returning to his feast.

"How you doing?" I asked Pepper, and she leaned against me, letting out a sigh in response. "That bad?"

"Not really, it's just I miss being home. I miss you guys," she said, and I nodded in understanding. "Things were different before, y'know?" she continued. "It wasn't that I didn't miss you, but now…"

"Yeah, I get it," I responded, pulling her into my arms. Having Peter in our family had changed things so much. Neither one of us could stand to be away from him for too long.

Peter let out a loud groan, falling back onto the floor, his arms splayed out. "I love Mexican food," he mumbled, and Pepper and I both laughed.

The rest of the night passed uneventfully. We all just talked, catching up on what'd been going on. Pepper smothered Peter after hearing the details of his punishment. Peter was highly embarrassed, but I could also see he thoroughly enjoyed the coddling. I informed Pepper of the terms of Peter's grounding, and while sympathetic to the teen, she voiced her agreement.

The next day arrived, and I awoke with a smile at having Pepper in my arms again. She'd been gone only a week, but it felt like forever to me. How had we ever managed to survive weeks without each other? We were snuggling up with each other, when there was a loud bang on our door.

"Wakey wakey!" Peter hollered through the door, and I let out a curse. "Let me in! Your kid is hungry!" he yelled, and as I groaned loudly, Pepper gave a laugh as she went to let in the bothersome boy. The annoying kid hurried us both through our showers, and I couldn't hold back the smack to the head as we exited the room.

"I thought we were going to join the others for breakfast," I told him as we were in the elevator. "We are. I already woke them all up." I let out a loud laugh, imagining what my friends' reactions had to have been. If they'd had the kind of night I thought they did, they were no doubt very displeased with the hyperactive teen.

"Nat didn't kill you?" I asked incredulously, and he shook his head. I marveled at how easy the assassin was on Peter. Had I tried the same thing, I'd probably be unconscious on the floor.

We arrived in the restaurant, and I fought back a roar of laughter at seeing Happy and Rhodes with sunglasses on and frowns. Natasha looked perfectly fine, but upon closer inspection, she was also looking a little tense and jumpy. Vision and Bruce were the only ones looking perfectly fine and awake, and were currently chatting with each other.

"Morning, children," I greeted cheerfully, and I was met with three sets of glares. "Wild night out on the town?" I asked rhetorically. "I remember those days," I remarked with a fond sigh, and several snorts were let out, Happy sarcastically saying, "Those days were less than a year ago, _Boss_."

Waving a dismissive hand at him, I declared, "Well, I'm a dad now, so I've got to be a good example for my young, impressionable, spiderling. Don't need him taking after my less than stellar habits."

"That's why you don't go out anymore?" Peter asked, and I gave an inward sigh at the guilty look in his eyes.

"I was exaggerating," I promptly answered before deciding to clarify. "I'm not really into partying much anymore. I'd rather spend time at home with you. Doesn't mean I don't enjoy a good party, but not like I used to." Truth was, partying had just been a way to waste time, and an excuse to drink and meet women. It was my old method of coping.

"You don't drink anymore, either," he then stated with a frown. "You used to before you adopted me."

"I don't want you thinking it's okay to drink excessively, or to get drunk," I answered honestly. "The reason I don't drink anything anymore is because I'm a recovering alcoholic. If I have one drink, it's too easy to have another and then another."

The atmosphere was suddenly serious, and I shifted uncomfortably as the eyes looking at me showed too much understanding, fondness, and affection. Pepper entwined one of her hands in mine, giving me a kiss on the cheek.

Conversation turned to lighter topics, afterwards, and despite starting off grumpy from having been woken up so early, everyone cheered up once they had food in them. The fun ended too early for me, though, as Pepper needed to leave for a meeting after only an hour with us.

"Thank you all for coming," she said appreciatively. "I've had fun, and I'll see you in a couple of days." She gave me one last kiss before hugging Peter, and then she was gone.

"We're going home today?" the kid asked sadly, and I nodded my head.

"Yeah, we gotta let Pepper get work done, so she can come home as soon as she can," I replied. "Alright, team, let's get packed up and back to the plane. Hope you had your temporary fill of Mexico for the time being.

"Yeah, I think I have," Rhodes responded, stumbling out of the restaurant, and not because of the braces on his legs. Happy just gave a grunt as he too made his way out. It as half an hour before we met in front of the hotel, greeted by the same limo and driver as last night. Happy immediately sat himself in front, still suspicious and untrusting of the man. The ride to the airport was silent, unlike yesterday's, and once in the jet, most the occupants fell asleep.

"Thanks for this, Dad," Peter said quietly, taking the seat across from me. "I had a lot of fun."

"No problem, pal, and I'm glad," I responded with a smile. "Now, I hope you enjoyed your last bit of freedom," I added after a few moments, "because your grounding starts immediately." The boy groaned over dramatically, but didn't complain. Complaints would come later, no doubt.

As we flew home, my mind drifted to Steve and the others. I wondered if I should call him again, but then decided against it. The next move would be his. He had my number now, so if he wanted to talk, then he would have to call me.

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed! PLEASE REVIEW!**


	44. Chapter 44

**A/N: A rather early Thanksgiving present! As always, I really hope you enjoy it!**

 **Chapter 44: Thanksgiving**

 **Peter's POV:**

"No, no, NO! We are not hunting and killing our own turkeys! I refuse!" I hollered stubbornly when I saw Natasha, Tony, and Anthony dressed up in hunting gear with a rifle (Tony), bow and arrow (Nat), and net (Anthony).

"What?" Tony gasped with crestfallen eyes. "Why not? It's tradition!" He paused, looked to Nat, and asked uncertainly. "It is tradition, right?"

"Avenger tradition," she assured him, and Tony nodded his head, turning back to me with an expression of triumph.

"Well, I'm not an Avenger, and it's not a Stark family tradition," I argued firmly, crossing my arms and giving both _adults_ stern looks. " _New_ Stark family tradition," I quickly added when Tony seemed ready to argue back. He pouted at my amendment, grumbling to himself that as the head of the Stark family, he should be the one to make traditions. I quieted him with a glare.

"You don't have to come," Natasha remarked, looking rather put out by my complaints.

"Do you really want to disappoint Anthony?" Dad asked, kneeling down and wrapping an arm around my dog. "Look how excited he is." I glared at him before looking at Anthony, whose tail was wagging as he stared happily from me to Tony.

"It's barbaric," I continued to argue, and Natasha just gave me a dry look.

"You do know that all the turkeys out there for sale were killed, right? What's so bad about us doing it on our own?" she asked curiously.

"It's different buying one that's already dead. I don't have to see it moving around when it's alive and-and, it's just different," I attempted to explain, and she responded with a raised eyebrow.

"Again," she stated, "you don't have to come."

Hands on my hips, I just stared at the impromptu hunting party. I couldn't believe they were actually going to go and kill their own turkeys for Thanksgiving. In what world did they decide that was okay? We were in freaking New York City! Who hunts their own meal here?!

"Fine," I gave in sourly, "but if I even see _one_ feather on those birds when you bring them into the kitchen, you're grounded. Understood?"

"Understood," Dad declared, giving me a mock salute that Anthony mimicked. Natasha just snorted, giving Tony a pointed look and saying, "You do remember that you're the parent and not him, right?" as they walked away.

"Yeah, but if it helps him feel better about this, then I'll let him have his moment," he responded casually, and I rolled my eyes before shouting, "I can still hear you!"

Raucous laughter was given in response, and I glared at the trio as they left.

"What's all the yelling about?" Pepper asked, walking out of the hallway.

"Your future husband is a caveman and has corrupted my innocent dog," I stated as I went to the kitchen to eat something. Pepper seemed completely confused, so I told her what they and Natasha were up to. Upon hearing the explanation, she relaxed, giving me an amused look.

"Is this normal for them?" I asked her curiously, and she just shrugged.

"I have no idea," she admitted. "I've had Thanksgiving with them only once, and they never mentioned hunting their own turkeys. Admittedly, I'm not surprised. I bet it was Clint who came up with the idea," she remarked thoughtfully. "I take it you didn't want to go with them?" she then asked me.

"No way," I replied with a look of disgust. "I can't look something in the eye that I'm going to eat. Knowing myself, I'd probably name it and grow attached to it."

Pepper's lips were pursed to keep from laughing, no doubt, as she gave my arm a sympathetic pat. "I'd have to agree," she stated, and I relaxed, knowing she wasn't making fun. "The Avengers are a peculiar set of people, and I honestly find them hunting for their own Turkeys an almost normal activity compared to some of the things they've gotten up to." I raised both eyebrows, immensely curious as to the sorts of antics the original team had gotten up to, to have Pepper saying such things. "Anyways," she continued, "are any of your friends coming over? I need to know, so I'll know how much food to buy."

"All of them, even Flash," I informed her happily. I missed my friends, and since I was grounded, Thanksgiving break was hard as I wasn't allowed to see or talk to them. This way I'd have nearly an entire day with them.

"Excellent!" Mom exclaimed, looking happy on my behalf. "And their parents are coming as well?" she pressed, and I nodded my head.

"Okay, so that will bring our count up to fifteen," she mused aloud. "No problem," she said with a wave of her hand. Fifteen sounded like a lot to me, but I assumed she'd no doubt planned banquets and Tony's parties before, which had way more than fifteen people. "I like it," she then commented with a smile. "Small and intimate. I haven't had a small, family Thanksgiving since my parents were alive."

"How long ago was that?" I asked hesitantly, and she smiled at me before answering, "When I was in college. My dad passed away my first year of college, and my mom passed away my senior year. I was a happy surprise," she added with a happy grin. "They had me when they were already in their fifties."

"Wow," I replied in surprise.

"They were wonderful people, and they would've adored you, Peter," she stated, giving me a loving, motherly look. I smiled back, wishing I could've met them. Having grandparents would've been nice, I think.

"So, how about you help me with decorations," she declared, standing up and looking determined.

"Christmas decorations? Already?" I asked in surprise. "Thanksgiving is only tomorrow!"

"Exactly, we should have the decorations up all month. I love December!" she said with a huge grin. The grin faltered, though, when she turned to me. "I'm sorry, Peter, I should've asked. Are there any decorations from your apartment that you'd like to use? Do you even want to have decorations? We don't have to."

"No, no, decorations are fine," I assured her. "It's just, we usually didn't put up decorations until the twentieth. I think it was more out of laziness, though," I recalled with a fond smile. "And, yeah, there are a few things I'd like to get out from May's things," I said, thinking back to some decorations I'd made as a kid, and the angel we'd put on top of our tree every year since I'd known them.

"Okay, well, then after we eat, let's head to the storage unit we have your aunt's things in," she said. I scarfed down my food, waiting impatiently for Pepper to finish her oatmeal. I was anxious about seeing all my aunt and uncle's things. I hadn't seen any of it since right after my aunt had died. I'd grabbed only a couple things before telling Tony to pack the rest away. I couldn't manage to even look at most the stuff as it all reminded me of how the people who'd raised me were dead. Now, though, I felt more prepared. I just didn't want to grab a few Christmas items, but I wanted to grab pictures and some other knickknacks.

When Pepper finished, she drove us to the storage center. It didn't look like what I'd expected at all. On TV, storage units looked like big boxes or garages. This huge building looked like it was full of offices, but it was like a bunch of bank vaults, I guess, from what Pepper was describing. This is where the rich stored stuff. Apparently, Tony's parent's things had been here since they'd died.

"Has he ever gone through them?" I asked Mom curiously, and she just shook her head.

"No, he hasn't," she answered. "Unlike you, honey, Tony has never been good at dealing with past trauma, including his parent's deaths. And, since he hasn't dealt with it, the thought of going through their things seems too daunting to him. I should probably get all the stuff categorized and itemized, though," she remarked thoughtfully, "just in case he ever wants to find something specifically."

Walking through the building, I was surprised to see no security guards, and only one attendant, who only glanced at us before going back to her computer. For being a storage unit of the rich, there was a lack of protection, I felt.

Noting my expression, Pepper said, "You have to have a special key and password in order to even get into the elevator. Then, once on your floor, your key will only work on your storage room. This place has never been broken into."

"Tony probably could," I mused casually, and Pepper just laughed as she nodded her head. "True, but he doesn't make a habit of breaking the law for no reason…at least nowadays."

Once in the room, a wave of sadness hit me at seeing my family's things in boxes in some random room. A wave of emotion hit me, and I became momentarily overwhelmed. My parent's things were here. My aunt and uncle's things were here. Their lives fit into boxes and carelessly discarded. I inhaled, and scents from my apartment, from _home_ hit me. I could smell my aunt's perfume that she'd worn every day for as long as I'd known her. A lump formed in my throat, tears prickling at my eyes.

Reaching out, I grabbed on to the sleeve of my mom's sweater, and she turned, her eyes showing concern as she pulled me in for a hug. She didn't say anything. She didn't tell me everything was okay. She didn't tell me to let it all out or that it was okay to cry. She just held me, and I was grateful. The feel of her arms around me helped ground me to the present. They were reassuring and loving, and reminded me that I wasn't alone.

"Sorry," I mumbled quietly when I broke apart, and she just shook her head in response. Her eyes were understanding, and she just stood with me until I felt well enough to start looking through the boxes.

"Is there anything in particular you're looking for?" Mom asked. "I could help look, if you'd like?"

"Um, see if you can find Christmas stuff, and I'm also looking for pictures," I told her, and she smiled, looking glad to be able to help me. I found the Christmas stuff easily as they were still in the same boxes we normally had kept them in. Rummaging through the two boxes, I pulled out a couple of things I'd made as a kid, like the macaroni ornament with my picture, and I also grabbed the angel we always put on top of the Christmas tree. Even if my parents didn't want it on their tree, I could still have it in my room. My aunt said it'd belonged to my grandmother, so it was basically the only family heirloom I had.

As I went through more boxes, I found an old jacket Uncle Ben had loved to wear all the time. I pulled it out of the box and put it on, surprised to find I nearly fit in it. The last time I'd put it on, I'd practically swam in it. Keeping the jacket on, I continued searching, smiling when I found Aunt May's throw blanket. She'd made it herself when she'd taken a knitting class years ago. She'd gotten bored with the class pretty quickly, but she'd been so proud of her blanket. It was always in the living room, and she'd used it all the time. Lifting it up, I could still smell her on it. I set it aside with the few Christmas items I grabbed.

"Peter, are these your parents?" Pepper asked cautiously, and I immediately went over to see what she had.

"Yeah," I answered, staring at an image of my parents holding a two-year-old me. I didn't recognize the photo, and looking at the box Pepper was searching through, I realized this had to be one of my parent's boxes. I'd never gone through them. There was a photo album out, and I began to look through the pages, surprised to see more images of my parents. I figured this was my dad's photo album, because while it had pictures of him and my mom, it also had photos of him growing up. There were photos of Uncle Ben, and it was odd seeing my uncle so young.

"You look a lot like your father," Mom commented as she looked at a photo of my dad as a teen. I couldn't help but agree. I did look like him.

"Do you want to take all this?" Mom then asked, and I thought it over before shaking my head. "I'll take the picture of me and my parents, but I'll leave the album here." I had no memories of my parents, so it was hard to miss people I'd never known. I didn't enjoy looking through an album of strangers, especially knowing it was my dad I was looking at. "I want pictures with my aunt and uncle," I clarified, and I walked away from that box.

We searched for another twenty minutes before I found a box full of framed images and a picture album marked, Peter. Jackpot.

"Mom, look at this," I called eagerly, and she came over. I pulled the box over to the one table, and we sat down as I opened the album. The first pictures were baby pictures, and I immediately blushed at seeing one of me in the bathtub. How cliché.

"Awwww!" Mom cooed. "Look how cute you are!" I quickly turned the page away from my naked baby butt to ones of my toddler years. I could tell when I'd officially been adopted by my aunt and uncle because the number of pictures increased. We went through my toddler years to my kid years.

"Is that Ned?" Mom asked, and I grinned widely.

"Yeah, it was the first day of kindergarten," I recalled. The picture had both Ned and I in nice clothes with nicely combed hair. We sported nervous smiles. By the end of the day we'd be filthy and sporting wide grins. Yup, there it was. Pepper laughed loudly at seeing the difference from beginning of the day to the end.

"You guys were friends from the day you met, huh?" she remarked, and I nodded my head. "Best buds," I insisted.

We continued browsing through the photos, looking as I grew. I groaned when we came upon a picture of me in an Iron Man mask. That'd been during the Stark Expo. Pepper giggled. I groaned even louder when we then saw a picture of me in a full Iron Man costume. Tony was going to have a field day with these.

"These are so cute. Please let me show these to Tony," Pepper begged, and I let out a sigh as I nodded.

"Just don't let him hang them around the house," I argued, and she nodded.

"You were a big fan," she commented as there were more photos of me wearing Iron Man shirts and playing with Iron Man toys. Blushing, I nodded. "I can only imagine your reaction, then, when he showed up to your house out of the blue."

"Yeah, I had an internal panic attack," I admitted with a short laugh. "My hero was standing in my room asking _me_ to come help him fight Captain America. It was crazy," I stated, reminiscing.

"Does he know how big of a fan you were?" she then asked curiously, and I nodded my head.

"I told him over the summer," I answered, recalling the conversation we'd had in his car. It'd been the same day I'd triggered his panic attack. I'd confessed to him how much of an impact he'd already had in my life even before I'd met him. "Even before we met," I told Mom, "he was somebody I looked up to. When I got my powers, thinking of what Iron Man would do helped me in making my decision to be Spider Man."

We looked through the rest of my photos, and I told Pepper some of the stories behind them. I was surprised when we finished by the fact that I didn't feel sad or depressed. I felt content, happy even to be remembering my aunt and uncle once more. When we finished, I felt ready to go. I grabbed the album and framed photos, along with a couple other items.

"I'm ready," I told Mom, and she nodded.

When we arrived home, I quickly stored my stuff in the room before helping Pepper put up the tree. It was enormous. I had no idea they made fake trees so large. When we began to decorate, I ran to my room to grab my Christmas stuff, and Pepper delightedly looked upon my school-made ornaments.

"It seems school traditions haven't changed much," she said, producing one of her own macaroni ornaments.

"Woah!" I exclaimed, "Look at how young you are!"

"I'm still young," Mom corrected, and I wisely agreed with her.

"Does Dad have one of these?" I asked eagerly, and Mom shook her head.

"If he made one, I doubt it was kept," she stated, and I frowned. "To be honest, honey," Mom stated seriously, "Tony has never been one to celebrate Christmas. When I worked for him, I fought him to let me at least put up a tree for him, but he always refused. He'd always throw himself into his work during the holiday, and I'd rarely see him." She was frowning deeply, her eyes sad as she thought back. "It wasn't until the Avengers lived together that he was forced to celebrate. I heard from Bruce that he lost his temper with the team the first time he walked into the Common room to see it decorated. He locked himself in his lab for days before Bruce managed to talk his way in. He managed to get out of a very drunk Tony what the problem was. Understanding his problem, yet also understanding the team's need to celebrate many of their first Christmases in years, Bruce convinced Tony to at least allow the other Avengers to celebrate even if he didn't want to."

"Did he join in that Christmas?" I asked in burning curiosity.

"Yes, but under protest. Natasha guilt tripped him first, and then forced him to stay for at least Christmas dinner. Though he denies it, the fact that he joined in more the following year let me know that he actually had a good time," Mom informed me. "The team did a lot of good for him."

"Has he had any problems with Christmas since then?" I asked, wondering if any of this would bother Dad.

"He's been completely fine," she answered with a grin, "and to be honest, he's very much looking forward to this one. He wants it to be the best Christmas ever, and that's because of you."

"Me?" I questioned in surprise.

"You may not realize, Peter, but you've brought a lot of happiness to Tony. Well, you've brought happiness for everyone," she amended. "We're all looking forward to celebrating our first family Christmas." I was taken aback by how much happiness I brought to them.

"You guys have brought me happiness too," I felt the need to say. "I'm so lucky to have you all in my life. You're the best parents ever."

"You're so sweet," Pepper remarked as she pulled me in for a hug and a kiss to the forehead.

"Honey, I'm home!" Dad announced grandly as he stepped out of the elevator. Anthony gave several loud barks, and Mom sighed loudly, remarking, "And so ends the peacefulness."

I'd barely let out a snort of amusement before I found myself being tackled to the floor by my overgrown puppy. I laughed delightedly as he licked me all over, expressing how much he missed me.

"Was it a successful hunt?" Mom asked, and Dad show us both a thumbs up sign.

"Heck yeah, it was," he answered proudly. "Nat, the mutt, and I rocked it. We got two birds, more than enough for our posse."

"Where are they?" I asked warily, looking behind him to make sure he hadn't brought them.

"Down with the cooks that work in the cafeteria. They said they'd prep the birds, so all we had to do was pop them in the oven. No worries, my sensitive little spider, you'll not see a single feather on them," he informed me, giving me a bright grin.

"Barbarian," I accused blandly, and he just shook his head, an amused smile on his face.

"I see you've started decorations for Christmas already," he commented, taking in the tree and the ornaments we'd already placed. "A little early, don't you think?"

"Not at all," Mom replied shortly.

Shrugging, Dad just got up and began to help us with the decorations. He got a kick out of my little kid decorations, and when I asked him if he'd made any, he shrugged. "They either ended up in the trash, or they're in a box stored away somewhere," he mentioned casually.

Mom spoke up then, telling him what we'd been up to during the day. Dad looked surprise but pleased to know we'd gone through my aunt and uncle's boxes. "You need to see the picture album Peter showed me," she informed him. "There are tons of photos of Peter, and he's absolutely adorable! And you'll love all the photos that have in wearing Iron Man themed clothes," she had to add. I turned red as I shot her a look of betrayal.

"Mooomm," I complained loudly, when my dad laughed loudly, demanding I bring the album here this second. Mom just gave me an innocent look as I trudged to my room to grab the album. Bringing it back, I gave it to Dad, who eagerly flipped through it. I knew he reached the Iron Man photos when his grin widened, and he gave a mock coo. "Aww, look how cute you look."

I chucked a pillow at his head, but it didn't stop his laugh of delight. Anthony jumped onto the couch, shooting Tony a look of curiosity as he wanted to know what had him so happy. When he couldn't tell what the fuss was about, he just lay himself down, head resting on Dad's lap. Dad absentmindedly patted his head as he thumbed through the entire album, a grin never leaving his face.

"Do you have any photo albums of yourself as a kid?" I asked curiously, and the man paused before nodding his head.

"They're in storage," he answered, and I continued to stare at him until he let out a sigh. "Fine, I'll dig 'em out after Thanksgiving. Not like you can't see me on the internet," he grumbled theatrically.

"It's not the same," I argued. "Photo albums have candid pics of you while the ones online are you posing or doing stuff you'd never allow me to do."

"He has a point," Pepper added, "and I'd like to see those pictures too."

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours," he shot back at her, a wicked grin on his face. I blushed at the insinuation while Pepper just rolled her eyes. "Behave," she scolded mildly.

"Now, help out with the decorations," she ordered. "It's nearing Peter's bed time." I groaned at the reminder, hating that I had to go to sleep at 9 like a little kid. This was getting old real quick.

"Can I at least stay up later tomorrow?" I begged, and the two exchanged a look before my dad nodded.

"Yes! Thank you!" I shouted ecstatically. I couldn't wait to have my friends over, and to have everybody together. Tomorrow was going to be great!

 **Tony's POV:**

"You look gorgeous," I told Pepper with a charming grin as she stepped out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel on.

"Down, boy," she told me, all the while throwing me a teasing wink. I chuckled as I walked in front of the mirror. I put on my tie before throwing on a jacket. Running a hand through my hair, I deemed myself presentable.

"Gonna check on the kid," I told Pep as I walked by her closet. I headed to the spiderling's room, knocked, and entered to find the teen trying to put a tie on Anthony. He seemed to be struggling with how to do it, which going off how his own tie looked wrong, I decided to help him out.

"Hey, kiddo, let me teach you how to do that," I instructed, motioning for him to come to me.

"It's just so complicated," he complained, tugging at his messed-up tie. "I feel like I'm wearing a noose. Why do we have to dress up?"

"It's not complicated, it just takes practice," I said, undoing my own tie so that he could see how I did it. "And, we're dressing up because we're having a party."

"But it's just family and friends," he argued, ripping off his own tie. "I doubt Ned has to wear a tie," he grumbled, nearly pouting.

"Everybody dresses up for the holidays," I insisted, and he shook his head as he responded, "I never did." I blinked, realizing that my traditions weren't exactly his.

"Well," I amended, "I've always dressed up for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's just what we did. Tradition, I guess. You know, like people dress up to go to church?"

"You don't go to church," he argued, and I rolled my eyes.

"That's not the point, kiddo," I replied. "Point is, we're dressing up because this is a celebration. It's a special day, and it just seems right. If it bothers you that much, though, you can ditch the tie and jacket, okay?" I attempted to compromise. I didn't really understand the big deal with dressing up, but I also realized that I'd been dressing up for various functions since before I could walk. It was a part of my life. My boy here looked decidedly uncomfortable, and I felt bad.

"I'll try the tie, but no jacket," he responded, and I smiled at him before showing him how I put on my own tie. I went slowly so that he could do his at the same time. He got it on the first try, and my heart warmed at his proud grin.

"Wow, I did it!" he stated, and I patted his shoulder.

"Nice job," I complimented.

"Sir, Ned and his family have arrived," Friday announced. "I have directed them to the elevator, and they are on their way up."

"Yes!" Peter shouted, racing out of his room. Anthony, who'd been holding his tie in his mouth made to race after his human sibling, but I stopped the mutt.

"Hang on, fur ball, we've got to have you looking presentable as well," I said to him. He already had a vest that looked uncannily like the one I was wearing (Thanks, Pepper). I quickly put his tie on, and set him free. He took off with a loud bark, as though letting Peter know he was on his way.

Shaking my head, I walked back to my room to let Pepper know that guests were starting to arrive, and that I'd meet her in the Common room. Heading out, I took the stairs to the lower level, and grinned at seeing Ned and Peter talking animatedly with each other. You'd think they'd been separated for eons with how ecstatic they looked.

"Hi, Tony!" Ned greeted, waving at me excitedly.

"Hey, Ned, long time no see," I greeted happily. Noting that he was dressed up with a tie and jacket on, I gave my boy a pointed look that he interpreted correctly, because he rolled his eyes exasperatedly. I went over to Ned's parents then, greeted them and introduced them to Bruce, Natasha, and Happy. Vision and Rhodes still hadn't arrived.

"Flash!" Peter and Ned yelled when the blonde appeared, and Flash grinned widely as he gave them a wave. Both boys ran over towards him at the same time I did.

"Hello, Flash," I greeted, shaking the young man's hand. "Nice to see you again," I told him genuinely. He seemed nervous and uncertain, but perked up at my words. He was a friend of Peter now, so I let go of the past. He knew my son's most well-kept secret, and he'd not told a soul. Believe me, I'd kept tabs on him as I hadn't been sure; but, he'd kept his word.

"Nice to see you too, Mr. Stark," he replied, before gesturing to his mother. "This is my mom, Kera Thompson."

"Pleasure to finally meet you, Mrs. Thompson," I said kindly, taking her hand in mine. She seemed overwhelmed, and I wished Pepper would hurry up. I wasn't that great at calming people down.

"T-thank you for the invitation, Mr. Stark," she stated, her cheeks reddening as she eyed the other Avengers with slight awe. "I never thought—I mean, I appreciate it," she managed to say, and I gave her a warm smile.

"Flash is a good friend of Peter's, so he and you will always be welcome here," I declared simply, and both their eyes widened. Pepper, thankfully showed up at this point, and took over as host for Ned and Flash's parents. They seemed calmer in her presence than the rest of ours.

Rhodes and Vision showed up next, and Mrs. Leeds actually let out a startled shriek upon seeing Vision.

"Mom!" a scandalized Ned yelled. "That's just Vision. He's a real cool guy, so be nice." Introductions were a bit awkward with him as the parents seemed really nervous around him. Upon seeing Ned and Flash interacting easily with him, though, they seemed to relax a little.

Our last guests arrived a few minutes later, and the teens let loose a loud, "MJ!" upon seeing her. She just raised an unimpressed eyebrow at them, although I noted the small smile on her face. Her brother and sister were with her, and unlike Ned and Flash's parents, they took everything in stride, having already met most of us.

I went into the kitchen, where Bruce and Happy were taking out the two turkeys. I called the four musketeers over to start setting the table, and as Bruce and Nat cut the turkey, I started bringing out the mashed potatoes, rolls, yams, cranberry sauce, and every other traditional Thanksgiving food I'd ever heard of.

"Is there a special seating arrangement?" Peter asked as I set down some of the food.

"Just make sure you four rugrats sit on one of the ends, so your shenanigans are away from me," I remarked, and Peter just huffed. "Grab yourselves some drinks and mark your seats," I then said, and the four made their way into the kitchen with me. As they grabbed drinks, I carried more of the food over, Bruce and Happy following with plates of white meat and dark meat.

"I want one of the legs!" Ned shouted, and Peter immediately said, "I want _two_ of the legs!"

"I call the last leg!" Flash quickly asserted, and I rolled my eyes.

"Peter porker, you get _one_ leg," I told the kid, and his eyes narrowed at the nickname.

Pepper called everyone to come and sit, and there was some awkward shuffling and laughs as people rearranged themselves to their liking. As expected, the runts were on one end, and I somehow got lumped over next to my little spider. Thankfully, Pepper was on my other side.

"How did I get stuck with the kiddies?" I grumbled aloud, and Rhodey let out a loud laugh as he said, "Because maturity wise, you're the same age as them, Tony. We wanted you to feel comfortable."

Letting out a scoff, I threw one of my rolls at his face, and he caught it with his mouth.

"Thank you for proving his point, love," Pepper said dryly, and I kissed her on the cheek.

Conversation started a bit jilted, the newcomers unsure how to act around us. I hadn't considered that they'd feel uncomfortable being around us all, but I guess I should've. Pepper, Happy, and Nat helped bridge the gap. Vision, who sat directly across from me seemed just as uncomfortable as the rest, sitting in his seat with no food in front of him. He just watched everyone eating, so I kicked his leg, causing him to jump.

"Hey, Vis, how's life with the old man?" I asked, referring to Rhodey.

He gave me a genuine smile as he began to describe what they'd been up to, and how much he enjoyed helping Rhodey with his therapy and talking with new air force recruits. "They seem as fascinated by me as I am of them," he told me in mild astonishment, which caused me to grin. "I find your military system fascinating"—

"Your military system also," I interjected. "You're one of us, Vision," I declared. "You might not be 100% human, but you're still human," I said, unsure if I got my point across. "I know you don't always feel like you fit in, and I get it, but I hope you realize that to us, you're part of the family. Please don't consider yourself apart from us because you're a little different."

Vision cocked his head at me as he took in my words. He looked thoughtful for several moments before giving me a nod. "Thank you, Mr. Stark," he said appreciatively, "That is very kind of you. It is nice to belong somewhere."

"I know most the world sees you as different, and I wish I could show them that you're just like us…no, you're even better," I insisted, feeling bad for how isolated he must feel at times.

Vision's smile was kind as he responded, "I appreciate your words. Just knowing that you are my family is enough for me. I do not expect everyone to treat me as you do, and that is fine. It is human nature to fear that which they do not understand. I do not hold it against them."

A sudden thought occurred to me, and I wondered what he'd think. "Hey," I told him, my voice quieting so as to not be overheard by everyone, "I was thinking of maybe calling Rogers later to just, uh, say hi," I told him lamely. "I could ask for—I mean, if you wanted to speak to Wanda, I'm sure he would ask her."

The android's eyes widened, and I waited patiently for him to consider his response. I could tell he wanted to, but he was also afraid of being hurt. What if Wanda didn't want to talk to him? Seeing this, I felt the need to say, "Even if she's not up for talking, he can deliver a message to her. She and the others are going through a rough patch," I felt the need to defend. Vision nodded slowly before saying, "I believe I would like to try."

I grinned before letting him know I'd get him when I made the call. I was planning on asking the other Avengers if they wanted to talk to anyone. I wasn't quite sure why I wanted to call, but I just felt the need to. That brief conversation I'd had with Rogers, although not entirely happy, had only caused me to miss them all even more. I also realized, that if we were to ever repair our relationships, then we would have to talk to each other. Ugh.

Loud laughter came from my right, and I turned to see the four teens laughing hysterically. It looked like Peter had just told some story that had them all in stitches. I smiled widely at seeing him so happy. Turning towards my left I saw that Natasha was telling a story that was probably classified if the glint in her eyes was anything to go by. Bruce and Happy looked highly amused while the others listening in looked torn between fear and awe. Rhodey seemed in deep conversation with Brock and Ned's father. Politics, it seemed, and I just rolled my eyes. Pepper was talking with Mrs. Thompson about the trials of raising teenage boys. It seemed Flash's mother was coming out of her shell as she was talking quite animatedly now. Pepper seemed to be enjoying their talk. Vision was now talking with Cassie, who'd he met before, and it seemed she was teasing him about having floated into her room when she'd been changing one day. The android looked mortified, and I smothered a snicker.

Dinner ended, and the teens volunteered to clean up. I eyed them suspiciously, especially when I was thrown some innocent smiles by Peter and Ned. Feeling that I really didn't care what they were up to, I headed over to chat with Rhodey.

"I'm planning on calling Rogers later, if you're in?" I asked casually, and he actually chocked on his drink as he gave me a look of shock. I slapped him on the back, smirking as he tried to wipe off some of the scotch from his shirt.

"I'm sorry, did you just say you're calling Rogers later?" he hissed incredulously, and I suddenly realized I'd never told him about having called him last week. Oops.

"Uh, yeah, remember how I told you the kid had talked with him?" I asked, and he nodded his head. "Well, I called him afterwards with Nat and Bruce, to apologize, and yeah…" I trailed off with a shrug, acting like it was no big deal even when I knew it really was.

"Yeah, you're going to have to give me more than that," Rhodey stated seriously. "What'd you guys talk about?"

I told him about the conversation, and he shook his head at the end, still looking incredulous. "Wow, I can't believe you actually called; and, you wanna do it again? Why?" he asked, looking genuinely curious.

I bit back a flippant response, knowing he was looking for something serious. "I just…If we're ever going to be a team again, we're going to need to get past all this shit, and to-and to do that we're actually going to need to talk." I stuffed my hands into my pant pockets and looked around the room at all the smiling faces. "I miss them, y'know," I remarked softly. "I'm pissed at them, but they're still…we're a team—family, and"—

"Tony," Rhodey interjected gently, and I briefly flicked my eyes towards his to see him looking at me softly.

"You've changed, man," he said with slight incredulity, and I raised an inquiring eyebrow at him. "It's like since Peter came into your life you've decided to finally grow up. Welcome to the world of adults, Tones," he remarked teasingly, and I rolled my eyes as I gave him a slight shove.

"Dick," I grumbled good naturedly.

"But, yeah, I'm in," he stated. "When?"

"When the other's head out," I replied.

"Anthony!" I heard somebody scream, and I turned to see the teens chasing after Anthony, whose face was covered in ice cream while he was carrying a box with pie in it. Anthony raced into the hallway, Peter, Ned, and Flash right on his heels.

"Got ya!" I heard Peter yell triumphantly. Not two seconds later, though, the three boys were yelling as they ran down the hall and back towards us, a loud-barking Anthony chasing after them. It was like something out of a cartoon, and I burst out laughing, the other adults joining in.

"There goes dessert," Pepper declared with a grin, not even looking upset.

Best Thanksgiving ever, I couldn't help but think.

 **Steve's POV:**

"Where in god's name did you get a turkey this late at night, Sam?" I asked in happy surprise.

"Technically, I'd call it morning, so Thanksgivings over, but whatever. Anyhow, I walked into the store and bought it," he replied cheekily. "My face isn't known around the world, and I am very glad about that."

"Mmm, well this is good, so thanks Sam," Scott stated happily, wolfing down his food.

"Yeah, Happy Thanksgiving, y'all," Clint stated cheerfully, but while his face and voice showed happiness, his eyes were sad. I felt for the man because I knew he was desperately missing his family. He'd used a payphone to call them earlier today, and it'd been bittersweet. His youngest kid didn't even recognize his voice. Lara missed him desperately, and was understanding, but his kids were another story. They didn't understand, and they'd refused to speak to him. He'd taken it hard.

Wanda had stuck to his side since the call, even when Clint had snapped at her, and I think it'd helped even if he wouldn't admit it. I was grateful to Wanda for doing what she could to comfort him.

We were currently in Venice right now, with no particular destination in mind. Everyone was feeling pretty happy to be out of Wakanda, even if we were technically in more danger. The thing was, we were all really good at staying under the radar. We'd had one incident where we'd been recognized, but the person had only waved and smiled before acting like they hadn't seen us. It seemed the entire world wasn't against us.

My phone started vibrating, and I nearly dropped my food in surprise as I scrambled to grab it.

Tony.

It was Tony.

All eyes were on me now, the room silent as they waited to see what I'd do.

Swallowing nervously, I answered. "Hello?"

"Rogers," Tony drawled, "Happy Thanksgiving."

I couldn't help the short laugh that escaped me. He called to wish me a Happy Thanksgiving?

"Uh, hello? Rogers?" Stark called out uncertainly. "Guys, I think I broke him," he remarked to somebody.

"Happy Thanksgiving," I blurted out. "You're on speaker phone, by the way," I felt the need to add. "Everybody's here."

"Likewise," the billionaire replied, and there was an awkward silence.

"Oh, for god sake, this is ridiculous," I heard Natasha declare. "Hello, how are you? We're fine, thanks for asking."

"Nat," Clint called out, his tone sounding longing.

"Hello, Clint," Natasha replied, "how are you?"

"I've been better," he replied, a small smile adorning his face. "Lara is stressed, and the kids refuse to talk to me, but other than that, can't complain," he remarked with forced casualness.

"I'll check in on them this week," she assured him, and Clint's face relaxed as he expressed his appreciation. "Scott, do you need someone to check in on your family?" Natasha then asked, and Scott's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Uh, y-yeah, that'd be great, please," he quickly replied. "My daughter, tell her—please tell her I'm sorry, and that I love her. Tell her I'll see her as soon as I can."

"Of course," she replied, and like Clint, Scott's face seemed to relax.

"How's Rhodes?" Sam pressed, and I could hear the guilt in his tone.

"I'm doing pretty well, Sam, so quit feeling guilty," the colonel answered. "I don't regret fighting, and I know you don't regret it. We all felt we were right, and yeah, the shit kinda hit the fan, but we're doing alright. Tony's made me these cool bionic legs, so I'm walking," he stated, and even I felt relieved at hearing that.

"I am pretty awesome," Stark asserted in that cocky voice of his that normally annoyed the hell out of me. Right now, though, I couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia for it.

"Yo, Vis, you got anything to say?" I heard Stark ask, and he sounded as if he was away from the phone. I noticed Wanda perk up, and she stared at the phone eagerly.

"Ah, yes," Vision spoke, "I wanted to say hello to you all, and state that it is good to hear your voices. I wish we could all be together, but I understand why we cannot. Wanda," he then said, his voice softer, "I want to apologize for…for everything. I wish I could have"—

"Vis," Wanda interjected, sounding happy and sad at the same time, "you do not have to apologize for anything. I am the one who should apologize for…for"—

"Okay, this is turning awkward," Stark declared, "you're sorry, we're sorry, we all admit to fucking up. Question is, what the hell are we going to do to fix this? You lot can't stay on the run forever. Now, I'm sure you're all having a grand time being all cooped up together, but"—

"Yeah, we don't want to be like this forever, but what're we going to do, Tony?" I asked in frustration. "The Accords aren't going away, and we're not willing to sign."

"Jesus, Cap, come on," Rhodes spoke up, sounding just as frustrated. "You've got to work with us on this. You're right, they're not going away, so what's your grand plan? Do you really want to be a fugitive for the rest of your lives? Clint, man, you've got a family, and so do you Scott. You guys want to be away from them forever? You want to miss your kids growing up? Wanda, do you want to never see Vision again? What the hell is your guy's plan?"

I let out my own sigh of frustration, rubbing a hand over my face. I looked to the others, and they stared back, waiting for me to say something. They were willing to follow my lead, whatever that may be. For the umpteenth time, I wished somebody else could be the leader for once. I wished I didn't have to make the decisions. They were putting their lives in my hands, and this was different than being in a fight. In a fight, I could punch my way out of things, but now…this was politics, and frankly, I sucked at politics. That was Stark's forte, always had been.

"Tony," I spoke softly, "we want to come home. We just…I don't know what to say right now. Just—we need some time to talk. It was good hearing from you all. We'll keep in touch."

"Good hearing from you too," Tony replied, his voice sounding gentle, not like himself at all. "Take care of yourselves. Things will turn shitty if you get yourselves arrested."

I hung up at that point, and stared at my friends—my family. We were all silent and contemplative.

"Happy Thanksgiving," I said, feeling a flicker of hope flash in me.

 **A/N:** **Please review and let me know your thoughts! Next chapter, things take a different turn. We're going to be focusing on Tony a little, and we'll hear from our fugitives later on.**


	45. Chapter 45

**A/N: This idea came from the comics, International Iron Man. I read it, and it triggered a really interesting idea that I just had to write. I started writing this chapter weeks ago, and am curious to how you all will take it. Really hoping you enjoy! If not, my apologies. I will get back to Steve and the others after this all plays out.**

 **Note: I apologize for Tony's cursing in the next couple chapters. Hope nobody is easily offended by the f-word.**

 **Chapter 45: WTF?!**

 **Tony's POV:**

I stared uncomprehendingly at the papers in front of me. I found them in a lockbox inside a safe. I'd been looking through my parent's old things for photographs of me in my younger days, one's the media didn't have. Peter and Pepper had asked for some after Peter had shown me his own childhood pictures, so here I'd been, digging around old boxes. I wondered why I'd never had this stuff inventoried or the paper and pictures scanned and uploaded. I guess I had just never been ready to look through their things.

Anyways, as I'd been casually perusing, grimacing as I'd found an old picture of me with a Captain America t-shirt, I'd seen the small safe. Curiosity killed the cat they say, but then satisfaction brought it back, right? No, not this time, it seemed. I'd opened the safe easily (okay, I broke it), surprised to find only a lock box inside. What had my parents felt the need to hide so badly? I unlocked the box and frowned at finding just a file folder with documents. SHIELD stuff was my first guess, but then that wouldn't make sense. Dad wouldn't have just put sensitive material like that in a safe at home when he could store that stuff electronically and safely out of the house. Finances, maybe? That didn't make sense either. Had to be SHIELD.

Shrugging, I pulled out the file, opened it and read through the first page, then the second, then the third, then the fourth, and then the fifth. Disbelieving of what I'd read, I went through all the papers again and again and again. I didn't know why I bothered as I'd had it all memorized after the first time. This couldn't be true. It just…how could it be? It didn't make sense. This had to be some kind of joke.

Dad hadn't been a joking type, though...at least not with me.

"F-Friday," I choked out in a near whisper, "scan these. _Now_." I spread out the papers around a table in the office I was borrowing. With my cell phone, Friday scanned all images. I ordered her to start researching everything from the companies, organizations, names, places, to dates. _Everything_. "I need every last bit of information verified," I ordered, glad to hear my voice come out a little louder and stronger.

"Yes, sir," Friday responded. "Would you like me to contact Ms. Potts for you? You seem rather distressed"—

"You will contact no one," I snapped at the AI. "You're only job is to analyze these documents, do you understand?!"

"Yes, sir," was the cool response I received.

Breathing heavily and running a shaking hand through my hair, I began to feverishly go through the rest of the boxes in the room. I spent hours going through every single box, container, bag, and folder. I went through their clothes, books, files, and albums. I was called and texted by a variety of people, but I ignored everything, telling Friday that unless it was an emergency she should tell everyone I was busy.

I was on one of the last boxes when I came upon my mom's bible. I'd always thought it odd that she had one as she wasn't religious in any way. In fact, I'd asked her once if she even believed in God and she'd told me that she wasn't sure. I then asked her why she always had a bible in her room, and she'd just given me a smile, patting my cheek before shooing me off. I hadn't been interested enough to ask again. Internally telling myself this would be too fucking cliché, but whatever, I opened the bible. Surprise, surprise, Tony! It's a bible! What did you think you'd find? Rolling my eyes, I absentmindedly flipped through the worn pages, wondering how a woman who wasn't religious had such a well-used bible. I made it about a third of the way through when I found a folded document tucked in the pages. God dammit. Cursing inwardly, I grabbed the document, noticing it looked faded and well-worn as if it too had been handled many times. I opened it up and immediately paled at what I read. My stomach felt sick, and I thought I might actually throw up, so I got to my feet, crumpling the paper in my hand as I ran out to get some air. Yeah, air sounded good.

I resisted running out of the building like some sort of spaz. Walking out like a totally calm dude, I took in deep breaths, relishing the feel of the cool air against my sweaty skin.

"Sir, I've completed researching the documents," Friday spoke up, and I nodded as I sat myself down on the hood of my car.

"They're legit," I murmured, and she responded in the affirmative. She confirmed the agencies, the names, the places, and the dates.

"Who all knew?" I asked, more to myself than her, but she answered anyways.

"It was not in the SHIELD database, but mention of the hospital did appear in the private files of Peggy Carter," she informed me, and I let out a humorless chuckle. "There are no copies of the records besides the ones you hold, well, at least not online," she continued, her voice gentle and sympathetic.

I closed my eyes tightly before letting out a shaky breath as I looked at the paper in my hand once more, the death certificate of one, Anthony Edward Stark. Born May 29, 1975 at 12:03 PM. Died May 29, 1975 at 12:20 PM from respiratory failure. Walking numbly back towards the room full of my parents…Howard and Maria's things, I grabbed the file folder and left. I'd hire someone to clean up the rest and dispose of it all. I felt betrayed, and so I never wanted to see any of it again.

Sitting in my car, I then looked at a second birth certificate for a newborn boy, on May 29, 1975 at 10:33 PM. The baby's name was just Armstrong, and the parents were listed as unknown. Holy shit. I leaned my head back and just stared up at the stars, marveling at how things could change so drastically in a matter of seconds. One second, I was the son of Howard and Maria Stark, and the next, I was baby Armstrong, son of unknown male and unknown female. I was a boy taken in by the Starks to replace their dead son. They hadn't even admitted I was adopted. I just _replaced_ the real Tony! What the fuck?!

I gritted my teeth and gripped the steering wheel tightly, feeling a surge of anger and betrayal. Why wasn't I told?

Because you weren't exactly adopted, Tony. You were a replacement. Fuck!

Did Mom know and go along with this?

Obviously, idiot. She had your—her kid's death certificate in her goddamn bible, so of course she knew!

"This sucks," I said aloud. "I'm not who I thought I was. I'm not Anthony Edward Stark. I'm no-first-name Armstrong." There, I said it out loud. _Fuuuccckkk!_

"Sir, I hate to interrupt this crisis of identity, but Ms. Potts is insisting you answer your phone," the AI stated. "It is not an emergency, but she told me to inform you that it will turn into one if you ignore her call one more time."

I couldn't help the short, nearly hysterical laugh I gave at her words. I didn't want to talk to anyone at the moment, but when my phone began to ring again, I answered it.

"Hey, Pep," I greeted softly, wincing when she began to berate me for not having answered any of my phone calls or texts today. "Do you have any idea how worried we were, Tony? What's going on?"

I opened my mouth, but I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to talk about this right now. I wanted to do more research. I wanted to wrap my head around this. The long silence seemed to increase Pepper's concern for me because instead of yelling, she went quiet herself. "Tony, what's wrong?" she asked slowly, and I swallowed the lump in my throat, forcing myself to say something.

"Pepper, I—something's happened, and I need to…" what do I need to do? "I just found out some new information that's really bothering me, and I need a few days to figure it out. I'm sorry," I apologized genuinely. "It's nothing dangerous," I quickly added before she could work herself up into a state. "I promise I'll explain everything when I get back. Just, please give me some time, love, okay?"

I waited with bated breath until she gave a sigh. "Tony," she said, deeply concerned, "I don't know what's going on, but you don't have to go through it alone. If…if you really insist on fixing this alone, though, I'll give you two days. Two days and then I'm sending the Avengers after you," she warned, and I smiled gratefully, even though she couldn't see me.

"Thank you, Pepper," I replied softly, before adding on, "I love you."

"I love you too," she responded, and then I hung up. Exhaling heavily, I looked through all the files again before deciding I needed more information from SHIELD. I raced over to the Avengers compound, knowing the easiest way to get into SHIELD's files was to go right to the source. I got in and went straight to my lab and onto my computers.

"Show me what you've found, Friday," I ordered, and several displays popped up. "Let's hack into SHIELD's records now, looking for anything to do with someone by the name of Armstrong, the hospital I was born at, and my date of birth." Friday and I worked together, searching and decrypting file after file. I couldn't understand why this was taking so long. I guessed Dad-Howard really wanted to keep my real identity a secret. Aunt Peggy knew. I paused, before getting up and beginning to leave. I had a bunch of my aunt's old things stored at another unit, and I knew her family had added things as well, not wanting to get rid of any of it, but also not ready to go through it yet.

Discarding my car, I threw on my Iron Man suit and took off for the storage unit that was on the outskirts of NYC. When I arrived, they were closed, but when the security guard saw who I was, he didn't even try to stop me. Arriving in the large storage room, I sighed before stepping out of my suit and directing Friday to start scanning the boxes while I did a manual search. I worked through the night, looking through box after box of papers, photos, files, and knickknacks. I paused at seeing one of the albums titled, Tony. I flipped through it, my heart aching as I saw photo after photo of me and Aunt Peggy. I saw cards and drawings I'd sent her. I couldn't believe she'd kept this stuff. I brushed my hand over a picture of Peggy and I from my fifteenth birthday. I had this huge, cheesy grin, my face covered in icing, and Peggy, whose face was also covered in icing was giving me a kiss on the cheek. This had been right before she'd moved back to England. Her husband had gotten terminal cancer, and he'd wanted to spend the remainder of his life in their homeland. He'd died, and she'd never returned.

I felt a good amount of bitterness towards my aunt, unable to stop from feeling abandoned by her. When my parents had died, I'd needed someone, but she'd stuck around for a month before leaving and not coming back. She'd left me with Obadiah. Maybe she'd been fooled by him like everybody else, though. Maybe she'd felt she was leaving me in capable hands. The media really should have shown her I wasn't in good hands, though. Didn't she care that every article or news clip about me had to do with me drunk, drugged, arrested, or doing something stupid?

She'd visit every once in a while, and any anger I had towards her would temporarily vanish as we spent time together. I loved her too much to stay mad. Then, in my late 20's, she'd gotten the onset of Alzheimer's. I'd paid for medical treatment, but there was no cure. Eventually, her deteriorating mental capacity became too much for her family to handle, so I'd brought her here and set her up in the best facility I could. I visited her every week, fearful every time that this might be the day she didn't recognize me. To my relief, it never happened.

Right before Afghanistan, we'd gotten into a huge row. She'd been haggling me lately for my behavior, scolding me for how shameful I acted and how my parents would be disappointed. I'd yelled back, calling her a senile old woman whose own family didn't care about her, and that she should be damn grateful I cared enough to look after her. I'd stormed out after that. I'd regretted the words immediately, but I hadn't been man enough to go back and apologize. This was something I'd never forgive myself for.

Afghanistan happened, and I disappeared for three months. I came back, had the press conference, talked with Obi, and had then gone straight to her nursing home. Walking into her room, I'd been prepared to apologize for my words and to beg for her forgiveness, but things hadn't turned out the way I wanted. I could see the second I walked in there that she didn't recognize me. Panicking internally, I forced myself to stay, hoping her memory would come back to her after talking with me some. It never did. Not that time, nor the time after, nor the time after that. Every time I went, my heart broke at the lack of recognition in her eyes. I guessed I'd hurt her so badly that when I'd disappeared, she'd found it easy to just forget about me.

Looking through this photo album, I could tell she loved me, and that worked to soothe some of the lingering hurt I had. I just wished I could've had one more conversation with her. I just wished she could have seen who I'd become. As I got to the back page, I found an envelope with my name on it in my aunt's print. I slowly opened it and pulled out a letter written by hand to me. The date showed it was a month after I'd been kidnapped in Afghanistan. Not sure I could stand any more emotions, but too curious to walk away, I nervously began to read the letter.

 _My dearest Tony,_

 _As I write this letter, you have currently been missing for one month. I've been told the likelihood of your return is unlikely, and that I should resign myself to that fact. There is slim hope of you ever returning, but that slim hope is enough for me. I've never given up hope that Steve Rogers would be found, and so I will never give up hope that you will be found as well. You are strong, brave, and smart. You are my little hero, and I know you will find your way home someday. Admittedly, I hope it is sometime soon as my memory has been fading faster than normal. I find myself forgetting already what you look like. I find myself forgetting the little boy who always eagerly ran to me, wanting to show me his newest invention. I find myself forgetting the innocent eyes you'd throw at me whenever you were in trouble, always ruined by the mischievous smirk you'd be unable to keep off your face._

 _This is why I'm writing this letter, because when you come home, I want you to know how much I love you. I regret that our last conversation ended so badly. I regret the things I said, or, I regret the way in which I said them. You are so much more than how you are right now. I know the real you, the man behind the mask you've learned to permanently hold up. You've been wearing it for so long, I believe you don't even remember who you really are. That is what I'm here for. I'm here to remind you of the caring, compassionate man who wanted so badly growing up to help people. You do great things, yes, but you can do more, so much more._

 _I want to apologize for not having been there for you after your parents died. I realize now, in my old age, that I left you when you needed me most. I left a child to deal with the harsh world of adulthood on his own. I have never been a fan of Obadiah Stane, but I always thought his love for you would overcome his constant search for power. I see now that I was wrong. I see now that instead of raising and nurturing you to be who you were meant to be, he raised you to be a better, smarter Howard. You've succeeded, and you've created marvelous weapons to protect people, but as I've repeatedly stated, you were meant to be more than this. You are capable of more._

 _There is another reason besides wanting you to know that I love you for writing this letter. I can feel my memory slipping more rapidly every day, so I wanted you to know this. I wanted you to know where you came from, and who you really are. I always felt you deserved the truth, but I have been afraid of how you would take it. I knew your relationship with Howard wasn't a good one. I loved Howard like a brother, but even I admit that he wasn't the best father. I saw how he hurt you, and I will forever regret not getting involved more in your life. It is a dismal excuse, but I had my time taken up by being the head of SHIELD, and with my own family. I digress, though, I've gotten off track._

 _Your parents loved you, even Howard, despite his inability to show it. Jarvis loved you. I love you. All of us, however, kept a secret from you. I never agreed with what Howard did, but seeing how happy Maria was, I never interfered. I suspect, she knew or came to realize the truth of what happened, but she never said anything, and neither did I. Before I reveal this secret, know that there are documents to back up what I say with your father. I don't know where he's hidden them, but he does have them._

 _Well, here it is: You were not born Anthony Edward Stark. The first Anthony died shortly after being born from respiratory issues. I was there. I saw it happen, and I saw how broken-hearted your parents became. At the same time, a former SHIELD agent, Amanda Armstrong, gave birth to a baby boy. She was a singer who we hired to gather intel and make deliveries for us. She fell in love with another SHIELD agent, Jude. Shortly before your death, however, Jude revealed to Amanda that he'd been working for Hydra, giving intel to them on SHIELD. Amanda killed him, and became so distraught that she quit SHIELD, asking us for only one favor, which was to find you a good home. Howard knew of this, and as you were born the same day as his son, he decided to take you in and make you Anthony Edward Stark. He told Maria that a miracle occurred, and that using SHIELD technology, you'd been revived. As I said, I will never know if she truly believed Howard or not, but she fully accepted you as her son, and loved you as such. I would hope you know that to be true, even if you continue to doubt Howard's feelings for you._

 _I'm sorry doesn't sound like enough of an apology. There is nothing I can say or do to change what happened, and I know it's not I who you want an explanation from. I only hope you can at least come to understand that you were never a replacement to me. You have always been my Tony, my little hero, and that's who you'll always be. I love you with all my heart, and I truly hope you believe me._

 _Come home soon, Tony, for I would love to be able to tell you this all in person rather than with an impersonal letter. If you are reading this, however, I hope you can find it in you to forgive an old woman for any hurt I have and may cause you. As I said, I can feel my memories of you slipping, and in a way, I am selfishly allowing it, because the pain of not seeing you every week is too much to bear. I've learned to deal with Steve not being here, but you, who I've watched grow from a newborn into a man, I will never be able to deal with you not being here. I will never be able to bear not holding you, scolding you for not taking care of yourself, and telling you how much you mean to me. Take care of yourself, Tony, for me please. Be who you want to be, and find real happiness in whatever way you can. Stop hiding. Stop trying to forget. Be yourself, and show the world how great a man you can be. Change the world for the better, as I've always believed you could. Be the hero I have always seen you as._

 _With sincerest love,_

 _Aunt Peggy_

Tears trailed down my face as I reached the end, and I put a fist to my mouth to choke back the sob that threatened to escape me. I sank to the floor and cried silent tears, my shoulders shaking as I pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. I cried like I hadn't cried in ages, the pain in my heart too much for me to bury

How could I have been so wrong about my aunt? How could I have thought so negatively of her? I'd known she loved me, so how could I have assumed that she would have forced herself to forget me because of one stupid conversation? I longed more than ever for her to be here. I longed to feel her arms around me, comforting and assuring as they'd always been. Mom—Maria, or whoever she was had been the best mother she could be. She'd taught me right from wrong. She'd taught me how to be a man. She'd comforted me when I cried, but she hadn't been Aunt Peggy. She hadn't defended me from Howard. She hadn't reassured me that I wasn't the disrespectful, defiant, ungrateful, spoiled brat that Howard always insisted I was, like my aunt did. Maria had done her best, and I loved her for it. I couldn't ever hate her for who I was, and I could never hate Aunt Peggy. I could all too easily hate Howard, though. I knew I shouldn't, but I couldn't help myself. I had so much resentment and anger built up towards the man. I loved him, yes, and I knew he did the best he could, but how could he keep so much from me? He had so many secrets that I felt I really didn't even know who he was.

I buried my head into my knees, feeling suddenly lost. The ground had been pulled out from under my feet, and I couldn't manage to fly anymore. I felt so idiotic. What did this change? I was still me, right? I was adopted, so what? Lots of people were adopted and that didn't change them. Hell, Peter was adopted, and he was still the same kid. He didn't have a mental breakdown or identity crisis.

This was different, though, but I still felt I was overreacting. I was being childish. But damn, I felt like a kid again. I felt as lost as I had after my parents had died. What did I do now?

Taking deep, shuddering breaths, I forced myself to get under control. Crying wouldn't solve anything. I had to take action. I had to do something. Thinking rapidly, I knew what I had to…I knew what I _wanted_ to do. I wanted to know who Amanda Armstrong was. I wanted to know the woman who'd been so broken-hearted over her husband's betrayal that she'd given me up. I also wanted to know if she was still alive. A part of me hoped she was while another part of me hoped she wasn't.

I stood up on shaky legs, grabbed hold of the album Aunt Peggy had made for me, and then got back in my suit. I immediately took off for HQ again, intent on searching through SHIELD's archives, where all the documents that hadn't been digitized were stored.

The sun was already up by the time I landed at headquarters. I had Friday direct me to the archives, and when I arrived there were a couple of SHIELD security guards who didn't want to let me in. I argued, bribed, and then threatened them, but they refused to budge, which infuriated me. I was literally contemplating knocking them unconscious, consequences be damned, when Maria Hill marched up towards me with a stern frown on her face. I swear, that expression was permanent. Didn't matter what she was feeling, that stern frown was always present.

"Why are you giving my men a hard time, Stark?" she asked wearily. "I've really got better things to do then deal with your shenanigans."

Gracing the deputy director with a cold look, I slowly said, "I need to look through the archives for documents that haven't been digitized."

Maria raised an eyebrow at me, and while her expression didn't really change, I could tell by the look in her eyes that she was both surprised and confused by my actions. "Let him in," she informed her men before turning towards me. "I trust I don't need to remind you that those documents are secret and shouldn't be removed or shared anywhere?" she asked dryly, and I just rolled my eyes before going on in.

Dim lights turned on, and I huffed. For being part of SHIELD, these archives certainly looked as dark and dinghy as an archive of an old library. This is what government funding would get you. Good thing I'd paid and designed the important parts of the base like the living quarters. I roved my eyes over all the boxes and filing cabinets, and looked for some sort of rhyme or reason to the organization. Maybe there was an index book or something. Aha! I found several folders on a desk that worked wonders in helping me locate what I wanted.

I was looking for SHIELD agents from before 1975, but probably no earlier than 1970, and I was looking for both Amanda Armstrong and Jude…Jude, who apparently had no last name. Why didn't he have a last name? Well, the folders had no names, but they did have boxes with agent files, and they were thankfully sorted by date. I went over to the area that had the right dates, and groaned aloud at seeing how many there were. Taking in a breath, I began to pull down boxes and go through them. It was painstaking work, and despite not having slept or eaten in too many hours, I felt energized. Luck was on my side, because it took only an hour for me to find what I was looking for.

Amanda Armstrong AKA Amanda Strong. Wait, the _singer_ , Amanda Strong? Leaning back against the boxes behind me, I let out a loud laugh. Aunt Peggy had introduced me to her music when I'd been a child, and I'd fallen in love with it. She no doubt did it on purpose, that sneaky woman.

Reading through her file, I learned that she was used largely for deliveries and trades, exchanging items or information with other agents. This is how she'd met my biological father. Apparently, he'd saved her life more than a time or two. He was clearly trained for missions, like Nat and Clint, although I doubted he was at their level. She was useful because of her status as a singer. People wouldn't suspect her as an agent, but, she hadn't been trained to fight. Reaching the last pages, I rolled my eyes at how SHIELD had noted Amanda being pregnant with me. They'd even taken a guess as to the date of conception…TMI much? Then, came the event that'd led to my parents' early retirement.

According to Amanda's story, a couple weeks before my birth, Jude had confessed to her how he'd been working as a double agent with Hydra. It was about the money, and he wanted for them to just go away together. Romantic, I guess? Amanda…Mom? Well, she…wow…she stabbed him in the neck, like out of the blue.

I set the file down, feeling numb. The shock was gone. The anger was gone. The betrayal, hurt, and confusion were gone. Now, I felt nothing.

"Sir?" Friday called from my watch, and I made a grunt of acknowledgment. "Amanda Armstrong is alive, and she is currently living in London, England."

I sucked in a startled breath, heart racing as all my emotions rushed back to me. Fuck, fuck, _fuck_! She's still alive? Holy shit! Man oh man, what the hell? What do I do? Do I go there? Do I talk to her? Do I just meet her? Should I tell her? What will she think? Would she even want to know? What if she doesn't want to know? What if she does want to know, but once she finds out it's me, she's disappointed? What if she hates me?

My breathing increased, and I could feel my chest tightening. Oh, no. Oh no, oh no, oh no, I thought in fear. I was having an anxiety attack! I reached a hand up towards my chest, closed my eyes, and concentrated on my breathing. In and out, in and out, in and out. I focused all my thoughts on breathing. Just breathe, Stark, just breathe. I put my head between my legs, and was embarrassed to feel tears falling onto the papers below me.

Pathetic, pathetic, pathetic! Get a hold of yourself, Stark! This is not something you should be crying over. Man up, you goddamn sissy! I gripped my hair tightly, pulling at it so hard it started to hurt. Stop crying! I took in several deep breaths until I was able to stem my pathetic tears.

Jeez, there was no reason for me to be acting like this. I was a grown man. So what if I was adopted? So what if my birth mother was alive? It's not like anything changed. Why should I bother seeing her? Why should I disrupt her life? Who would want me as a son, anyways? I'd only endanger her. I'd only be a disappointment to her. I mean, she did give me up. She hadn't wanted me. She'd never sought me out. These thoughts only seemed to cause me worse heartache.

"Tell me about her," I abruptly ordered Friday, not allowing myself time to question the decision. I listened as Friday told me Amanda was 61 years old, unmarried with no children or living relatives. She worked at a recording studio, assisting new up and coming artists. She was no longer touring, but she did occasionally sing at concerts around England. She lived a comfortable life in a nice looking condominium. She wasn't struggling financially. In fact, she was rather well off due to her singing career. I noticed she had a separate account that she hadn't touched since around the time I was born. It'd been accruing interest all these years. That had to be the money SHIELD had given her. I pulled up a picture of her, and immediately noticed we had the same eyes. Not just color, but shape as well. Taking in every small detail, I also noticed she had similar cheek bone structure.

I couldn't hold back a smile at that. I'd never really compared my looks to Howard and Maria. I'd never thought about the fact that besides hair color, I didn't look like them. Well, in terms of haircut, I looked like a younger Howard, but I had had fashioned myself after him in a sense. Seeing her picture, though, and seeing how we shared similarities, it just seemed…I couldn't describe it, but I liked the feeling it evoked.

Grabbing hold of Amanda's file, I put it aside to take out, disregarding Maria's warning. I then began the search for my biological father. This was a little more difficult as I only had his first name. Why hadn't my mom even mentioned his last name? He must've been one of those deep undercover guys or something. He had to be here, though, I thought. A double agent for Hydra, there was no way they'd hide that…or, would they? I paused in my search, wondering if SHIELD would have covered something like that up. Hydra wasn't supposed to have been around in the seventies any more. After searching through several more boxes and coming up empty handed, I felt even more certain that his file had been removed. Or, well, it had been put somewhere else more secure. Like Fury whose secrets had secrets, SHIELD worked the same way.

Letting out a sigh, I slowly got to my feet, wincing at the pain in my knees from having been kneeling and sitting for so long. I cleaned up my area, replacing all the boxes from where I'd gotten them, and hid Amanda's file in my coat jacket. I didn't want tweedle-dee and tweedled-dum to see it as I walked out. As it was, they both gave me glares as I exited and I responded with a cocky grin, that only worked to further incense them.

I went up to my living quarters and uploaded all the information I had onto my private servers. I then pulled up multiple screens, staring from one to the other. I had it all memorized. I didn't know why I continued to stare. I needed to sleep, I realized. My eyelids were drooping, and my mind and body felt exhausted. I'd stayed up for days before, but with this news…god, I was such a fucking pansy. Howard would be so proud of me, I thought sarcastically as I headed into my bedroom. Before I went to sleep, I texted Pepper where I was so that she would hopefully worry less. I then texted my kid the same information as I knew he too would be worrying. Collapsing onto my bed, I didn't even bother removing my clothes before I allowed blissful sleep to take me.

I jerked awake suddenly, rolling over, and promptly falling onto the floor.

"Oomph! Goddamit," I grumbled, feeling too tired to get up.

"Fri, how long have I been asleep?" I mumbled sleepily.

"Two hours and twelve minutes," she responded, and I groaned loudly. I just lay there on the floor, my mind flashing to the nightmare I'd had. I dreamed that I met Amanda, and that she'd wanted nothing to do with me. She hated me and was disgusted that _I_ was her son. How pitifully childish was I? Grown man worrying about his mommy not liking him? I was a piece of shit right now.

Sitting up, I had a sudden longing for a drink. Yeah, getting drunk sounded extremely appealing at this moment, so I got myself up and headed into my lab. Going to my liquor cabinet, I grabbed a bottle of whiskey, uncapped the bottle, and brought it to my lips stopping right before I could drink anything. My eyes had been drawn to my kid's broken web shooters. He'd broken them months ago, and instead of fixing them, I'd just made him new ones.

Swallowing nervously, I looked at the bottle in my hand and grimaced. Peter. I'd stopped drinking because of him. I didn't want to be the Tony Stark of old. I didn't want to be that stupid drunk from the tabloids. I wanted Peter to be proud of me.

Letting out a shaky sigh, I mechanically made my way to my sink and poured the contents of the bottle down the sink. Dropping the empty bottle, I then collapsed into the nearest chair I could find and buried my head in my hands.

How sad was I right now? I was going to get drunk because I found out I was adopted? I needed to man the fuck up. I needed to go and find my biological mother and talk to her. If I didn't, I'd regret it. And, if she didn't care about me, so what? I had a family and friends that loved me already. I was a 42-year-old man who didn't need a mother. I just wanted to talk to her at least once. I wanted to know who she was. If she wanted to get to know me, then that'd be great…right?

Shaking my head, I rushed through a shower before downing some coffee. Okay, it was a pot of coffee. Before I could change my mind, I got into my suit and headed off for London, England. As I flew, I shot texts to Pepper and Peter about where I was headed, ignoring their responding texts and phone calls. They knew where I was headed and that I was alright. Other than that, I didn't feel the need to give them more information. I didn't want to hear their opinions right now, or their concern. I was dealing with this on my own.

I'm Tony Stark, and I am not a coward.

 **A/N: So, yeah…PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW! Hopefully, I haven't upset any of you with this craziness. It was just too fascinating a topic for me to pass up.**


	46. Chapter 46

**A/N: I'm posting twice today because people are weirded out.**

 **So, somebody said this isn't canon, but if you read the comics it is. Tony finds out after going through his parents files. In fact the current iron man issues have his mom as head of stark industries since tony is in a coma from civil war 2.**

 **If enough people dislike this plot twist though because it's too strange let me know and I'll take these two chapters down**

 **Chapter 46: Amanda Armstrong**

 **Tony's POV:**

Holy shit, holy shit, _holy shit_! Don't panic, Stark, don't freaking panic. Yeah, breathing is good. Breathing helps. Inhale. Exhale. There you go, you idiot. Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Calm. Calm, cool, and collected. Sunglasses on? Check. Can't let them see I'm freaking out.

I'm not freaking out! I'm totally calm. Very calm, actually.

Oh, man, what the hell am I doing? Why am I doing this?

I sat in a café, drinking my third coffee as I tried to not openly stare at the music studio my biological mother worked at. I was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, sweater on with the hoodie pulled up over a hat. I didn't want to be recognized at all. Thankfully, it was a rainy day, so being covered up wasn't an oddity. Well, maybe the sunglasses, but whatever. Sunglasses were my thing. I even wore them at night. Eyes were the window to the soul, so best to keep them covered…especially now, when my eyes were constantly focused on the music studio like I was some sort of creep.

I watched over the past three and a half hours (yeah, it'd been that long) as people came and went. I'd actually seen Amanda shortly after arriving, and I'd nearly panicked. It took all my nerve to keep from bolting…or running towards her, which god, that would've been awfully embarrassing.

It was around 4PM now, and I really needed to scrap up some of my supposed courage and just go over. Waiting for her to walk out to approach her is only going to be way creepy and probably scare the shit out of her.

Okay, now. Do it now, Stark. Just get up. Stand the hell up, idiot!

I stood up, my body movements a complete contradiction to my scared as hell mind. I walked with an easy, casual gait, my head held up high with confidence as I crossed the street. Upon entering the studio, I headed over to the receptionist…was he a receptionist? Uh, I had no idea who he was, but the expression he was giving me right now let me know I wasn't going anywhere further in the building without his permission.

Should I just knock him unconscious?

No, that'd be unwise. And excessive. Yeah, no fighting, Tony.

How about you use your words? Good idea, I'm good at talking.

"Hi," I greeted, charming grin plastered on my face, "I'm here to see Amanda Strong. Could you point me in the right direction?"

The man raised an eyebrow, and I inwardly sighed. Yeah, I figured it wouldn't be that easy.

"Do you have an appointment with her?" he asked.

"No," I replied.

"Is she expecting you?" he then asked.

"No," I replied again.

"Does she know who you are?" he asked, his voice sounding disbelieving, like he couldn't believe I really thought I could just show up and be let inside.

"No," I replied, "although…". I trailed off, realizing I didn't quite know what to say. What an odd feeling for me. First time for everything, I supposed. Why did it have to be now, though? Where the hell was my famous Tony Stark wit?

"Well, I'm afraid, I can't let you in," the guard (yeah, totally a security guard) responded.

"Look, I would really like to speak with her. It's important," I said lamely, and the man just raised another unimpressed eyebrow.

Shaking his head, he then said, "The answer is still no. Unless you work here, or have an appointment, you're not going in. Don't care how big a fan you are of Ms. Strong. Now, turn yourself around and walk out that door, or I'll _kindly_ guide you out myself.

Hmm. Judging by how he stressed the word kindly, I had a feeling he wasn't being sincere.

Well, crap. Should I knock him unconscious now?

No, no, no. Still a stupid decision. What would my mother think? Yeah, hi, I'm your son, and sorry, but I had to knock your security guard unconscious because he wouldn't let me in. Surprise? Yup, no violence.

Okay, that left the last option, which was revealing who I was. Thankfully, the guy didn't seem the type to post this on social media or call the press the second I wasn't looking. Here goes nothing.

"Alright, man," I stated, pulling off my sunglasses and hat. "My name is Tony Stark, and this is the last time I'm going to ask nicely. Please point me in the direction of Amanda Strong."

The man's eyes widened in shock, and he stood there silently for several awkward moments as he just stared. Far too used to this reaction, I patiently waited for him to get over the surprise. Thankfully, it took him less than a minute before he managed to somewhat compose himself.

"Mr. S-Stark," he stuttered, his face paling somewhat as he no doubt realized who he'd been threatening, "I'm sorry, but I have strict orders not to let anyone in that's not allowed. I, uh, I don't know what you want with Ms. Strong, but I could lose my job for"—

I cut the man off with a sharp wave of my hand. "I'm gonna stop you right there. I guarantee you, you will not lose your job for this," I assured him. "You have my word. You will let me in, though, because what I need to discuss with her is extremely important. You understand?" I asked as I stared him down.

The man swallowed nervously, looking decidedly torn. Eventually, he seemed to realize that no matter what he did, he wouldn't be able to stop me. Letting out a sigh of defeat, he gave me directions to where she was. I shot the man a charming grin, giving him my thanks before moving in the direction he pointed. I threw my sunglasses back on, but kept off the hat and hood. I just wanted to hide my eyes as I wasn't sure I could keep the panic from showing.

My heart was pounding now, my palms sweaty as I reached the room she was in. It was a recording room, and according to the red light, it seemed there was a recording in session. I bit my lip anxiously. Should I wait? I knew I didn't like being disturbed while working, and I figured she'd probably be the same. Should I just wait here, then?

Two men turned the corner and began walking down the hall in my direction. Upon noticing me, they threw me curious looks, and I quickly put my hat back on. Yeah, like that wasn't suspicious at all. The men continued to stare at me as they walked by, but they didn't stop to talk or ask questions, thankfully. A few more people walked by, all throwing me suspicious and curious looks. Eventually a young lady exited the room, and looked startled to see someone waiting.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, looking at me in surprise. "Um, are you here to see Ms. Strong?" she asked.

"Yes, I am," I replied, my voice coming out rather quiet and hesitant. Very un-Tony-like.

Embarrassingly, she seemed to pick up on my nervousness, for she threw me a reassuring smile. "It's okay, you don't need to be nervous. She's a really nice woman."

I just nodded, plastering a smile on my face, all the while cursing myself for my sudden inability to talk.

"So, are you here to do a recording?" the girl asked curiously. "I don't have you on the schedule, but…" she trailed off, purposefully allowing me time to speak up.

"I'm just here to talk with her. Your security guard said it was no problem," I managed to say, and she looked confused. She had a few moments of indecisiveness before she smiled at me once more. "Well, head on in, she's just finishing up with this session."

I gave the girl a nod of thanks, and then walked inside. I felt relieved that she didn't walk back in, but instead left. Good. This wasn't a conversation that needed an audience. Closing and locking the door as silently as I could, I stared at my mother. She had headphones on, and she was bobbing her head to the song a girl on the other side was singing. Amanda's eyes were closed, a small smile on her face as she listened. She was completely entranced with what she was doing, so I remained in the back, just silently observing. This was her element, and as she messed with switches and knobs on the board before her, I couldn't help but smile at how much she was clearly enjoying herself. I had no doubt this is what I looked like when I was in my lab.

The song ended, and Amanda began talking to the girl, complimenting her while also offering her advice on how to improve certain parts. The girl was ecstatic and gushed about how honored she was to be working with _the_ Amanda Strong. I smirked at that. They scheduled to meet again, and then the girl was gone.

Oh shit. Its go time.

Amanda took off her headphones and turned, letting out a loud gasp when she noticed me. Her hand went up to her heart, and I realized how creepy I must look to her right now, standing in a dark corner with a hat and sunglasses on.

"Excuse me, how long have you been—um, who are you?" she asked, her eyes looking wary.

"I've only been here a few minutes," I answered as I yanked off the hat and sunglasses.

Her eyes widened momentarily before she looked confused and concerned. "You're Tony Stark," she exclaimed, standing up. "What in god's name are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see you," I said, giving her a reassuring smile to help set her at ease. I gestured for her to sit back down, and she thankfully did so. Her expression looked curious, but also immensely wary. I had to remind myself that she used to be a SHIELD agent, and had seen the seedier side of the world. She had reason to not be openly trusting, despite who I was.

"I'm sorry for startling you," I spoke apologetically, "I know I've just shown up out of the blue, and it's just…Did you give up a baby back in 1975?" I asked abruptly, instantly cursing myself for having no tact and not having planned how this was going to go, especially considering how her eyes widened and she was starting to look freaked out.

"How did you know that?" was her first question, quickly followed by, "Is he okay? Does this have something to do with SHIELD or-or the Avengers?" she questioned worriedly.

"No, it's not—I mean, yeah, he's okay," I replied quickly. "I'm not here on behalf of SHIELD or the Avengers either."

"Mr. Stark," she addressed, and I couldn't help but grimace at the formality, "I don't understand. Why are you here, and what does this have to do with my son? I don't even know who he is."

My heart began to beat rapidly again, and I reached a hand up to rub at the back of my neck. "Ms. Armstrong, I know this is gonna sound strange, but believe me, I'm not lying," I stated, and she only looked more confused. Crap. Just say it, Stark. You've already shown you have no tact. "I think I'm your son," I finally stated, and I held my breath as I avidly watched her expressions. There was complete shock (expected) followed by disbelief (bad news) followed by confusion (I can work with that).

Pulling out my phone, I told Friday to pull up the screen with the original Tony's birth and death certificate. "I found this yesterday (or was it the night before?)," I told her softly. "It's the real Tony Stark's birth and death certificate. He died shortly after birth. And this," I stated as I pulled up my birth certificate, "is your son's birth certificate... _my_ birth certificate. I found this document in Howard Stark's things. I've checked out all the information like places, names and dates, and it's all real. I couldn't find any more information about this or you in SHIELD's databases, at least not their digital files. I then headed to my aunt's—to Peggy Carter's storage unit that I'm in charge of. I wanted to see if she knew anything, and in a photo album with my name on it, I found a letter she wrote for me about nine years ago." I pulled up the letter, more than willing to let her read it.

She pulled out a pair of glasses and I enlarged the screen before falling silent. I anxiously waited for her reaction, my hands twitching in the need to do something. Man oh man oh man, what if she didn't believe me? What if she became upset or angry with me?

Her eyes eventually returned to mine, and I saw there were tears in them. Crap. Tears on a woman could be good or bad. Either way, I sucked at dealing with crying women. Please don't freak out. Please don't freak out.

"After I found that letter I headed back to the Avengers HQ, and I got into their SHIELD archives," I spoke, not knowing if silence from her was good or bad. "I found your file, and it described what you did for SHIELD, who my biological father was, and…and what happened," I finished lamely.

Her eyes, the ones that looked so much like mine, looked me over up and down, yet she still said nothing. Leaning forward, she then reached out a hand towards my face. I gripped my jeans tightly to resist from reaching up and grabbing her wrist defensively. I did tense, though, so she paused and gave me a questioning look as if asking permission. I gave a nervous nod.

Instead of reaching out again, she turned to her side and flipped a switch that turned on the lights to the room. Turning back to me, she scooted her chair closer to mine and once more reached out a hand towards my face. I could feel her trembling as she gently grasped hold of my chin. She looked at me closely, turning my head from side to side. I watched her just as closely as she watched me, and so I saw the exact moment she believed me.

"Oh my god," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, and while I knew she believed me now, I wasn't sure if she was happy with the news or not. I wasn't sure if I'd made a mistake by coming here.

"I'm sorry," I felt the need to say, "I didn't mean to just spring this on you. I mean, I know why you gave me up. Yeah, I totally get it, cuz damn, Hydra? And, you were totally badass, by the way when you…," I trailed off as I realized I was complimenting her on killing a man she loved. Stupid, Tony! "Wow, I'm bad at this. Totally get why others say I need a filter. Jeez, what the hell am I doing?" I asked aloud, even though I was only talking to myself at this point. Standing up and throwing my hat and sunglasses onto her cluttered table, I ran both hands through my hair and then over my face.

"My son is Tony Stark," Amanda finally spoke, and my heart lifted at not the awe, but the genuine joy in her tone. Eyeing her nervously, I watched as she stood herself up and came to walk over to me. "My son is Iron Man," she then said, and I quirked a smile as I responded, "Sometimes". She closed the distance between us, and the tears that had been in her eyes were now falling as she took my hands in hers.

"I can't believe it. I can't believe my son is here standing right in front of me," she expressed in happy disbelief. "Look at you, you're all grown up and so handsome. I-I-I am so sorry," she then told me regretfully. "I am so, so sorry for what I did. I just—when your father—when Jude…I _loved_ him," she declared, looking me in the eyes with a pained expression. "I loved him so much, and it was mere weeks before you were to be born that he told me what he'd done. I reacted on instinct when I killed-when I killed him," she recounted softly, and I could see how much these memories still haunted her. Had she ever told anyone? Had she been dealing with this trauma by herself her entire life? Is this why she'd never married or had children? I knew the answer as I looked into her eyes, and I felt for her. This one traumatic moment had changed her life. She'd lost her husband…and her son…her _family_ , in one single moment.

"After…when it was over, I didn't know what to do," she continued, her face contorting as if she were going to start sobbing. "I was alone. I'd just killed the man I loved, and you were about to be born. I felt so lost and hurt. I quit SHIELD, and I couldn't fathom raising a child. I couldn't fathom raising _his_ child, because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to give you the love you deserved," she admitted, and while her words were hard to take, I appreciated her honesty. "I was afraid I would look at you and just see _him_. I wanted you to have a good life, so I extracted a promise from Peggy Carter that she would find you a good home." She finished her explanation, more tears trailing down her face, and she released one of my hands in order to reach up and very lightly brush her hand on my cheek.

"I'm sorry, but can I hug you?" she asked in a small voice, and I smiled before wrapping my arms around her smaller frame. She was Peter's height, so her head rested comfortably under mine. Her arms were tight, and I felt as her tears began to soak through my sweatshirt, but I didn't care. Tightening my own arms, all I could feel was relief that she was happy to meet me, and joy that I had a mother again. I didn't know how long we remained like this, but when we heard the doorknob jingling and someone loudly knocking, we both jumped.

"Sorry, I locked your door," I quickly explained upon seeing Amanda's confused expression. She let out a short laugh, wiped at her face before rushing to open the door. It was the security guard, and upon seeing the state of Amanda, he stepped in and gave me a glare.

"What did you do?" he practically snarled before turning to my mother. "I'm so sorry, Ms. Strong, I told him he couldn't enter, but he wouldn't listen. I'll get him out of here right now," he assured her before attempting to give me a menacing look.

I responded with an amused raised eyebrow and a smirk as I drawled, "Oh, I would love to see you try, rent-a-cop. Make sure to remember in five seconds, though, that you started this," I warned lightly.

"Tony!" Amanda exclaimed, throwing me an incredulous look before turning back towards the security guard. "Ray," she spoke reassuringly, "I'm fine. Mr. Stark here has caused me no problems. He's told me some shocking news is all, and we," she paused to give me a hesitant glance, "we're just leaving. Business matters," she told the Ray, and I gave a nod.

"Yeah, Ray, she's fine and we're headed out to have a grand 'ol time while you stay here and play cop," I remarked, throwing the man a cocky grin as I threw my sunglasses back on and hat back on. Amanda shot me a look that clearly said, 'you're not helping!'

"Why are you in disguise?" Ray asked suspiciously. "I thought you loved attention."

I shot the man a cool look as I replied, "I'd rather nobody know I was here. Is that going to be a problem?" I pressed, taking a threatening step towards the man.

"No, not at all," Amanda answered, placing a hand on my chest. "No one will tell anyone that you're here, isn't that right Ray?"

"Yes, of course," he responded immediately, looking suddenly nervous.

"So kind of you," I remarked sarcastically before making my way out of the room.

Brilliant job there, genius, I mentally chastised myself. Way to make a good first impression. Threatening her security guard? Yeah, you're an idiot. Ray exited the room first and he walked briskly back to his post while Amanda walked out at a more sedate pace. She put on a sweater and then a rain coat, holding an umbrella in one hand and her purse in the other.

"Would you like me to carry anything?" I asked awkwardly, and she graced me with a smirk as she asked back, "If I gave you my purse, would you actually carry it?"

I laughed lightly before holding out a hand. Chuckling softly, she placed the umbrella in my hand before leading me out of her building. Stepping outside, I opened the umbrella, and held it over her before pulling my hood up.

"For a genius, I would've thought you'd think to put on a rain jacket at least as you knew it was raining," she remarked, and I just shrugged, uncaring that I was getting soaking wet.

"I didn't really plan this trip with a lot of thought," I informed her sheepishly. "As soon as I found the first Tony's birth certificate, I've been researching, and once I found out you were still alive and living in London, I just decided to come. I got into my suit and flew straight here, so what I'm wearing is all the clothes I have right now. Well," I amended, "I just bought the sweater, hat, and sunglasses when I landed."

Amanda frowned, looking me over in concern. "I take it you have nowhere to stay right now," she assumed, and I nodded. "Well, then let me take you to my place," she stated, and I'll admit to being surprised that she'd invite me there even though she barely knew me.

"Ms. Strong," I protested, "you don't need to bring me into your house. I realize you barely know me. We can stop somewhere, or I can get a hotel…," I trailed off with a grimace as I realized I didn't really have any money on me. "I'll have to have Pepper wire me some money first as I don't exactly have my wallet on me," I mumbled to myself. I'd completely forgotten that I'd emptied my pockets when I'd attempted to sleep, only grabbing my phone when I'd woken up. I'd happened to have a 100-dollar bill just stuck in my jeans pocket for some reason, which is how I'd gotten the sweatshirt and coffee. Yeah, this was embarrassing. Billionaire with no money on him. That's gonna be a nice call to Pepper. Really gonna make her feel like I'm totally okay.

"First off, it's Amanda, and secondly, did you seriously come here with no wallet and no plan?" she asked in disbelief, and I graced her with a charming grin as I nodded my head and said, "Yup." Shaking her head, she murmured a curse before picking up the pace. "You're as reckless as Jude was," she commented, stiffening when she realized what she'd said. I said nothing, and she looked away awkwardly before saying, "We're going to my house and you can stay in the guest room…if that's alright with you?" she added, looking nervous.

"Yes, but I don't want to impose," I answered, wanting to make sure I gave her a way out. I didn't want her to feel she needed to invite me over or let me stay the night. "I can get money sent to me, and honestly, I could just fly home."

"How long does it take you to fly from here to New York in that contraption of yours?" she questioned curiously.

"About two hours," I replied, and her eyes widened in surprise before she shook her head in the negative.

"You're staying with me," she declared with confidence. "If you have the time, I'd like to get to know my son," she said, and under the confidence I could hear longing along with anxiety. She was afraid I'd say no.

"Amanda, I came to you, remember?" I said with an easy grin before adding hesitantly, "And, I'd love to get to know you too." Smiling widely, she grabbed onto my arm, gave it a squeeze, and then led me to her condominium. We arrived there in about fifteen minutes, and by that time, I was struggling to keep from shivering. My teeth chattered, and the second we walked in, I let out a sigh of relief to find the house was already warm.

Giving me a look of concern, she ushered me on in, and guided me into a restroom. "I don't have any men's clothes, but how about you take a warm shower, and I'll give you a large blanket to cover yourself with while your clothes are in the dryer," she suggested, looking apologetic. "I know it's not the best option, but I could lend you one of my bathrobes if you'd like." I threw her a horrified look that caused her to laugh loudly. "Okay, Tony, your third option will be to just stay in those wet clothes, which I am strongly against."

Freezing, I voted for option number one. Nodding, she said, "Throw me your clothes then, and I'll get them into my dryer right away." Shutting the door, I quickly undressed, popping the door open for two seconds to toss out my soaking wet clothes before jumping into the shower. The hot water on my skin felt like heaven, and I let out a contented sigh. I let the water wash over me, and once I'd stopped shivering, I turned it off and dried myself off. Wrapping the towel around my waist, I poked my head out of the bathroom. Right outside the door was a large blanket, and I quickly wrapped it around myself, sighing when I felt it's warmth. A heated blanket, nice!

"Amanda?" I called out, not feeling comfortable enough to just traipse through the woman's house.

"Kitchen," she responded, and not knowing where that was, I just headed in the direction of her voice. Smelling chocolate, I grinned when I saw she'd made hot chocolate. There were two cups, and I immediately went and grabbed one. "Well, I guess that answers the question of whether or not you like hot chocolate," she mused aloud.

"Thank you," I said gratefully, and she just nodded. As I drank the hot chocolate faster than I should, she watched me intently.

"When's the last time you slept or ate?" she asked curiously, and I answered, "I slept last night."

"You've slept two and a half hours within the last 48 hours, sir," Friday informed us not so helpfully, "and the last time you ate was 40 hours ago." Amanda gave a shout of surprise, looking around her before back at me.

"Sorry, that was Friday, my AI," I told her, holding up my watch. "She's programmed into all my electronics…although, I might be changing that," I growled, glaring at the watch.

"Good luck with that, Mr. Stark," she responded dryly, and I just rolled my eyes.

Amanda stared at my watch in complete awe before shaking her head. "Wait a minute, did she say you've only slept 2 hours in the last two days, and the last time you ate was over a day and a half ago?"

"Uh, yeah," I stated. "In all honesty, I've gone longer without sleeping or eating. You see, when I get working, I kind of lose track of time, and things like eating and sleeping don't really matter anymore. Since I found out about the adoption, my minds only been focused on finding out everything I could."

"That's no reason not to take care of yourself," she rebuked lightly as she opened up her fridge and began to take out ingredients for a sandwich. "I know I'm old, but I wasn't going to go anywhere if you allowed yourself time to eat and sleep." Throwing me a look of worry, she began making me an overly large sandwich, stuffing it full of all sorts of lunch meats. "I mean, I do understand," she continued, looking at me with an embarrassed smile, "as I've done the same thing, but it's not healthy…And, you were operating that suit while like this? Isn't that dangerous?"

"I was fine," I responded promptly, "but if I were to have fallen asleep, Friday would have taken control of the suit." She looked relieved to hear that as she shoved the sandwich at me.

"Eat," she ordered, and I smothered a smile as I picked the sandwich up and took a bite. She then set down a large glass of water, telling me to drink it all as I was no doubt dehydrated, and I couldn't keep the smile off my face this time as I once again did as she said. She reminded me of Pepper when she went all mother hen on me or Peter. I inhaled the sandwich, not realizing how hungry I was until I started eating. She offered to make me another, but I shook my head. I swear that sandwich had enough meat for three sandwiches.

As I finished drinking the water, I noticed Amanda still looking at me, and it was a gaze I knew very well as I'd sported it on several occasions. She was analyzing me.

"What do you see?" I asked curiously, and her expression showed both joy and sadness.

"You look like him," she stated, and I frowned lightly, not feeling like I wanted to look like a traitor. Would that affect her relationship with me? She had admitted that she'd been afraid of this. "It's not a bad thing," she rushed to say, having correctly interpreted my expression, "and it doesn't hurt or bother me like I thought it would when I..." She looked pained and guilty at this admission.

"What else do you see?" I asked, not wanting her to feel that way. I felt no animosity towards her for what she'd done. I understood.

She realized what I was doing, for she sighed, but she answered nonetheless. "I see some of his and some of my personality. The showmanship, the sharp tongue, and the recklessness," she spoke with a smirk before saying, "the desire to make people happy, and to help them. You wear a mask like I do to hide from the world." I was surprised by how much she saw, and wondered if my ability to read people so well was inherited rather than learned. Maybe both?

"I see my eyes and cheekbones," she continued with a grin, "and his nose and hair. Even though you weren't raised by either one of us, you have some of our mannerisms, and even your laugh reminds me of him. Jude was a good man," she stated, her eyes willing me to understand. "He helped people. He saved me, but I think after so many years with SHIELD, he just became jaded. He felt used. He saw the dark side of protecting people, and the lines started to blur. I'll never know what pushed him to turn spy, but I want you to know he wasn't always like that. I don't know how much you know about SHIELD," she said, and I held up a hand, letting her know she didn't need to continue.

"I was introduced to SHIELD the day I announced I was Iron Man," I said. "I trusted them to a certain extent, but I never really worked for them. Nick Fury, he was the director," I added, in case she hadn't known, "we didn't always see eye to eye, but he was—is a good man, who strives to protect people. I know about the darker sides of trying to protect people," I then said bitterly. "I've been a part of it. Ultron," I confessed, "was my fault. I wanted to protect the earth, and instead, I nearly destroyed it." I averted my gaze from her, choosing instead to stare at the cup in my hand. "That's been my legacy so far, y'know," I remarked sorely. "Trying to help people, but instead, just ending up hurting— _killing_ them." I sported a self-deprecating smile as I looked back at my biological mother. Her eyes showed sorrow and concern.

"I won't pretend to understand the life you've led, especially concerning Iron Man, but from what I've heard, and from what little I've seen today…you are a good man, Tony," she asserted firmly. "I don't need to know you personally to know you've done so much good for this world. Your inventions, and your actions as Iron Man have saved lives. Bloody hell, you've saved the world, sweetheart," she stated passionately, before suddenly blushing. "I'm sorry," she said, and I threw her a bewildered look before she said, "I'm sorry for calling you, sweetheart. We only just met, and while I am your biological mother,"—

Rolling my eyes good naturedly, I said, "It's fine, I wasn't bothered." She seemed relieved, yet still embarrassed. "Thank you for what you said, though," I had to say, giving her a grateful look. "I've had people say the same thing, but it's hard sometimes looking past the hurt I've caused. I feel like I've got to make up for all the lives I've destroyed, and in all honesty, I don't see that ever happening. I know it's ridiculous," I added, seeing her ready to argue, "but it's how I feel. I wasted so many years of my life being a blind, cocky, selfish bastard, building weapons that killed just as many Americans as it did the _bad guys_ ," I remarked sardonically. "God, I was so blind."

"You judge yourself much too harshly," Amanda told me with sorrowful eyes.

"Maybe," I hedged, and she just smiled sadly.

"As I get to know you more, I'll prove you wrong," she declared confidently, and I snorted before smiling softly. As I get to know you more, she said, meaning she'd want to see me again. I couldn't help how warm and downright giddy I felt at that thought. She knew who I was, and she still wanted to get to know me.

Damn, why was I so ecstatic about this? Why did this make me so happy? This was crazy! You'd think I was a kid with how goddamn happy I was.

A buzzer sounded, and Amanda immediately disappeared after telling me my clothes were dry. She came back after two minutes, and handed me my clothes. I gratefully took them and rushed off to the restroom to change. I wasn't one to normally be embarrassed by my body, but being that she was my mother and all, I was rather embarrassed to be wandering around her place butt naked with nothing but a blanket covering me. Once dressed, I let out a sigh of relief before walking out.

Feeling a little more confident, I wandered around a little, looking at the music awards she had on her wall. There were pictures of her playing in different venues, and posing with different famous people. Looking more closely, I realized she was right earlier when she said she too had a mask. I could see it in many of these photographs. Fake smiles. Was there anyone she was real with, I mused mournfully. As I walked around into the living room, I saw different instruments lying around, a record player, speakers, and sheet music. The way things were haphazardly organized reminded me of my lab. There was no doubt a rhyme and reason to the organization that only she understood.

Glancing around, there was one thing I didn't notice. No Christmas decorations.

"I see you've found my mess," Amanda remarked, blushing lightly as she walked in.

"You should see my lab," I quipped with an understanding grin.

"Do you play anything?" she asked, and I gave a single, slow nod.

"Piano," I said. "Mom—Maria taught me. She felt I needed some culture in my life. After she died, my godfather took up the teaching."

"Would you mind playing me something?" she asked hesitantly as she gestured over to a corner of her room, where an old piano sat. I bit my bottom lip. I hadn't played the piano since I was kidnapped. Obi used to play for me, and sometimes he'd ask me to play for him. After his betrayal, though, I'd rid my properties of all pianos, and had never played once since.

"I…yeah, sure," I found myself saying as I walked over to her piano. "I'm a bit rusty, though as I haven't played in years, and I'm no musician like you so"—

"For heaven's sake, Tony, just play," she stated as she leaned on top of the piano. "There's no need to be nervous, although I find it interesting that the great Tony Stark is lacking confidence in any aspect of his life," she teased.

I rolled my eyes before letting out a huff and beginning to play the first thing that popped into my mind. I realized with a clench of my heart that I automatically played the last song I'd heard my adoptive mother play before she'd died. Closing my eyes to hide the sudden surge of emotions, I lost myself in the music. It'd always been a relaxing past time, but with the memories of Maria and Obadiah attached to the hobby, I no longer found it therapeutic. I felt Amanda's eyes on me, and I tried to focus on the moment as I played, but with the song I'd chosen, and the vulnerable feelings going through me, my mind kept flashing to the past. I forced myself to keep playing, too stubborn to give in to weakness, when I felt hands on mine.

"Tony, stop," Amanda ordered gently, and I opened my eyes to glare at my hands as if it were their fault I was so emotional. "It's okay," she said, "you don't have to play. I'm sorry," she apologized, sitting herself down next to me.

"It's fine," I responded, giving her a smile, but she just shook her head before saying, "Remember when I said I wear a mask like you? That means I can see past yours."

I chuckled at that, giving a slow nod before admitting, "Playing brings up bad memories." She nodded in response, her eyes sad before she repeated her apology. "I didn't mean to cause you distress. You do play very well, though," she added with an encouraging smile, and I snorted.

"My talents lie in engineering," I told her as I stood up, "not music."

"Maybe," she hedged, "or maybe not. You are my son, though, so there's no doubt some artistic ability in there."

"So then, who did I get my genius from?" I pressed, leaning my arms on top of the piano as I gave her a cocky smile.

"That, Anthony, is all you," she replied as she stood up, and if I wasn't mistaken, I heard pride in her voice. I would've smiled, but I ended up making a face at being called Anthony. Catching and interpreting my look, she laughed before asking, "Do you not like your name?"

"Nobody's called me Anthony in years," I told her. "It was only my parents and godparents who did that, and only when they were angry with me." She looked amused, but said nothing more.

"What's with the lack of Christmas cheer?" I asked abruptly, and she looked around the room as if just realizing she had no decorations.

Shrugging mildly as she walked towards her fireplace, she answered, "Not really in to celebrating the holidays." I watched as she put in some firewood and lit it up. She then sat herself on the floor next to it, picking up pieces of sheet music to pile up. She moved quite agilely for someone her age, I thought to myself, knowing better than to voice that thought aloud.

"I used to hate celebrating Christmas too," I remarked casually, moving over and sitting myself on the floor next to her. She didn't ask me why, and I didn't press for her reason. This was our first time meeting each other, so getting too deep and personal didn't sound like the best idea.

We sat there, getting warmed by the fire, and she began to hum a tune. I recognized it as one of her own songs, and I smiled.

"When I was a kid, my aunt introduced me to your music," I told her, and she looked to me with an inquiring eyebrow. "I'm a fan," I admitted, and she smiled genuinely. "I didn't have any biological aunts or uncles, er, you know what I mean. My aunt and godmother was Peggy Carter," I informed her. "She no doubt played you my music on purpose, that old minx."

Amanda brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them as she looked at me in wonder. "Raised by the great Howard Stark and godson to the tenacious Peggy Carter, both founders of SHIELD. What a life you must have had," she mused aloud.

I smiled slightly, shrugging as I muttered, "Yeah, I suppose I did."

Amanda's smile dimmed at my tone, and she let out a curse. Guilt filled her expression, and she covered her face with one of her hands. "I am so sorry, Tony. I was a selfish coward to have given you up. Whatever pain you had in your life is my fault. I was your mother, and I gave you up without a thought. How can you stand to even look at me?" she questioned, giving me an uncomprehending look. "Your aunt's letter mentioned that Howard Stark wasn't the best father, and"—She looked devastated and ready to start crying, and I instinctually moved over and placed a tentative hand on her shoulder, which caused her to stop talking. I took it as a good sign that she didn't shrug it off.

"I don't blame you for anything," I spoke honestly and fervently. "I can't really explain why, but I just don't. I won't pretend that my life was all rainbows and sunshine, but I'm happy now. I have a fiancé whose stuck by my side through thick and thin. I have a son who means the world to me, and I've got friends who'd do anything for me. Yeah, my life's far from perfect, especially being who I am, but I can say in all honesty, that I'm happy."

Amanda's eyes were full of tears as she looked at me, and she ran a hand lightly through my hair and then down my face. "I wish I'd done things differently. You may not believe me, but I've always regretted my decision to give you up, and I've never stopped thinking about you. Having you here right in front of me is like some kind of ridiculous dream that I don't feel I deserve."

"What we get and what we deserve don't often mesh," I remarked, giving her a small, encouraging smile. "I don't feel I deserve Pepper, Peter, or all my friends. I don't feel I deserved to have survived my kidnapping years ago while other people didn't," I admitted, and her brows furrowed in concern and disagreement. She opened her mouth to ask a question or argue, but I held up a hand to keep her silent. "My point is," I continued, "regardless of what I feel deserving of, the fact is that I have friends and a family that love me. I'm a goddamn superhero," I stated with a disbelieving shake of my head. "We don't often get to decide what life throws at us, but what we can decide is how we deal with it. Now, don't get me wrong," I added quickly with a wry grin, "I can preach this, but following it is hard. I'm an expert at not dealing with life's hurdles. I spent most the 90's and early 2000's doing everything I could from drinking, drugs, to womanizing in order to hide from the world—to hide from my own feelings."

A few tears trailed down her face when she closed her eyes, and upon opening them, she took one of my hands into her own. "You're so perfect," she expressed, looking at me with motherly eyes. "I know this won't mean much to you, but I am so proud of who you are." Her pride meant more than she could know, however, she barely knew me.

"I'm far from perfect," I corrected. "You don't even really know me. What you've seen on TV or the internet isn't exactly who I am, and I mean both the good and the bad."

"I know that," she responded softly, letting go of my hand. "My words are based solely on what I've gleaned from you today."

I gave her a pointed look of disbelief, and she rolled her eyes before saying, "Okay, yes, I have taken into account your super hero actions as well. What mother wouldn't be proud to have a super hero for a son," she asked rhetorically. "Isn't your family proud of you?"

"They are," I replied with a smile of content and she returned it.

"I have to ask, Tony," she addressed with sudden seriousness, "what were you hoping for by finding me?"

"I, uh, I honestly don't know what I was hoping for," I admitted, reaching a hand up to ruffle my hair anxiously. "I have a habit of rushing into things, and when I found out I was adopted, I needed to know everything. When I found out who you were and that you were still alive, I just needed to meet you. I wanted to know _why_. I wanted to know if you…" I trailed off, giving a small shrug as I didn't really know what to say.

"You wanted to know if I cared," she finished, and I gave a nervous laugh as I turned to look at the fire.

"Pretty pathetic, huh?" I said. "I was shocked and horrified to find out that I was a replacement for the real Tony Stark. Dad… _Howard_ never even told my mother, although I think she figured it out. I'm a grown man, yet I freaked out at finding I'm adopted. I don't get why it bothers me so much, and I just feel so damn angry with myself for caring. I mean, my own kid is adopted, and he's got no problems with this, but me?" I just scoffed, shaking my head in angry disgust with myself. "I'm Tony _fucking_ Stark, and this isn't how I'm supposed to act!" I yelled suddenly as I stood to my feet.

"I'm supposed to be calm and confident and all-goddamn-knowing," I ranted heatedly. "I find out I'm not who I thought I was and I just fall apart like some fucking child! I haven't been able to talk to anybody, not my friends or family. I don't know how to handle this. I don't know what to do, Amanda. I don't know what I expect from you, but, I just…they all _lied_ to me!" I hissed furiously. "Why couldn't they have told me the truth? Is this why Howard treated me so badly? Is this why Maria never defended me from his scathing insults. Is this why Peggy left me all alone after my parents were killed? Is this why I was never good enough?" I roared, freezing as I suddenly realized what I'd just said and who I'd just said it in front of. Tears of frustration and shame welled in my eyes, but I forced them away while taking in slow and deep breaths.

Way to go, I told myself scathingly. Way to come off as a sane person!

"Tony," Amanda called out, and when I didn't respond, she placed a hand on my shoulder, firmly turning me around. She looked at me, not in disgust, but in motherly affection that I didn't understand, but that my heart longed for.

Grow up, I told myself harshly.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly. "I shouldn't have said any of that. I was acting like a pathetic kid, and"—

"Don't say anything else," Amanda ordered, her frail arms wrapping around me with more strength that I thought they'd possess. "There's nothing wrong with what you're feeling. There's nothing wrong with being confused, not knowing what to do, or not having the answers, sweetheart. Your feelings and questions are all normal. You're not acting pathetic or childish…and you don't always have to be strong."

I returned her hug, marveling at how easy and right this felt. Maybe it was Peter's influence, or maybe it was that she was my mother, even if she didn't raise me. Whatever the reason, I found her hug to be comforting. It'd been so long since I'd felt a mother's love.

I still felt embarrassed, though, as I realized how much I needed this. How much I needed the acceptance and approval of a parental figure.

"Call your fiancé," she ordered, pulling apart so that she could look up at me. "Pepper, right?" I nodded. "Call her, and let her know what's going on. She can help you more than I can."

I nodded in agreement, although the thought of talking any more sounded exhausting. Weariness had finally caught up to me, but I fought it off, knowing that I really did need to call Pepper. She had to be worried and pissed at me. Pulling out my phone, I sat myself down on one of her couches, and told Friday to call Pepper. Amanda made to leave, but I quickly asked that she stay.

"I want to introduce you," I said, "if that's alright with you."

Looking surprised yet pleased, she nodded her head as she sat herself down next to me.

The phone rang only twice before I was greeted by an irate red-head. "Anthony Edward Stark, you better be dead or dying because otherwise there's absolutely no excuse why you've been ignoring _my_ calls!" she screamed angrily, although her eyes belied her concern for me.

"Pep, I'm sorry," I responded sincerely, and since it was a video call, I could see her anger subside immediately, the fear and concern coming to the forefront.

"Are you okay? What happened? What's going on? Why are you in London?" she asked rapidly, looking extremely distressed. "Tony, you haven't gotten like this in a while, and I've been worried sick. Peter has been freaking out, arguing with the Avengers to go after you. We found him trying to break in to a quint jet yesterday, and I've had Vision watching him ever since." My eyes widened at that last bit, panic and guilt eating away at me for what my abrupt absence and silence had caused. I rubbed a tired hand over my face.

"Let me bring him in on the call," I told her, and before she could respond, I dialed my boy's number. It'd be easier telling them at the same time, anyways.

"Dad, Dad, Dad, _Dad_! Oh, thank god!" he exclaimed, looking immensely relieved. I felt guilty at seeing how haggard his face looked, as though he hadn't been sleeping. I could also tell he'd been crying, and I wondered morosely if Pepper had spanked him for his stunt. Now wasn't the time to ask though.

"Hey, pal," I greeted with a smile, my heart lifting at having my two favorite people on the phone. "I'm so sorry for worrying you," I said. "I shouldn't have kept you in the dark and just run off, but my minds just been reeling," I admitted. "I freaked out, and I had to know the truth."

Both looked incredibly confused. "Maria Hill called to tell me you'd been at HQ and that you'd been looking through their archives," Pepper informed me. "Tony, what happened? Are you okay?" she repeated, sounding extremely stressed.

"Yeah, I'm fine, honestly," I said, noting their disbelieving looks. "I'm just tired as I haven't slept in a while," I confessed, and Pepper frowned in disapproval while Peter looked concerned.

"What's going on, Dad?" Peter pressed impatiently. "I've been worried out of my mind! I nearly stole a quint jet!" he shouted in frustration.

"I'm sorry," I repeated for the umpteenth time, "I really am. You shouldn't have tried to take one of the quint jets, though, and we're going to have a talk about that later," I warned, and the boy's cheeks reddened. "Right now, though, I'd rather tell you what's been going on."

"I wish you would," Pepper remarked tiredly, and Peter nodded his head emphatically.

Taking in a deep breath, my mind whirled with all the ways in which I could start this conversation. I felt a nudge in my side, and my eyes flicked to Amanda, who gave me an expression that clearly said, 'just be honest'.

"Dad, are you with someone—I mean, whose there?" the spiderling asked, blushing when he realized the insinuation of his first question. I bit back a laugh at his reddening face.

"Well, I guess the easiest way to start this is to just introduce you to Amanda Armstrong," I stated, sliding the holographic screen over so that she and I were both in view. "She's my biological mother," I informed them with an easy smile.

Both Pepper and Peter's eyes widened in absolute shock while Amanda let out a heavy sigh as she sighed, "You really do have no tact, Anthony."

"Not really," I responded, giving her a cheeky grin that only caused her to cover her face with a hand. Turning back to my family, I immediately recounted everything that happened from the moment I found the death certificate for the original Tony to meeting with Amanda a couple hours ago.

"Oh my god," Pepper murmured while Peter just look stunned. I gave them a minute to digest, which was agonizing as I was rather nervous about their response. I jiggled my leg impatiently, and once more received an elbow into the side from Amanda. I gave her a frown, which may or may not have come out more like a pout.

"Why don't you introduce me to your family," she suggested.

"Oh, yeah, that'd be a good idea," I replied before turning back to the screen. "Pepper, this is Amanda Armstrong. Amanda, this is Pepper, the love of my life. Peter, this is Amanda Armstrong. Amanda, this is Peter, my adorable little kid."

"I'm not adorable!" my little spider immediately sputtered, "and I'm not little."

Ignoring her son's outburst, Pepper shook herself out of her reverie and shot my mother a kind smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Armstrong. I-uh-I apologize for seeming a bit flustered, but"—

"Oh, no, no, no, Ms. Potts, I completely understand, and please, call me Amanda," Mom insisted.

"Only if you call me Pepper," Pepper replied, and I was relieved and pleased to see her kindness and smile were genuine.

"And you, Peter, it is a pleasure to meet you as well; and please call me Amanda. No one calls me Ms. Armstrong," she told the teen, and Peter gave a shy smile as he too expressed his pleasure at meeting her.

"Hey, Pep, she's a singer," I told my wife proudly. "You ever listen to Amanda _Strong's_ music?" I asked, smirking when her eyes widened and her mouth fell open.

"Oh my god, that's you? You're Amanda Strong? I used to listen to you all the time when I was a kid. My mother was a huge fan, and she even saw you in concert!" Pepper gushed before looking to Peter. "After this phone call I'll introduce you to her music," she said to him, and he just nodded.

"I find this all so surreal," Amanda replied, a bemused look crossing her face. "You're a fan of me while I'm a fan of the both of you," she stated with a laugh. The two women dominated the conversation after that, getting to know each other, and talking about me as if I wasn't here. Peter inserted himself into the conversation, as eager to know my mother as she was eager to know him. I remained silent now, just watching and listening. I felt content, satisfied, _elated_ even by what was happening here.

I realized as I sat there that Howard Stark was no longer my biological father. I wasn't him. I didn't _have_ to be him. I wasn't _destined_ to be like him. It was a relief.

My biological father was a traitor, though. He'd started out a good man, however, wanting to help people.

Howard wanted to help people too. He was a good man. Bad father, but a good man. He stayed good until he died.

Jude didn't. I didn't have to be like him either.

Nature vs. nurture.

Both men's heart were in the right place. Both men strived to help people. Both men loved their family. One just lost his way.

Maria was a wonderful, caring woman. She had the personality to go toe to toe with Howard, and to deal with me, an impetuous, spoiled genius.

Amanda was a wonderful, caring woman also. She worked for SHIELD. She saved lives by killing Jude. She put my welfare before her own happiness. She never forgot me.

Nature vs. nurture.

Either way, I think I was okay. I was still Tony Stark. A replacement, maybe, but I was still the same man, and this adoption wouldn't change that.

I had a living mother. A living mother who wanted me, and who already seemed to care. I didn't know why I wanted that so badly. I already had a number of people who cared, but somehow this was different.

My therapist would have a field day with this. I should probably go and see her, I thought guiltily. It'd been a month and a half since Peter or I had gone to a session.

Point is, I had parent issues. Issues I'd never dealt with. Their sudden death—their _murder_ when I'd been sixteen traumatized me, and it was time I started to confront those issues.

Maybe Amanda could help.

I lay my head back against the couch, closing my eyes as I listened to the happy conversation going on around me. Exhaustion took me in mere seconds.

 **A/N: Tony is my favorite character, and while I absolutely love his relationship with Peter, the thought of giving Tony a mom was too good for me to pass up.**

 **Let me know if I should remove these. I don't want to lose people because of this, even though I find it fascinating.**


	47. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

 **OK, I'm so sorry for doing an author's note. I hate them, but I felt it necessary as I really care about what you guys think.**

Amanda Armstrong is directly from the comics. She's not a character I made up.

She's also not someone I plan on making a major character. She will be someone who pops in every once in a while. I will explore a relationship between her and the Stark family, but like I said, it's not going to take precedence over Tony and Peter's relationship or the mending relationship between the Avengers. She won't be moving into the Avenger's tower as London is her home, and Tony wouldn't take her from her work. She may visit, but that'd be it.

She also will _never_ be disciplining Tony. Not happening.

My final decision is to keep the chapters up because I had fun with the plot line. Like I said, though, this is not going to become a major plotline. Hope I don't lose any of you


	48. Chapter 48

**A/N: Thank you to those of you who have faithfully reviewed for so long, and who were supportive of me regarding this latest plot twist. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 48: Meet the Family**

 **Peter's POV:**

Tony had a mom, a _living_ mom. He was _adopted_. My mind had been blown when Dad had told us this. I still found it hard to believe, but he'd not only explained the evidence, but had shown it to us when he came home. Apparently the first Tony had died hours after being born, and Howard had adopted Dad after he'd been born on the same day. It seems Maria hadn't been told, but considering she had her biological son's death certificate in her bible, Dad believes she knew.

This was all crazy. Like something out of a movie or a soap opera. I could understand now why he'd reacted the way he had, just taking off for a couple days without telling us why.

My mind was whirling, so I could only imagine what Dad had to be like. When he'd come home last week, he'd been ecstatic, disbelieving, hurt, and just plain exhausted. The second he landed and exited his suit, he was talking a mile a minute, repeating the events that had led him to London. Mom had forced Tony to go to sleep, and the man had passed out for fifteen hours straight.

Upon waking, he was much calmer, and as we ate, he expressed the cacophony of thoughts and emotions that had been going through him. He explained the hurt and betrayal. He explained the shock and disbelief. He explained the elation and joy. He explained his anxiety and fear.

"I'm sorry I kept you guys in the dark," he stated, and we both assured him that we weren't angry.

"I know you aren't," he replied, "but I also know that you're upset that I didn't confide in you. I know we're a family and that I should've trusted you to help, but I just…I needed to do this on my own. It sounds sad and pathetic, but it's like my whole world was turned upside down when I found those birth certificates. I get that a lot of people are adopted," he spoke, his eyes flicking towards mine, "and yeah, I get that I overreacted"—

"You didn't overreact," I interrupted, surprised that he thought that. Was he really comparing my experiences with his? "Dad, our situations are completely different," I argued, giving him a firm look. "Yeah, I was adopted, first by my aunt and uncle, and then you guys, but I've always known who my birth parents were. Nobody lied to me."

"Tony," Pepper spoke lovingly, rubbing her hand up and down his arm comfortingly, "Your reaction is more than understandable. You don't need to explain anything to us. I can't begin to imagine what I would have done if I were in your shoes. Yes, I would have loved to have helped you, but you needed to figure this out on your own. You don't owe either one of us an explanation." Dad looked at her with soft, endearing eyes, and the two leaned into each other until their foreheads touched. Separating, Tony sported a smile.

"This is weird, huh?" he remarked after several moments of silence, and Pepper laughed lightly as I nodded.

"She seems awesome," I commented, and his grin widened as he nodded. I loved the sheer happiness I saw in his eyes. He told us more about his meeting with her and the things they talked about. Listening to him talk, my heart warmed at the joy in his eyes and voice. He'd spent less than two days with Amanda Armstrong, and he already loved her. Thing was, from the conversation Mom and I had with Amanda, we could tell she already loved Dad as well. It was mind-boggling, yet amazing at the same time.

I liked the woman, like really, really liked her. She was funny and kind, and she clearly cared about Tony. She was coming to visit for the second week of December to get to know not just Tony, but us and the other Avengers that lived here as well. Dad had wanted her to come for Christmas, but she was tied up with charity events, concerts, and an album debut for a new artist.

After talking it over, both Tony and Amanda decided to keep their relationship a secret, not just because of the scandal it would create, but because of the attention and danger it would bring Amanda. It was more Tony's decision than Amanda, but she understood the need for caution. She was just happy to have a relationship with Tony.

Things went downhill for me at this point because Mom decided to bring up my attempt to steal a quint jet.

"I'll just leave you two to talk," I stated, quickly getting myself up, stomach sinking when both parents sternly barked, "Sit down." I swallowed back a whimper as I slowly sat myself back down.

"I was worried," I told Dad, "and Mom already spanked me. It was dumb and I'm sorry and it won't happen again." I sighed when Dad waved his hand back and forth, signaling for me to stop talking.

"Talk me through it," he told me, and I resisted letting out another sigh.

"You disappeared," I said, "and nobody could tell me what was going on. I was scared, Dad, especially when I only got two texts from you telling me you were staying at HQ one night and then flying to London a few hours later. We texted and called, and we left voicemails, but you never answered! I was worried—we all were worried! But nobody was talking about it. Nobody was doing anything about it. They all said to leave you be, and to trust that you were fine, but I just couldn't. You've never done this before, and you wouldn't take my calls!" I yelled, tears of frustration coming to my eyes. "Natasha tried to tell me that I was overreacting, and that you'd acted a lot worse than this before. Apparently, you're known for disappearing and not telling anybody," I finished caustically, crossing my arms and glaring at him.

Dad's eyes were guilty as he looked at me. "So, because you felt nobody was listening to you, _you_ decided to not listen to them." I said nothing in response, so he continued speaking. "And your grand solution, little spider, was to _steal_ one of the quint jets to come find me all by _yourself_?" he pressed incredulously.

Squirming, my face flamed. I'd already realized how stupid and reckless my actions were. Not just Mom, but the other Avengers. I grimaced as I recalled Natasha's face upon getting ahold of me. She'd looked ready to strangle me, and I'd never seen her so angry. She was still angry with me.

"I know I was wrong," I told him, my voice small and guilty. "I know it was a reckless decision that I didn't think out. I mean, it's not like I know how to operate the quint jet, and I didn't even know where you were."

Dad nodded his head, his eyes disappointed but not angry. "I get how you could be so worried, especially since you've never seen me act like this. The others were right. I used to disappear more regularly, but not for reasons like this. It was usually because I was on a drunken binge or trying to escape reality. I stared at him in surprise, although I wasn't sure I really should be. I'd heard, read, and seen videos of his past. I still bugged out, though every time I heard first hand stories from him or my family.

"Are you going to spank me?" I then asked nervously, my stomach churning uneasily. He just stared at me for several tense moments before shaking his head.

"I should, but I won't," he stated. I let out a breath of relief, glad to know I'd escaped a bullet.

An hour passed before we were bombarded by the rest of the Avengers and Happy. They were relieved and angry with Tony, but their relief trumped the anger. In fact, the anger was more disappointment than anything. Natasha was the only one to act on her anger, twisting Dad's arm behind his back and slamming him onto the ground in the blink of an eye.

"Ow," he grunted quietly.

Nat then dug her knee into his back, one hand holding his head down while the other held his arm. Leaning down, she whispered fiercely into his ear. She spoke Russian, so I didn't understand. I realized I was going to need to learn Russian if I ever wanted to know what their secret conversations were about. I watched as Tony's expression turned shameful and apologetic. He murmured something in response, and she dug her knee harder into his back. He grimaced before saying something else. Seemingly satisfied, Natasha's face relaxed, and she got off my Dad and helped him to his feet. He stretched out his arm, throwing her a pout, and I was surprised to see her face soften minutely before she affectionately ran a hand through his perfectly styled hair. He rolled his eyes, shoving her hand off, and she smirked. Those two had a strange relationship, I thought with a bemused shake of my head.

The others hugged Dad or slapped him on the back before scolding and ribbing him for acting like his old jerkish self. He took it with good grace, all the while arguing he had a good reason. They seemed disbelieving, but after Tony told them the story, they were all silent and shocked. Questions came, one after another, and Dad had to show them the evidence to get them to believe.

"She's alive, and you saw her? You talked to her and told her?" Bruce asked, looking stunned by the whole thing.

Tony nodded his head, a pleased grin adorning his face. "She's awesome. I invited her over, and she'll be here with us next week. You guys can meet her and see for yourself what she's like." He was practically vibrating with excitement, and I grinned at that. The others seemed taken aback yet also pleased to see Tony like this.

"We're going to meet Tony Stark's biological mother," Rhodes drawled with an awed look. "This'll be interesting."

"Can I see her SHIELD file?" Nat asked, and I noted she looked suspicious. Sighing, yet with knowing eyes, Tony said, "I already sent the file to you." Nat raised an eyebrow before nodding her thanks.

"Does she know exactly who you live with?" Happy asked, and Dad nodded his head.

"Of course," he said. "I wasn't going to let her show up and be shocked to find half the Avengers here. I've told her a little about each one of you, even you Vis. She's excited."

"She's not nervous at all?" Bruce asked skeptically, and I noticed Vision showed his skepticism.

"I swear guys, she's totally stoked," Dad insisted. "Yeah, she's nervous and all, but not because she's afraid. She wants to make a good impression. She wants you guys to like her. She's a tough gal."

"Your biological father was Hydra," Rhodey then said with a sympathetic shake of his head.

"And Amanda killed him," Nat said, her eyes on her phone. "Quite the life they led."

"I can't imagine what she must have felt, killing the man she loved," Pepper said softly and sadly.

"Considering she gave Mr. Stark up immediately after birthing him, I would say she was traumatized," Vision assessed, speaking for the first time. "Coupled with the fact that she never married or had any more children, she has yet to overcome the trauma, much like Mr. Stark has not dealt with the death of his adoptive parents."

My eyes widened at his words, shocked that he blatantly said that, and Tony shot the android eyes of disbelief before just huffing irritably. "Thanks, Vis," he remarked sarcastically. "I wanted everybody to know that."

"Not like it's a secret," Nat drawled quietly, her eyes finally looking up towards us. "I can see where you get some of your less than desirable tendencies. She's a recovering alcoholic like you."

Tony blinked in surprise before grumbling, "Can we stop talking about my issues, please?"

"But you have so many," Rhodes said, a teasing grin on his face. Tony eyed his friend before straight up kicking him in the shins. I smothered a laugh as Rhodes cursed, rubbing his leg furiously while glaring at Tony.

"Children, play nicely," Pepper rebuked dryly. Natasha rolled her eyes while Bruce, Happy, and I snickered as the two grown men made faces at each other.

The conversation continued, Tony informing the others of his time with Amanda. More ribbing occurred, jokes about how Tony was like his mom, and how he was a mama's boy now. Dad took the teasing gracefully, although I could tell he was embarrassed.

"So, are you going to invite her to live here with us?" Natasha questioned curiously, and he shook his head.

"Nah, she's already got a life in London with a job she loves," he replied with a small smile. "I'm not going to take that from her."

Several days passed, and Dad and I were headed to pick up Amanda. During the drive, Dad and I talked some more about her. It seemed she'd been alone for a long time. Dad, echoing Vision's assessment, said the betrayal of his birth father had broken her, which is why she'd given him up. All alone and hurting, she'd never allowed anyone to get close to her. Amanda said she'd had a happy life, and maybe that was true, but Dad insisted that us being in her lives would make her happier.

"I know what it's like to be alone," he explained, "and to think you're happy. To be satisfied with what you have because you think that's the best you're ever going to get. I didn't realize how unhappy I really was until I started to let people get closer to me; which, sadly, wasn't really until after Afghanistan. I'm inviting her here to make her a part of our family. She needs us."

"Do you need her?" I asked hesitantly, and he frowned lightly, a thoughtful expression on his face. It was nearly a minute before he spoke.

"I don't know," he confessed, his brow furrowing. "Is it sad that I think I do?" he asked, looking at me with vulnerability he rarely allowed me to see.

"No, it isn't," I replied immediately, giving him an earnest look.

"I'm 42, kiddo," he responded, his cheeks seeming to redden in embarrassment that shocked me. I thought back to when the others had been teasing him, and how embarrassed he'd seemed.

"So, what?" I responded with a shrug. "When I'm 42 I'll still need you," I insisted, smiling when I saw his lip quirk.

"Really?" he asked doubtfully, and I nodded my head emphatically.

"I'll always need you guys. I mean, not like I do now, y'know, but you're my parents," I told him, starting to feel my own embarrassment. "You're not upset by that, are you?"

"No, of course not," he responded, a growing smile on his face. "Pep and I will always be there for you whenever you need us."

I grinned widely before going serious. I don't know what gave me the confidence to speak my next words, but maybe it wasn't confidence, but just knowing that our relationship was to the point I could be honest with him. "You haven't had parents since you were sixteen, Dad," I told him gently, "and from what you've told me, you didn't have the best dad. I think," I continued delicately, "that it's more than natural for you to feel you need Amanda. She's your mom, and while you weren't raised by her, she clearly loves you. If you're going to be cool with me needing you when I'm old, then it's okay for you to do so with her."

Tony raised an eyebrow at me, his smile kind as he wrapped an arm around me. He kissed my temple, resting his head against mine for several moments. "I'm not old, _baby_ spider," he grumbled, pulling away and ruffling my hair.

"And I'm not a baby," I retorted, sticking my tongue out at him. He laughed loudly, and I just shoved him lightly.

We arrived at the airport where Tony's private jets (yes, he had more than one) were kept. "Why do you have so many jets?" I asked.

"Why do you want to know? Planning on stealing one for your next rescue mission?" he asked teasingly, and I glared as I fought to keep from blushing. He smirked before then shrugging as he said, "Some of strictly mine, but the majority are for the company. We've got a lot of employees that travel around the country and the world, and I like to keep my people happy. Travelling in private jet is much less hassle than going commercial." I nodded in understanding, although I had no experience with flying commercial. I'd only ever flown in his private plans.

 **Amanda's POV:**

I sat in Tony's private plane, crossing and uncrossing my legs, unable to find a comfortable position. I'd switched my seats four times in the past couple hours, and it'd taken far too long for me to realize it was nerves making me uncomfortable and not the luxurious seats. My hands were cold and clammy, and I was constantly wringing them. I hadn't been able to eat anything since I'd woken because I was so nervous I felt nauseated. I'd already thrown up twice.

I couldn't believe it'd been a week since I'd met Tony. Tony Stark, my son. _My son_.

My mind and emotions had been all over the place since I'd met him. My grown son. My famous son. My super hero son.

He sought me out, and he _wanted_ to know me.

What had I done to deserve this? I'd barely spent a day and a half with him, but I already loved him. Well, to be honest I'd loved my son since before he'd been born. Even when I'd put him up for adoption, I'd never stopped loving him. I'd never stopped thinking about him and wondering if I'd made the right decision. I'd fluctuated between regretting my decision and feeling it was the best choice, the only choice.

My son was Tony Stark.

Out of all the people in the world my son could've grown up to be, he grew up to be one of the most famous men in the world. He was Iron Man. He was a _hero_.

I'd left SHIELD and had asked Peggy Carter to put him in a good home. I'd never in a million years have suspected he'd end up the son of SHIELD co-founder, Howard Stark. In all honesty, had I known at the time, I would never have allowed it. I would never have wanted my child exposed to that world…exposed to Howard Stark. Good man, but certainly not someone I would've chosen to raise my son. From the letter Director Carter had written to Tony and from some comments he'd made, not to mention old news reels and articles, I knew Howard had not been a good father.

It saddened me immensely to think of any and all suffering Tony had gone through. I'd worked for SHIELD, and I'd done concerts for soldiers on duty for many years. I had seen men and women who'd been through trauma. I'd seen men and women who suffered from PTSD. Tony, _my_ Tony had the eyes of a soldier who'd seen too much and was suffering. Those were not the eyes I would ever have wished him to have.

He was a great man, though. A kind, noble man. But he was also reckless, stubborn, and self-sacrificing. As soon as Tony had returned to the States, I'd shamelessly researched him. I'd heard of him before, of course. Who hadn't? I'd thought highly of him for being a hero, but I'd also heard of the life he'd led. I hadn't judged, though, as I too had done many things I regretted in the past. Upon researching, I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of material on the internet about him. I also felt horrified. He had been in the limelight from the day he'd been born. Everything he said, did, and every move he made had been watched, documented, and judged. I knew what it was like to be famous and having the media hounding you and butting into your life. I'd hated that part of fame. To have to put up with that for his entire life? I couldn't imagine.

Looking through the multitude of information, I watched my son grow up. I saw the mask I'd learned to wear when I'd begun to work with SHIELD at 19 on the face of a mere child. I saw him become angry. I saw him lash out. I saw him grieve when his adoptive parents had died. He'd been only _sixteen_ , the poor boy. Orphaned and emancipated at sixteen. He'd already been in his _third_ year at MIT at this point. Graduated summa cum laude at 17, and then CEO of Stark Industries at 21. So much responsibility for someone so young.

Tony hadn't been lying when he said he'd spent the majority of the 90's and early 2000's drinking, taking drugs, and being a playboy. The media definitely backed those claims, I thought, blushing at how there was more than one video of him shedding his clothes for the cameras when drunk or even sober. He really did everything he could to hide from his problems.

His kidnapping happened, and his press conference immediately upon return showed a broken man. In spite of that, though, he'd immediately set out to make amends for crimes he hadn't committed. He shut down the weapons manufacturing of his company, and he created Iron Man. I marveled at his strength and perseverance.

I couldn't be prouder of who he was. With flaws and all, he was a great man who persistently sought to do the right thing and help people. I couldn't believe he would want me in his life. I'd been weak and cowardly. I'd given him up, yet he had sought me out the second he'd found out he'd been adopted. He hadn't thought about it or hesitated. He'd just done it. He'd been nervous to meet me, incredibly so, and that shocked me; although, it really shouldn't. He was a showman, like me and Howard Stark. He oozed confidence and self-assuredness from every pore in his body; but that wasn't who he was at the core. He was still very much human.

He had a lot of scars, though, mental and physical. I hadn't missed the terrible scarring on his chest, but it hadn't been the moment to ask considering we'd met only an hour prior. When he'd been playing me the piano, I noticed the flash of pain in his eyes mere seconds after he began. His muscles had tensed, and he'd closed his eyes to hide his emotions from me. I had no idea what he was thinking about, but I immediately stopped him, feeling awful for having asked him to play. I wondered if the bad memories he spoke of were related to the death of his mother and/or godfather considering he'd said they were the ones to teach him.

The plane began to descend, and I shook my head to rid myself of these morbid thoughts. This was to be a happy occasion. I was immensely pleased and ecstatic at the thought of spending a week with my son and his family…and the Avengers. I was beyond anxious about this. What if they didn't like me because of what I'd done. What an embarrassing concern, I couldn't help but think.

But my _son_ wanted me here. He wanted to get to know me. He wanted me to know him and his family. He wanted me to be a part of his life.

I wasn't a religious woman, but if there was a God, then I would forever be grateful to him.

The plane landed, and I began to take in several deep and calming breaths. I've got this. There was no need to panic. We'd already met, and I'd already met his fiancé and son. Everything would be fine. The plane came to a stop, and as I looked out, I grinned widely at seeing Tony, Peter, and Happy, I believe, leaning against a car. Tony took off his glasses, tucking them into his jacket, and Peter hopped from one foot to another. He seemed excited, I thought joyfully. Grabbing my bag and guitar, I approached the door, waiting for it to open before beginning to go down the stairs.

Tony greeted me at the bottom, a hesitant smile on his face. A flood of relief and empathy surged through me as I realized he was just as nervous about this as I was.

"Hello, Anthony," I greeted cheerfully, and he rolled his eyes good naturedly. I had the strong urge to hug him, so I couldn't stop from raising my arms slightly, allowing him to stop me if he wanted to. Thankfully, he just smiled warmly before giving me a hug.

"Welcome to New York," he said after we broke apart.

"I'll take your bags," Happy said as he approached me, and I handed it over, giving him a raised eyebrow. "I'm Happy, by the way," he stated, holding out a hand that I gladly shook.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," I responded, and he nodded before heading back to the car. I turned next to Peter, and felt my heart warm at the huge smile he had on his face. He closed the distance between us and gave me a hug that I happily returned.

"So glad you're here," he expressed genuinely. "Everybody's really excited to meet you. This is gonna be great."

"I'm happy to be here," I responded, giving the teen a brief caress of the cheek.

"Well, time's a wasting. Let's get going before we get rained on," Tony declared, gesturing for us to head towards the car. He opened the door for us, and we got in. "Glad you could come," he then said seriously once we'd settled ourselves.

"Me too," I replied, giving one of his hands a squeeze. "I really appreciate the invitation. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to be a part of your life."

Tony gave a light chuckle before saying, "I guess I should say thanks for wanting to be a part of it."

"Is that a guitar you brought?" Peter asked.

"Yes, it is," I happily responded. "I take it everywhere I go. Do you play?"

"Ha, no way. Never had the opportunity," he replied before giving a sheepish grin. "I also have no musical talent whatsoever."

"Nonsense," I stated. "If you'd like, I could give you some lessons." I was pleased to see his eyes light up as he eagerly nodded.

"That'd be awesome! Thank you," he spoke gratefully. "Do you know how to play the guitar?" he asked, turning to Tony.

"Nah, I only ever learned the piano," he said with a shrug. "I prefer to listen to music rather than playing it."

"You play the piano? I didn't know that!" Peter exclaimed in surprise. "Why didn't you tell me? Do we have one at the tower?"

I looked at my son, immensely curious to hear his response. I watched as his eyes darkened momentarily as he tensed. Taking in a breath, though, he relaxed as he graced Peter with a soft look. "You never asked," was his initial cheeky response, and when Peter just gave him a pointed look, Tony then answered more honestly. "Mom was the first person to teach me. After she died, I stopped playing for a while, but then Obie took up teaching me," he explained, and I was confused by how Peter's curiosity deflated, his expression turning apologetic. He murmured an apology, which caused Tony to reach out a ruffle the boy's hair. "Don't be, kiddo. You're always welcome to ask me whatever you want." Peter responded with a small smile.

My curiosity burned, but I didn't feel comfortable enough to ask for clarification. Thankfully, or not thankfully, Tony noticed my unasked question. Giving me a grim smile, he much too casually said, "Obadiah was my godfather. Back in 2008, he was the one behind my kidnapping. He hired the terrorists to kill me."

I gasped in shock, giving my son a look of horror. I felt fury towards this man, but also immense sadness for what he'd done to Tony. To be betrayed by someone you loved. I couldn't imagine the pain he must've felt upon discovering that. Jude had betrayed SHIELD, and in some small essence, me as well, but the man had loved me until the end. What other horrors did my son have in his past?

"Anyways, depressing topic aside, when's the last time you've been to New York, Amanda?" my son asked, clearly eager to change topics.

"Oh, I haven't been here since the late 80's, I believe," I answered, and his eyebrows rose.

"Anything in particular you'd like to see while you're here?" he questioned, and I blinked, not having thought about that at all.

"To be honest, I hadn't thought much past the point of spending some time with you and your family," I admitted. He nodded in understanding.

"Well, as the kid said, everybody's pretty eager to meet you," he informed me with a smirk, "so prepare to be mobbed at some point today. Don't let them pressure you into answering anything you don't want to, though. They may be Earth's mightiest heroes, but they're a bunch of pushovers also."

Peter gave a snort, shooting his father a teasing look as he said, "You would know." Tony just shook his head, a smile adorning his face as he gave the boy a light shove, that only caused Peter to laugh. Their relationship was adorable, I couldn't help but think with an internal coo.

We arrived at the tower, and my eyes widened at how large it was. "You actually live _here_?" I asked in bewilderment. What in god's name did they do with all the space?

"Yup," Tony replied proudly. "This used to be the headquarters for the Avengers, but that's been moved upstate. Right now, a lot of the research for Stark Industries is done here. They take up the majority of the building. The living quarters are the first ten floors of the building, although not all that space is occupied." I shook my head. I knew he'd said he lived in a tower, but this was enormous. Looking up, I noticed the large "A" on the building. Amazing. This used to be the headquarters for all the Avengers. What a life my son led.

Looking at Peter, I couldn't help but wonder what he thought of all this. How did he cope with the craziness that was Tony's life? I had watched the press conference Tony had made after it'd been leaked that he'd adopted a son. I listened to the story, and felt my heart go out to the young teen. To have lost his aunt and uncle within less than two years. The poor dear. Looking at him now, though, you wouldn't think he'd suffered so much loss. He looked genuinely happy and content. He looked comfortable with his surroundings, and comfortable with Tony, who I knew most people found intimidating. My mind flashed briefly to my poor security guard. Clearly petrified, the brave man had put on a front in a brave attempt to defend me when he thought Tony had upset me. I shook my head in amusement.

We walked in to the tower, Happy trailing behind with my suit case. I insisted he let me carry my guitar. We entered in through a separate entrance than employees and the public would. I noticed there was no door handle or security feature to keep someone from entering. I wondered how he kept any random person from walking in. We walked a few paces and then reached an elevator that opened right as we reached in. Inside, I noticed there were no buttons. However, the doors closed and the elevator began to move.

"Friday controls everything," Peter informed me, clearly having noted my confusion. "Don't worry," he assured me, "You'll get used to this in no time."

"Hello, Ms. Armstrong, it is a pleasure to finally meet you," a disembodied, female voice spoke, and I looked around me. I recognized the voice from the day Tony and I had met. "My name is Friday, and I am available to answer any questions you may have."

"The pleasure is all mine," I managed to say after a few moments of silence. Looking towards my son, I saw he was clearly enjoying my surprise and confusion.

"He does this with everybody," Happy informed me, throwing my son an exasperated look. "He loves seeing people freak out. You should have seen how Captain America reacted." Tony outright laughed at that before sighing as if it were an extremely pleasant memory. I could only imagine the captain's shock, considering he was a man of the 40's.

"Friday is everywhere in the building," Happy explained to me. "She hears and sees all, so if you want to contact someone or get lost, just call out her name."

"She's the best," Peter added.

"Thank you, Peter," Friday spoke, and I was surprised by the fondness I heard in her voice.

The elevator stopped, the doors opening into a spacious living room. "This is my floor," Tony informed me, "and it's where you'll be staying. I've got a guest room already set up for you, but obviously, if you need anything, let me know." I made to follow after Happy when I heard the pitter patter of paws and a loud bark. That was the only warning we received before I watched a massive dog launch himself at Peter, happily licking his face. Peter laughed loudly.

"Calm down, Anthony. Sheesh, you'd think I was gone for days rather than a couple hours," the boy spoke, and my eyebrows rose in surprised amusement at the name.

"You named your dog after yourself?" I asked my son, and couldn't help but smirk at the mild look of embarrassment on his face.

" _He_ did," he answered with a huff, pointing to Peter.

"It's cuz he looks like you!" the boy defended, and I couldn't help but laugh at the long-suffering sigh that escaped Tony's lips as he rolled his eyes dramatically. "He's got the white patch that looks like you're"—

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Tony interrupted, waving his hand, "I've heard your explanation."

"Well, I love his name," I declared, and Peter threw his father a triumphant smile. Tony just huffed, nearly pouting as he flicked his eyes to me. "Anthony is a wonderful name, isn't it?" I asked him with mirth in my eyes, and he gave a grudging nod, although he did argue, "It's _Tony_."

"Oh, yes, of course," I replied, gracing him with an innocent look. "Old age and all," I remarked, and I heard Peter attempting to suppress his laughter. Tony just stared at me, before letting out a short, "Huh."

"Amanda, welcome!" I suddenly heard, and I looked to see Pepper exiting from a hallway with a large grin on her face. Sporting a similar expression myself, I approached her and we both hugged tightly. "Ohhh, I'm so excited you're here!" she expressed genuinely. "I hope you don't mind, but the others are eager to meet you, so we planned a formal dinner for us all in the common room."

"Common room?" I asked.

"Well, it's really an entire floor, but it's large and open, so we refer to it as a room. It's where everyone goes to socialize and get together. There are TVs, movies, games, and everything your overzealous super hero could need," Pepper explained, throwing both Tony and Peter fond looks.

"A dinner to get to know everyone sounds great," I told her, glad to just get all introductions out of the way. It'd get the nervousness out of my system.

"Let me show you to your room," Pepper then said, throwing her future spouse a look that implied he should've done this already. Tony responded with a charming grin that I couldn't help but find endearing. Pepper led me down the hallway, pointing out Peter's and then her bedroom. Mine was a little further down the hallway. I raised my eyebrows in surprise when I walked on in. It was like a suite, a customized suite. Not just a bed and dresser, but a miniature living room with a television and bookcase full of albums, CDs, and even cassette tapes. Dear lord, there was even a keyboard set up for me. Looking at the walls, I was further shocked to find the room had a music theme to it. There were posters of me and many other artists I was a fan of. How Tony had known this was beyond me. Next to my bed, on an end table, there was even a picture of Tony and me that was taken right before he returned to the States.

"This is absolutely stunning and beautiful," I spoke with no small amount of awe.

"Tony likes to personalize rooms and floors for his friends and family. Sometimes I feel he goes a bit overboard, so if there's anything you don't like, please let me know," she told me. "He won't be offended."

"No, no, no, I love every bit of it," I quickly replied, tears welling up into my eyes. My son had made this room just for me. This wasn't just some random guest room. This was a room meant for me and only me. I set down my guitar and slowly walked around, eventually picking up the photo of Tony and me. Pepper approached quietly, smiling as she saw the photograph.

"Tony is overjoyed to have you here," she spoke, and I raised my eyebrows. "He's been fluctuating between excitement and panic these past few days." She shook her head, throwing the picture a loving look before turning her eyes towards mine. "I don't know how much you know of Tony, but he's been hurt a lot by people close to him. I don't judge you for what you did," she added quickly when I opened my mouth, "but I just want you to be aware that despite the tough guy, uncaring persona he can put up, he's quite sensitive. I believe you mean well, and that you truly want to forge a relationship with him, but please," she began to beg, but I had to cut her off.

"Pepper, dear," I interrupted gently, taking her hands in mine, "I know I made a mistake, but I love him, I really do. I never stopped," I said, willing her to understand my feelings. "I will never intentionally hurt him. I know he's too old to need a mother, but I still want to have a relationship with him. I want to be a part of his life."

Pepper smiled, tears forming in her eyes as she nodded her head at me. "He wants this too, I assure you. He sought you out, remember that," she said firmly. "And, every boy needs a mother, despite how old they are," she added, reaching a hand out to rub up and down my arm. "Tony has been without one since he was sixteen, so he is in desperate need of a little motherly love."

"Thank you," I spoke appreciatively. "You are an amazing woman, Pepper, and my son is lucky to have you."

"Oh, I know that," the red-head spoke, sporting a cocky smirk.

I got myself settled in, washed up, and then Tony arrived to tell me it was time to head downstairs. He gave me a handsome grin, which caused a twinge in my heart as the grin was nearly identical to Jude's. "Thank you for all this," I said, gesturing to the room around me.

"I can change anything if you'd like," he responded, but I just shook my head, insisting that it was perfect. He looked immensely pleased by my words. He led me down the hallway and back to the elevator, where the rest of his family was waiting. It took seconds for us to arrive in the common room, and I could feel my nerves spiking. I felt Tony wrap a reassuring arm around me as we walked out and found five pairs of eyes focus on us.

"Guys, this is Amanda Armstrong, my biological mother. Be nice," he spoke, and I was touched by the protective tone in his voice.

"It's great to meet you, Ms. Armstrong, I'm Tony's oldest friend, James Rhodes," Rhodey spoke, a mischievous look on his face. "I've known him since he was fourteen, so any questions you've got about your crazy, immature son, I'm your go-man."

I heard Tony give a groan. "It's nice to meet you, James. Please call me Amanda. Let's not stand on formalities," I replied, looking to the others.

"Call me Rhodes or Rhodey," he responded with a kind smile. "Everybody else does."

"I could come up with a few other choice names, platypus," my son mentioned snidely, and Rhodes shot him a cheeky grin.

"Hello, Ms. Armstrong, my name is Vision, and it is delight to meet you," Vision spoke in a British voice. Having already seen pictures and video of the android, I wasn't surprised by his looks so much as his voice.

"Pleasure," I replied, shaking his hand, and my lack of reaction seemed to please him.

"Natasha Romanoff, I've read your file, and it is a pleasure to meet you," the Black Widow greeted me, and I blinked in surprise before shaking her hand and nodding. I had to remind myself that she was a current or former SHIELD agent, much like Jude was. The woman gave me a small, kind smile.

When she stepped aside, a nervous brown-haired man stepped forward. "Bruce Banner, ma'am, it's nice to meet you," he spoke softly.

"Nice to meet you," I responded before looking at everyone. "It's nice to meet you all."

"Uh, can we eat now? I'm starving," Peter spoke, and Pepper mildly chided the boy before announcing that, yes, it was time to eat. We all gathered around the table, Peter pulling me to sit next to him. Tony sat on my other side. Dinner was a pleasant and amusing event, Tony's friends and family eager to tell me story after story about him, many of which caused my son to grumble, glare, and protest.

"You guys are all dicks," Tony griped, and Pepper reached a hand out to caress the back of his head and then play with the hair at the nape of his neck.

"You are a singer, Ms. Armstrong?" Vision questioned, and I once more insisted that he call me Amanda, before I nodded my head.

"I am," I replied. "I don't tour anymore, but I still work in the business, helping young musicians get a start in the industry. I also give lessons on singing and playing the guitar."

"Can you play any other instruments?" Peter asked.

"I can play the piano, clarinet, violin, flute, and drums," I replied, and Peter let out a low whistle before informing the others that I was going to be teaching him to play the guitar.

"Would you mind teaching me as well?" Vision asked, and I noticed the others giving him looks of surprise. "Wanda likes to play," he remarked in answer to their curious looks. Wanda Maximoff, I mused.

"Of course," I replied. "The more the merrier."

Dinner ended, and conversation continued, and I got to learn a little more about this family, brought together by the strangest of circumstances. Each of them had their trauma, their eyes told me that. Whatever brought them together, they were close, closer than many families I had seen over the years. They could communicate with their body and with their eyes, a raised eyebrow or a slight touch. At times I felt as if there were two conversations going on in the room, the verbal one I was participating in, and then nonverbal one. This happened most often, I noticed, between Natasha and Tony and occasionally between Pepper and Tony.

Tony and Rhodes were clearly close, like brothers. Rhodes had known Tony the longest, and had no doubt earned my son's trust as he'd stuck with him for all the years. They haggled each other as brothers do, but I noticed a protectiveness between them. Each one thinking they were the protector. I noticed the mechanical braces on Rhode's legs, and assumed they were injuries from a battle. I knew he was a military man, and that he was War Machine.

Tony and Happy's relationship was different. Brothers, yes, but not as close as Tony and Rhodes. Happy was first a driver and security guard for Tony and then Pepper. He was used to the role of protector, and in a family of super heroes, he no doubt felt inadequate. No one made him feel this way, though. He was one of them, no doubt. Happy seemed especially close with Peter, and the two regularly exchanged ridiculous expressions with one another throughout the conversation when they thought no one was looking.

Tony and Vision's relationship was interesting. I did not know how Vision was created, just that Tony had a hand in it. Vision seemed to fluctuate between being fully engaged and a bystander. His eyes were both curious and cautious at times. Throughout the conversation, the others would pull him into conversation when he was quiet for too long. He knew what they were doing, but he always smiled happily at their gentle tugging. When Tony had first told me of Vision, I had gleaned his concern for the android, concern that he would never truly be accepted into the world or that he would never belong.

Tony and Bruce were brothers of another sort. These two were very close, their initial bond, no doubt due to their shared intelligence and love of science. They were mad scientists, Tony had gleefully described to me. Apparently the two got up to mischief in the lab, and things blowing up or going wrong was rather common and expected. The conversations had between those two would occasionally go above all heads except Peter. They both very clearly cared for one another, and I seemed to glean that Bruce took on the role of older brother. A look here and there showed the fondness exasperation when some ridiculous words would escape my son's mouth.

What seemed to surprise me the most was the relationship between Tony and Natasha. Natasha was the epitome of a SHIELD agent, so well trained in masking her emotions, that at times it seemed she was lacking. She was not one to grin largely or laugh loudly. Her affection for those around her were conveyed through her eyes or the tone of her voice. One would think she was uncomfortable with human contact, but in this family, in _her_ family, she exchanged soft touches or nudges with those around her. I noticed that with Tony, she seemed to enjoy playing with his hair, and he seemed to enjoy it just as much, although he rarely openly showed it. They had a secret conversation the entire time, and while others seemed to have noticed, none seemed to care. I wondered if they understood it. By the end of our conversation that evening, it was clear to me that the two loved each other very much, although all that came out of their mouths were teasing and sometimes scathing remarks towards one another. Just like a brother and sister, I mused, constantly teasing yet fiercely protective of one another.

The most touching relationships to me were between Tony, Pepper, and Peter. Pepper was Tony's soulmate. One need only spend seconds with them to see how madly in love they were. According to Tony, their love for each other had begun many years before, but he'd been too stubborn and blind to see it. "She stood by my side even as I made a fool of myself and treated her poorly. I don't deserve her," he expressed. Looking at them, my heart warmed at the joy they brought each other. With a single touch or look, they could bring a bright smile to each other.

Tony and Pepper's love for each other was only outweighed by their love for Peter. The amount of love they felt for the boy was insurmountable. Tony's eyes showed love and adoration every time he looked to his son, and there was a spark every time Peter called him Dad. The Tony I saw here in this room was nothing like the one portrayed in the media. This was the real Tony. This was my son, and I felt nothing but fierce pride and love for him. He was an excellent father, husband, brother, and friend. He was everything I ever would have wanted my son to be and more.

 **A/N: One more chapter with Amanda! This took longer than I thought, so I want to have another chapter where she spends some time with Tony and Peter. Please review!**


	49. Chapter 49

**A/N: Last chapter centering on Amanda. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I'm glad some of you are enjoying her. For those of you who aren't, endure one more chapter, and then she'll be out of the picture for a bit.**

 **Chapter 49: Media Storm**

 **Peter's POV:**

"I have no idea what to get my parents," I complained to Amanda. "What do you get people who can buy or make, in my dad's case, whatever they want?"

"What did you get them last year?" Amanda asked, and I looked down at my feet, scuffing my foot on the concrete sidewalk before sheepishly answering, "Nothing. They hadn't adopted me yet, and I had no idea what to get them. I also had no idea that they were going to get _me_ gifts."

"What did they get you?" she asked curiously, smiling softly at my frustration.

"They got me some clothes, a tablet, and some upgrades for my Spider man suit," I told her, and it was only when her brow furrowed in confusion that I froze in horror, realizing that she had no idea who I really was. With everything she already knew and who she was, I'd just assumed she knew who I was, but her expression said the opposite.

"Your Spider"—she began to ask, but I shook my head sharply, grabbing her hand and taking her into a crowded coffee shop. With so many people, I knew we wouldn't be overheard. We sat ourselves in a corner, and I noticed when her surprise and confusion morphed into understanding. Crap, crap, crap.

"Were you talking about a red and blue suit?" she asked delicately, and I nodded my head, biting my bottom lip unsurely.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know—I thought Dad had already told you. God, I'm so stupid," I complained, burying my head in my hands.

"Oh no, sweetheart, don't think like that," Amanda said, reaching out a hand to run through my hair. "You are no such thing. Now, look at me, young man," she ordered, and I lifted wary eyes to hers. "You have absolutely nothing to be sorry about. I will admit to not really being surprised," she remarked with a small smile, "seeing as who you're living with."

I groaned loudly, my head now falling onto the table. If she could figure this out so easily, then surely others could as well. I was shocked no one had speculated about this in a tabloid or something already. Or, maybe they had, and Tony had stopped them. "Peter, don't fret so much, the only reason I figured it out so easily is because I've gotten to know you rather well these past few days, and I'm very good at reading people, unlike the majority of the world. Also, some of the things others would say or the way they'd look at you after saying something let me know that there was more to you than meets the eye. Then, there are your eyes."

"My eyes?" I asked in bewilderment.

"You, like my son and the other Avengers have the same eyes, the eyes of someone who has suffered yet continues to fight," she explained. "I've seen many men and women with those eyes over the years, soldiers and SHIELD agents, but never a child."

I was fascinated by her assessment, and relieved that she wasn't upset or bothered by the fact that I went gallivanting around New York as Spiderman saving people. "You're awesome, Amanda," I told her, and she let out a hearty laugh before waving a hand airily.

"And you are adorably kind," she replied cheerfully.

"Now, let's continue our Christmas shopping," she declared, standing to her feet. "What you want to get your parents is something with meaning, not with a high price tag. Let's head to a mall, there'll be lots of choices there for us to look through."

"Are you getting anybody presents?" I asked her nonchalantly, and she grinned widely while raising an eyebrow at me.

"Hmmm, maybe," she replied secretively, and I just huffed. We took a subway ride to the nearest mall, and I groaned at how crowded the place already was. I normally didn't mind crowds, but here in the mall with all the loud music, yelling, and all the crazy smells, it was uncomfortable.

"What would you like?" Amanda asked, and I shrugged my shoulders before replying, "You don't have to get me anything, and honestly, I don't think you need to get Dad anything. Just having you in his life…he's ecstatic."

"Is he really?" she asked timidly, placing a delicate hand on my shoulder to get me to look at her. "I worry that I'm not what he expects or needs me to be. I worry that one day he'll realize that I gave him up, and he'll want nothing to do with me. Any suffering he went through, at least growing up is my fault."

"No, it isn't," I argued, shocked by how much doubt she was feeling. "You haven't been in his life long, but even I can tell Dad loves you, and that's not an easy feat. He's not the most trusting person, and he trusted you immediately because you're his mom. He doesn't hold what happened against you, and neither does anyone else. Yeah, he didn't have the best life growing up, but that's not your fault."

"What do you know of his childhood?" she asked in concern. "Was he mistreated?"

"No!" I immediately answered. "I mean, he wasn't abused or anything. He's told me that Howard sucked at being a dad. He was always criticizing Tony, but Tony also said that he knew Howard loved him. As for Maria, he says she was a good mother, and that he never doubted her love for him."

She seemed slightly mollified by my response, but then she asked, "What about in school? I know he skipped grades—too many, I feel. I'm not sure I would've allowed it," she spoke, face falling as she seemed to internally berate herself.

"Well, he was lonely in school because most people didn't understand him or want to hang out with a younger kid. He was bullied," I admitted, cringing when she gave a wince. "But, when he got to college at 14, he met Rhodey, and they became friends."

"And then his parents died in a car accident when he was sixteen, leaving him all alone," she added unhappily, looking more and more distressed. "Forgive me, Peter, but it doesn't sound like he had a very happy childhood at all. It sounds like he had a very lonely one."

I chewed on my bottom lip, not really knowing what to say. I wasn't an expert on Tony's past, but I did know some stories. None of them were stories I would want her to hear, though, not to mention I had no right to tell them to her as they weren't mine to share.

"Amanda, I know you love Tony, but please don't blame yourself for whatever happened to him in the past. He certainly doesn't blame you, so he'd never want you to blame yourself. Just focus on the present and on how good his life is right now. Focus on being a part of his life right now, because if you focus on when you weren't here, then the guilt will eat you up," I told her sagely.

Tears appeared briefly in her eyes before she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When her eyes opened once more, they were calm and endearing as she looked at me. "Have you always been this wise?" she asked, a slight teasing note in her tone.

"Pretty much since I was born," I replied cheekily, and she leaned closely to give me a kiss on the forehead. She smoothed back my hair as she backed away.

"Thank you," Amanda said with extreme gratitude. We smiled at each other, and then began the arduous task of Christmas shopping. What did you get for super heroes and people who could buy themselves whatever they wanted? Amanda said to get gifts with meaning. What kind of gifts had meaning? Maybe I could make something? But, what could I make that wouldn't come off as cheesy and childish? I was forever thankful for having Amanda here because she helped me find suitable gifts for everyone in my family. It took us more hours than I wanted, but all I had left to buy for now was Ned and MJ.

We were leaving the mall, intent on finding some place to eat when I noticed several people with cameras. Reporters, I realized belatedly, and before I could turn myself around, they were in my face.

"Peter! Peter! Can we have a moment?" one yelled, putting a phone in my face.

"Mr. Stark, look here!"

"Peter Stark, could you please talk with us?"

"Who is the woman you've been walking around with all day? Is she a relative?"

"Ma'am, who are you and how do you know young Mr. Stark?"

"Peter, please, have you seen the video?"

"What are your thoughts on the video that was released today?"

"Have you spoken with your father yet? What does he think about his parent's murder?"

I sucked in a breath, my blood running cold at what I'd just heard. "What're you talking about?" I asked sharply, Amanda's arm entwining with mine. We were surrounded now, questions being shouted in our faces, flashes of light blinding us, and cameras recording everything.

"You don't know?"

"Peter, look here! Look here!"

"Mr. Stark, I have the video, look here!"

"Madame, are you a relative of Peter or a friend of Tony Stark? Have you seen the video?"

A tablet was shoved in my face, the video of Tony's parent's deaths playing. It was the exact same one I'd seen a year ago, and I watched in mute horror, wondering how they had gotten hold of it.

"Dear god," I heard Amanda gasp, and I turned to see her with a hand covering her mouth, the same horrified look on her face as mine.

"Ma'am, Ma'am, please give us a statement. Tell us who you are!"

"Peter, what do you think about this? Did you know?"

"What do you think about the Winter Soldier having killed Tony's parents? Do you know who the Winter Soldier is?"

"Alright, that's _enough_!" Amanda yelled authoritatively, an arm wrapping around my shoulder. "My name is Amanda Strong, and if you know what's good for you, you will get out of the way! You should all feel ashamed of yourselves for accosting this young man with such a horrible video!" she roared, one hand held out, shoving cameras and reporters out of the way.

"Amanda Strong? The singer?"

"Ms. Strong, what is your connection to the Starks? What are you doing with Peter?"

"Mr. Stark, Mr. Stark, one statement, please!"

More questions were shouted out at me and her, but I drowned them out as Amanda bent my head down in an attempt to hide me from the reporters. The noises and lights in addition to the news that the elder Stark's murder was known to the world overwhelmed me, as did the insistent questions.

"Peter, what are your thoughts now that you've seen the video? Please, just a few words!" a reporter shouted right in my ear, and having enough of the chaos, I gently pushed Amanda's protective arm off me.

"You want a few words?" I asked rhetorically, my temper simmering. "Well, shut the hell up and listen!" I screamed, surprised when they actually fell silent. My heart pounded with adrenaline and nerves as my mind whirled with what to say. Amanda looked at me anxiously, wondering as much as the reporters what I was going to say. She hand a hand out as if she wanted to stop me, but didn't do so. God, how the heck had these guys found this out, anyways? Who had told them, because it certainly wasn't Tony.

I took in a deep breath to steady myself. I wanted to make sure my voice came out clear. "Okay, you want to know my thoughts on the video? I've already seen it." Questions began to be fired at me, but I held up a sharp hand and gave them all a narrow-eyed look that shut them up. I'd seen Tony do that before, but once again, I was surprised it worked with me. "I saw it last year when my dad showed it to me. He's known about this for well over a year, but he didn't want the media to know, because he knew you'd only make a spectacle of it. These are his parents we're talking about, and you guys are spreading this around and questioning him like it's nothing. Have you no shame?" I snapped, giving them looks of angry disappointment. "Have you no sympathy? His parents were murdered by Captain America's best friend, a man my dad trusted. How the hell do you think he feels? Sad. Angry. Hurt. Pissed off. _Betrayed_. You don't need to ask him to figure this out, you goddamn nosy leeches!" I snarled furiously, glaring at each one of them so fiercely a few of them even flinched.

"Howard and Maria Stark were murdered when my dad was sixteen, so could you please have some freaking tact when you blast this all over the TV, internet, magazines, and newspapers?!" I questioned, tears of anger and frustration coming to my eyes. I felt terrible for my dad as I could only imagine his reaction upon being accosted. I only hoped he'd had more forewarning than I did. "Seeing this video was almost like watching them die all over again. I mean, just imagine for one second, what it would be like to watch _your_ parents being killed. How would you feel?" I finished softly before I ripped one of the phones out a reporter's hands. Ignoring their startled yell, I crushed the phone in my hand. " _Bill me_ ," I hissed, and I grabbed hold of Amanda's hand and hauled her through the crowd, not-so-gently shoving people out of my way. The reporters, thankfully, did not follow us, no doubt too stunned by my actions…and to be honest, so was I.

As I began to digest what I'd done, I slowed down, and it became Amanda who was pulling me along now. She was on her phone, and as I listened in, I could hear her talking with Dad, rapidly explaining what had happened, barring my impromptu speech. He sounded extremely upset, and was apologizing profusely before letting us know Happy was already on his way. We continued to walk, knowing Happy would be able to find us through my tracker. Amanda tried to keep Tony on the phone, but he hung up, saying he needed to chew out the media for all this mess.

It took a mere ten minutes before Happy pulled up in a black car with tinted windows. Amanda and I immediately got in, glad to get off the street. When we got in, I promptly started questioning Happy.

"How did this happen, Happy? How's Dad? Did they get to him like they did me? Please tell me he knew about this beforehand," I nearly begged, unable to stand the thought of my dad being shocked by this news like I was.

"Woah, slow down, squirt," Happy replied, and I noticed he looked really stressed. "I have no idea how this happened. Tony's still trying to figure that out. A-and, yeah, he found out like you did." Amanda and I both let out groans, and my heart clenched as I imagined the pain Dad must be in.

"How is he?" I pressed, desperate to know if he was okay.

"He's Tony," he replied, and my brow furrowed as I wasn't quite sure what that meant.

"Happy," I called out, and he sighed heavily.

"He's fine, Peter," he said firmly, and I frowned, frustrated by the lack of information. I wanted to continue pestering him, but a hand on my shoulder stopped me. I gave Amanda a questioning look, and she just shook her head. She still looked shell shocked, but also immensely concerned. She gripped my hand tightly, patting it softly as if to reassure me, so I gave her a small smile.

Thankfully, with Happy's driving, it didn't take long for us to get home. We took the elevator straight up to my floor, and when we walked in, I saw all the Avengers were already here. Tony, Pepper, Rhodey, and Natasha were all on the phones, and out of all four, it was surprisingly Tony who looked the calmest. In fact, he looked far too calm. The TV was on, and Vision was flipping through different channels, many of which were showing snippets of the video, and talking about the Winter Soldier and who he used to be, Sergeant Bucky Barnes. Speculations as to why he'd murdered the Starks, if Hydra had been involved, and why Tony had been left alive.

There were more channels playing Tony's reaction to finding out, and my heart sunk when I saw his eyes widen, face paling before his expression went completely blank. His sunglasses were thrown on, further hiding his emotions as he attempted to walk away. Perhaps realizing he wouldn't be able to, or maybe realizing he'd have to say something eventually, he stopped. Turning to the reporters, he looked to the cameras with a look of utter disbelief and contempt. "Where the _fuck_ did you get this garbage?" he snarled furiously. "Do you think it's funny showing me something like this on the anniversary of my parent's death? Have some tact!" he snapped, making to walk away once more.

Oh shit, I thought with a sinking heart, my stomach clenching tightly as I realized I'd told the press a different story.

Feeling sick, I continued to watch as the reporters kept haggling Tony, insisting to him that the video was real, and had been given to them by a reputable source. "What source would that be?" Dad asked, whirling around and giving them all a heated glare. Journalists stuttered through different explanations, none of them knowing the exact source, so Tony scoffed loudly before sneering hatefully. "Any teenager with a decent software program can fake some bullshit video like that, but of course you guys are so eager for some goddamn drama about me that you'll swallow anything thrown your way!" The reporters continued to ask questions, but I could tell they were starting to doubt the validity of the video themselves. "If whoever you work for airs that video, then I will come down on you with all the might of Tony Stark, mark my words, you inept ass hats!" he threatened harshly, and with that he stormed off into the tower.

Wide eyes in horror at how badly I messed up, I looked at Amanda, noticing the way both hands were covering her mouth. Heart racing, I let out a whimper when the first channel showed my awful interview. Vision and Happy were the first to notice, and both looked to me in shock, Happy groaning loudly. Flipping to another channel, my interview was playing again, and this time the rest of the room's inhabitants were watching. I couldn't look at any of them, my eyes just glued to the television, my mistake live for everyone to see.

I heard Natasha and Rhodey utter curses right before Pepper moaned, "Oh no, Peter." Although I didn't want to, my eyes were drawn to Tony, whose eyes were uncharacteristically wide, his mouth open in shock. My muscles seemed to unfreeze at this point, my flight or fight instinct taking control. As Tony's eyes made to turn towards mine, I bolted for my room, ignoring anyone who called out to me. Anthony jumped to his feet, startled by my sudden entrance. Closing and locking my door, I jumped up to my hatch door, but not before it locked. Crud. Landing on the floor, I headed for my balcony door, but it too locked. I banged on the window, hoping it would break, but I was unsurprised when it didn't. I knew Dad had made it so I wouldn't be able to run when I panicked, but I hadn't really thought it'd work.

"Friday, please unlock the portal or the balcony door," I begged, and I whimpered when her apologetic response was, "I'm sorry Peter, but Mr. Stark has instructed that I not allow you to leave your room."

Anthony let out his own whimper, coming over and licking my hand compassionately. I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in his soft, dark fur.

 **Tony's POV:**

I watched in stunned silence as my troublesome spiderling tore out of the room in a panic towards his room. Without even processing what I'd seen on the television, I knew the teen was going to run, so I quickly ordered Friday to lock him in his room. Satisfied for the moment, I turned back to the drama on the television.

Out of all the days for Peter to overcome his shyness in front of the media, it had to be today. It had to be the day I wanted him to keep his mouth shut.

Goddammit!

Everyone was off the phones now and watching Peter's sensational interview on the TV. A part of me felt fierce pride in how he'd stood up for himself, but a larger part was downright pissed. What right did he have to tell the media these things? What right did he have to tell them my secrets?

I watched as my kid berated the reporters, giving the all vicious graves before stealing a phone and crushing it with his _bare hand_! What. The. Fuck! Where had his head gone?!

I heard an incredulous laugh from Rhodey as he commented, "Jeez, Tony, he looks and sounds just like you." I turned and shot my friend a vicious glare that seemed to startle him for he held up both hands defensively.

"Well, what're you going to do now, Tony?" Natasha asked, her voice uncharacteristically soft. "Peter's story contradicts yours, and we all know which one the media is going to stand behind."

"Have any of you figured out where the lead came from?" Bruce pressed.

Ignoring Natasha's question, I turned to Bruce and said, "The only people that knew were Barnes, Rogers, and that fucker Zemo, and out of the three of them, I can only see Zemo having given up this information, so my question becomes, _Why_?"

"Didn't you take all evidence about this with you when you left Siberia?" Rhodes asked, and I rubbed an irritable hand over my face before first nodding, and then shrugging. "Yes, I mean, I think—I thought I did," I answered, "but I was a little out of it at the time."

"What do you mean?" Amanda asked, looking both completely lost and disturbed.

I gripped my hair tightly, growling lowly before deciding to just tell her. "You've heard of the Winter Soldier?" I asked, and she nodded. "You know his real identity?" She nodded once more, slower this time.

"He was brainwashed by Hydra all those years ago," I informed her emotionlessly, "to be an assassin. They screwed his mind up to where he had no idea who he was anymore...He was sent to kill my parents and make it look like an accident. Do you remember the assassination of the Wakandan king?"

Eyes wide, face pale, she nodded her head. "The Winter Soldier was framed. It happened during the drama with the Sokovian Accords, which was what led to Captain Rogers and you…," she trailed off awkwardly.

"Zemo tricked the three of us into going to Siberia. He played that video, and I tried to kill Barnes. Rogers tried to stop me, and we got into a fight," I explained tersely. "The power source to my suit was destroyed, and I was not doing too hot when the fight ended. Barnes and Rogers disappeared, and as embarrassing as it is to admit, I was kind of stuck there freezing my ass off until T'Challa showed up. He helped me get out of my suit, and all I did was grab the tape before we left. There could've been more copies there, yeah, but I never went back, and that's on me," I finished, internally cursing myself over and over. I allowed emotions to keep me from going back and looking for what else that old Russian base had.

"Tony, love, you're not at fault in the slightest," Pepper stated, but I just scoffed loudly before waving her words away.

I paced around the room, feeling increasingly angry at all the emotions being brought up by that god forsaken video. It was like reliving Siberia and my parents' deaths all over again. God, why the hell did things have to go like this? Why did the world have to know everything about me? Could I not have any secrets from them?! When I'd been confronted this afternoon by those leeches throwing that video in my face, I'd nearly freaked. It was the anniversary of their deaths once again, and this shit show had to occur. It'd been incredibly difficult to hide my emotions and denounce the video as fake. Being an excellent liar, it hadn't taken much for them to believe me. After all the phone calls we'd been making, I thought we were starting to get a handle on this, but then…then my unpredictable little spider had to open his big mouth.

"Tony, come on man, take a breath and relax," Rhodey spoke in concern, but I completely ignored him.

Why could things never be easy? Why was life so hard and unfair? I gritted my teeth tightly before letting out a guttural yell and punching the wall as hard as I could. Unfortunately, with the building material I used, instead of the wall breaking, it was the bones in my fist that snapped.

"Tony!" Pepper shrieked, sounding outraged, and I heard as Rhodey cursed and Natasha and Bruce sighed. Pepper ran up to me, and made to look at my hand, but I yanked it away before she could grab hold of it. My temper had reached boiling point. I was tired, so _tired_ of all the bullshit that kept happening to me. Did my life always have to be a shit show? Did everybody in the world need to see my every move? My every mistake? Did they need to know about my parents' murder? Did they have to psycho analyze what I must be feeling in regards to Barnes being the murderer, and how he was Roger's best friend and a former friend of my dad?

Growling, I walked over to my desk, throwing everything off it. Natasha made to come near me, but the challenging look I tossed her way caused her to pause, not out of fear or surprise, but out of resignation as she knew approaching me would end with a fight, and she didn't want to fight me when I was in this state. I wanted to fight, though. I wanted to hurt someone. I wanted to hurt myself.

 _Fuck!_ I was stressed. It was like this stupid event that really had nothing to do with me had been the last straw. It'd reopened old wounds, and reminded me of everything that was wrong. Everything that I had to fix. The mistakes I'd made. This stupid video was a weakness against me. It was something that shouldn't hurt me, but did. Why was I so pathetically weak?

I stormed out of the room, headed straight for my lab. "Don't follow me!" I roared furiously, not wanting anyone to see any more of my shameful loss of temper. I also didn't want to hurt any of them, physically or emotionally. It was only I that needed to suffer. The urge for a strong drink was overwhelming, and I just wanted to get flat out drunk, so I could forget.

I barged into the lab in a flurry, heading straight for my liquor cabinet. I attempted to open it, but it wouldn't.

"Friday, unlock this," I ordered hoarsely.

"Mr. Stark, sir, may I advise you that"—

"You can advise me of nothing!" I snapped. "Open it!"

"Sir, this a terrible idea. You will regret it," she spoke sternly, and I was stunned at the fact that my own AI, my creation, was refusing an order.

Letting out a roar of frustration and anger, I punched the liquor cabinet over and over, the pain from my shattering bones feeling good. My need to drink, though was too powerful, so I snarled out an icy order. "Friday, you will open this door this instant! I created you and I can sure as hell disable you and replace you! You are _nothing_!"

Silence greeted my hateful words, and I felt a twinge of regret that I brushed away when the cabinet unlocked itself. I grabbed the first bottle, screwed off the cap and froze, unable to bring myself to drink it. Shocked, I stared at the bottle uncomprehendingly. What the hell?

Walking away from the cabinet, I pulled up several screens and began looking through several channels, watching over and over my parents' murder and Peter's impromptu interview. Other channels began to play over my reaction, not to the video, but to finding out about their death back when I was sixteen. For fucks' sake, were they for real? They were bringing up footage of my shock, my indifference at the funeral, and my drunken escapade afterward. My shameful behavior once again on TV for a new generation to see. Supposed experts were hashing out the effects this newfound video would have on me, and there were even a couple schmucks speculating that I could have had a hand in my own parents' murders.

Horrified, I made to take a drink, and this time I was able to take not just a drink, but gulp down the entire bottle like it was nothing more than water. The burn down my throat felt good, and throwing the empty bottle against a wall, I rushed off to grab another, only to freeze when I saw someone standing in front of the cabinet.

Glaring furiously at one of the cameras in the lab, I cursed Friday out loud. "I have plenty of replacements for you, Friday! Who told you, you could let anyone in here?!"

"You did not order me not to, _sir_ ," she replied snarkily, and I had to resist the urge to throw something at one of the cameras childishly.

Arms crossed and with a seriously unimpressed expression, Amanda stared me down. I wasn't quite sure what to say or how to react. "Need something?" I asked lightly, and she cocked her head before replying, "Me, darling? No, I think it's best _you_ head up to bed, though and get some rest. You look like you could use it," she responded, her tone just as light. The look in her eyes, however, was of disappointment, and I was momentarily taken aback.

" _No_. No, no, no! _You_ have no right to look at me like that," I hissed, closing the distance between us.

"Like what?" she asked, arching up an eyebrow.

"Disappointed," I snapped, flushing when my voice cracked with emotion. "You don't know me"—

"I know enough, Anthony," she replied calmly, and before I could form a retort, she continued speaking. "I know what it's like to want to drown away your sorrows because I've been there. I know what it's like to feel so angry with yourself that you want to hurt yourself," she spoke, pulling up a sleeve to show me old scars from where she had clearly cut herself. "This, what you're doing is beneath you."

I felt a surge of sorrow at what she said, and how she'd suffered, but I could feel the alcohol taking effect, and I liked the way it felt. Stepping around her, I walked in the direction of my mini-bar, and was reaching out a hand to grab one when Amanda grabbed hold of my shoulder and whirled me around. I glared, a look that normally caused most people to at least take a step back. She, on the other hand, glared back just as strongly, her grip on my arm tight.

"I will not stand by and let you drink away your problems, Anthony," she scolded sternly.

"Let me?" I choked out disbelievingly, giving a humorless laugh that had her frowning. I plastered a grin on my face as I told her, "Nobody has ever been able to tell me what to do even when I was a kid, so what makes you think I'll listen to you?" Disappointed eyes turned to disapproval, and it ate away at me, so I yanked my arm from her grasp and grabbed myself a bottle of vodka. Bitterness and hurt filled me as I screwed off the cap. Yet another parent I've let down. Screw this, I thought, lifting the bottle to take a drink.

"Anthony Edward Stark, that is _enough_!" Amanda declared loudly, ripping the bottle from my hand and tossing it to the floor with a loud crash. I stared at the broken bottle uncomprehendingly before letting out a startled yelp when I found myself being hauled by the collar of my dress shirt. I was unceremoniously shoved into one of my chairs before I managed to regain my wits.

"Amanda, you"—I began to speak as I attempted to stand up, but she shoved my chest, knocking me back into the chair as she snapped, "Sit down and close your mouth for a few goddamn seconds, young man," she ordered strictly, and it could've been her tone, expression, or the mere fact that she wasn't putting up with my bullshit, but I fell silent. The look she pinned me with caused me to squirm uncomfortably, and I ended up looking away as I didn't enjoy the look in her eyes. There were several tense moments of silence where I felt her eyes drilling holes into me.

"I'm not going to pretend to understand what's going on in that brilliant head of yours," she began to lecture, "but I'm not going to just stand here and let you harm yourself."

"You don't get to"—I argued, but once again she cut me off.

"Yes, I do, and it isn't because I'm your mother, but because I care," she retorted firmly. "I care too much to watch you ruin yourself because things have gotten tough. You know you're not alone, so this behavior was completely unnecessary. Just look at the state of your hand," she chastised, gently taking hold of my injured hand. She made a loud tsk sound as she took in the damage, but I said nothing, my mind focused more on her scolding words.

She was right. My behavior was unacceptable. This was old Tony behavior, shameful, weak, and pathetic. I'd resorted to drinking. I'd wanted to get drunk. I looked at my broken hand for the first time, grimacing at the blood and beginnings of bruising. My hand was released for a few moments before it was grabbed again, a warm, wet washcloth being gently dabbed on it.

"I'm sorry," I murmured, and her eyes locked with mine. I saw them soften before she let out a heavy sigh.

"You should be," she stated, standing up with her hands resting on her hips. My cheeks reddened, and I looked away again.

"I'm gonna put a cast on this," I told her, so that she would let me up, and as I stood up, she didn't stop me. I moved over to the medical supplies and grabbed a brace I'd created for instances like these. I wouldn't want to put up with an actual cast, so this brace would work the same way, but I'd be able to take it off when I wanted. It also looked a lot cooler, with a nice Iron Man logo on it. I bit back a grunt as the brace tightened on my hand. Damn, that hurt!

"Friday," I called out, and I received no answer in response. "Friday!"

"Yes, sir?" she replied coolly, and I cringed as I recalled how awful I'd been to her. Pulling out some aspirin, I popped them into my mouth, dry swallowing them. I could feel my mother's eyes on me as I walked aimlessly around my lab, mustering up the courage to apologize to Friday and her.

"Friday, I'm sorry," I finally said, deciding she was the easier of the two to deal with. "The things I said were awful and wrong. I'd never replace you," I insisted, looking straight into one of her cameras. "You were only looking to help, and I threw it back in your face. Could you please forgive me?" As I spoke these words, I realized Friday had never quite seen me like this. Jarvis had been all too familiar with my drunken binges and temper tantrums. He'd known that when I yelled vicious insults or threats at him, that I didn't mean it. Friday didn't.

"Already forgiven, Mr. Stark," she responded, and while I sensed her honesty, I could tell she was still upset. I'd have to work at making it up to her. Taking in a huge breath, I slowly ambled my way over to Amanda, whose expression was hard for me to decipher. Looking away, my attention was drawn to the television screens. Amanda followed my eyes, and I watched as her expression seemed to fall, her eyes sad.

"This is awful," she said as she made her way to me. "It pains me to see you suffering so much. The media can be cruel."

I snorted loudly, letting out a loud, bitter laugh. "You need to talk to someone about what went through your head today, Anthony. It could be me, Pepper, one of your friends, or a therapist for all I care, but it must be someone. Something was triggered today, and it needs to be dealt with."

"Amanda," I responded wearily, "it's fine. This was a one-time thing, and it won't happen again. Stupid moment of weakness."

She shook her head sharply, though, before grabbing hold of my chin and forcing me to look at one of my floating screens, where there was wonderful footage of me making a drunken fool of myself when I was sixteen. "This was not a one-time thing," she hissed. "You can't fool a fellow alcoholic, sweetheart. You've had this wretched habit of drowning your sorrows since child-hood, so you can't just expect it to vanish because you want it to. It's called an addiction. _You know this_."

I let out a harsh, irritable sigh, glaring at the floor as I nodded in understanding. I was an alcoholic, and the innate need to drink away my problems would never go away. I felt shame that I'd given in today for such a ridiculous reason. I'd faced worse. Having the video of my parents' murder shown to the world shouldn't have pushed me to this. Goddammit, she was right. I did need to talk to someone, but I didn't know who. I was tired, so, so tired. My chest ached, and I felt a sudden, overwhelming sadness overcome me. This didn't make sense. Why did this hurt so much? Why was it this incident that pushed me to this pitiful state? Stupid alcohol.

My hand found its way up to my chest, right over where my arc reactor used to be, and I dug my fingers in. I wanted to stop the pain, although I knew it wasn't a physical pain, but emotional. Clawing at my button up shirt, I opened it up so that I could stare at my scars, assuring myself that I wasn't physically wounded—that the arc reactor wasn't still there. I let out a loud gasp when I felt Amanda's hand grab onto mine, pulling it away from my chest.

"Anthony, love, you'll hurt yourself," she spoke softly, firmly yet gently guiding me to a chair. She forced me to sit, once again grabbing hold of my hand to keep me from clawing at my chest.

"It hurts," I told her, internally cringing at how my voice came out so small. One of my mother's hand grabbed hold of both of mine, and I watched warily as her other came up and was placed softly over my scar.

"I know it does," she said compassionately, her hand still on my chest, and I looked at her eyes, so much like mine, and not just in color. They reflected my mood, my pain, my ache. "You hold too much inside of you, and you place too many burdens on your shoulders. You need to let go."

I rapidly shook my head, saying, "No, I can't. Not now."

"You don't have to do it right now," she reassured me, "but it does need to happen. Events like this will continue to occur if you don't deal with it."

I looked dully over at the screens, watched the murders, and watched my shame. "Why does something that happened so long ago still cause me pain?" I asked, knowing she'd suffered.

Her face turned pained as she caressed my cheek softly. "Because you only recently found out about the murders, and in a terrible way. You haven't dealt with it, even though you tell yourself you have. I know what that's like, Anthony."

I placed my hand over hers, my lips quirking into a small smile. "You always going to call me Anthony?" I asked curiously, and her own lips formed a smile as she nodded. I rolled my eyes, no longer feeling the need to argue about that. In fact, I honestly liked it. Nobody called me Anthony. Just her. Only her.

"I'm sorry," I murmured honestly, and she shushed me, cradling my head in her arms.

"You have nothing to apologize for," she insisted, releasing her hold on me.

"Thank you, then," I told her, and she nodded her head, replying, "Much better. Unnecessary, but better." I huffed, looking down at my scarred chest with some embarrassment now. I looked at her curious eyes, and was about to explain, but she shook her head.

"I would like an explanation, but today is not that day," she stated. "Your future wife, son, and friends are extremely worried about you, and it'd be best if you go and tell them you're fine."

Guilt and concern flashed through me, especially when I recalled how Peter had fearfully run to his room.

"Peter," I gasped, standing to my feet, and Amanda quickly told me, "Pepper is with him." I calmed immediately, although I still felt guilty for the fear I'd seen on the teen's face.

I looked to my mother with gratefulness and pulled her in for a tight hug. I couldn't bring myself to say, I love you, or you're a wonderful mother, so I hoped my hug would express those feelings. When we broke apart, there were tears in her eyes that let me know she'd understood. She patted my cheek once more before we both headed in direction of the living room. Tense silence greeted me as I walked in, and I threw a cheery grin towards my friends. When they responded with disbelieving, unamused, and even angry expressions, I dropped the façade, and shot them an apologetic look.

"Sorry," I spoke, and a few sighs were given before Rhodey came over and punched me lightly in the shoulder. He opened his mouth to speak before wrinkling his nose. "You've been drinking," he accused in disappointment, and I fought to maintain his gaze as I nodded.

"None of that," Amanda spoke in a commanding voice, eyeing everyone in the room. Rhodey, Bruce, and Happy's eyebrows rose in surprise while Natasha just smirked. She looked to me, walked towards me and then past me. I tensed, awaiting a smack, letting out a relieved sigh when she did nothing. I groaned aloud, though, when she calmly told me that I was due for an early morning training session tomorrow. That would be her punishment to me. Crud.

"I believe it is time we all retire," Vision stated calmly. "We can deal with the ramifications of today's events tomorrow when we are all more clear-headed." I found some humor in Vision being the one to state this, seeing as he was the only one in the room who didn't need to rest. The others were in agreement with Vision, so they calmly began to leave, giving me sympathetic looks or pats on the back.

Throwing my mother one last thankful look, I quickly headed towards Peter's room. The door was opened, and I quietly walked in to see Peter sleeping in Pepper's arms with Anthony laying on his legs. Upon seeing me, she gently extricated herself from Peter's grasp and rushed over, pulling me in for a loving hug. She kissed me on the lips deeply before breaking apart to look me in the eyes.

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "I know I've been drinking, and I know it was wrong. It won't happen again," I told her genuinely, and she just nodded her head.

"It's okay, Tony, I understand," she replied, and I looked at her incredulously. How could she forgive me so easily?

She seemed to easily read the question on my face for she smiled lovingly before speaking. "I can see your sorrow and apology in your eyes, which honestly isn't something I've ever seen when you drink. We clearly need to talk, but right now, our son needs you. He thinks you're furious, and plan to punish him." I groaned sadly as I looked over at my little spider.

"I'll stay with him," I told her. "He'll no doubt have nightmares tonight because he's afraid he's upset me." She nodded in agreement, gave me a kiss on the cheek, and left the room, closing the door behind her softly.

Shedding my jacket and shoes, I lay myself down next to the teen, smiling softly when he sleepily wrapped his arm around my waist. Anthony gave a huff, giving me a sleepy look before moving over and laying himself down on Peter's other side. I settled myself on the bed, resting my head on my boy's before trying to fall asleep. Because there were so many thoughts going through my mind, sleep proved difficult. I could feel myself beginning to drift when Peter let out a yell, jerking awake with gasping breaths. I hugged him to me, speaking calming words until he got his breathing under control. When he did, he jerked once more, away from me this time in surprise.

"Dad," he gasped, looking highly nervous before beginning to babble incoherently. I didn't need to understand his words, though, to know he was apologizing for what he'd said to the reporters.

"Hey, hey, hey, pal, it's okay. Shush now, I'm not mad, I promise," I assured him until he finally fell silent, looking at me with wide eyes.

"You're really not mad at me? I ruined what you wanted the media to know," he stated, and I smoothed his long hair out of his face. This kid needed a haircut, I thought absentmindedly.

"I'm not mad," I repeated firmly, and I felt relief when I watched him begin to calm.

"No spanking?" he questioned nervously, and I smiled before saying, "No spanking." An amused chuckle escaped me at the huge breath of relief he gave. He glared at my laugh, poking me in the ribs. He looked very much like a kitten with its claws out, so I gave another laugh.

"Not funny," he grumbled with a pout, "I really thought you were gonna wallop me."

"Sorry, pal," I told him genuinely. "Truthfully, if anybody deserves a walloping, it's me."

"What?" he asked in wide-eyed shock, and I chuckled.

"I had a bit of a temper tantrum," I admitted, "broke my hand, and tried to get drunk." Peter's astonished eyes gently held my broken hand, examining it before looking back at me. "It was stupid, and totally embarrassing, especially when Amanda had to come in and set me straight."

Some of the shock in his eyes turned to amusement. "Your _mom_? Did she spank you?!"

"God, no, I'm way too old for that," I immediately answered with a roll of my eyes. He laughed delightedly, so I flicked him on the nose. "I've just got a lovely training session set up with your crazy spider aunt tomorrow. I honestly think I would prefer sore backside." He laughed even louder, and I huffed, not really upset but playing a part.

"So, you were pretty badass in that interview," I remarked, giving the reddening boy a raised eyebrow. "Thought you didn't like talking to reporters."

"Well, they were being pushy, and I was angry," he defended uncomfortably. "I'm sorry for being so rude with them…and for breaking that guy's phone," he added with a wince.

I chuckled lowly, placing a kiss on the teen's head. "I completely understand, pal. God knows I've reacted the same way too many times to count. I'm actually proud of you," I told him, and surprised eyes flicked up to mine. "I love that you stood up for yourself, and I know you did it to protect me. You were angry, yeah, but you kept your head on. You didn't come off like a kid throwing a tantrum; well, not until you crushed that phone."

There was a small smile on Peter's face, his eyes lighting up at my pride in him. There was still apology, though, because of the phone.

"Crushing the phone wasn't smart," I scolded lightly. "Not many people can do that."

"I'm sorry," my spiderling apologized, hand fiddling with one of the buttons on my shirt.

"Next time, throw the phone," I said, and he looked to me, completely taken aback.

"Wait, what?" he asked in bewilderment.

I grinned mischievously, shrugging before saying, "And that 'bill me' line? Awesome, but you totally stole it from me. I take it you saw my foolish interview directed towards the Mandarin?"

Peter grinned back at me, nodding his head while looking somewhat abashed.

"That's my boy," I murmured into his hair, and he buried his head into my chest. I could see his pleased smile.

It took only a few seconds for that smile to dim as he hesitantly asked, "You okay, Dad?"

My own smile fell, my hand rubbing up and down his arm before honestly answering, "Not really." I held my hand up as evidence, a self-deprecating smile on my face. He very gently ran a finger over my injured hand.

"My fault?" he pressed in a small voice.

"Not at all," I responded firmly, making sure he was looking at me. "I keep my emotions buried—old habit, and sometimes they get the better of me. I know I need to work on that, talk to someone, I get that. A lot of stuff is going on, and I can't ever turn off my brain. This stupid event just triggered an avalanche of shit in my mind, and I-I, uh, reacted badly."

Peter stared at me in deep concern before he slowly nodded his head. "I love you, Dad, and I know you don't think I need to know all the crap that you go through, but I'm here to help if you need it."

"I know that, pal, I really do, and I love you too," I told him, pulling him close to me.

"Oh, and uh, please don't be mad, but Amanda knows about me being Spider man. It slipped out today because I just figured you'd have told her. It was dumb, I know," he rambled, and I sighed before placing a finger to his mouth.

"It's fine, she won't tell anyone," I assured him. With everything that had happened today, I didn't care at all that she knew. She would never tell anyone. My worrisome spider started to talk once more, but I just shook my head in amusement. "Hush now, little spider, time to sleep." He fell silent, wrapping his arms around me and obediently closed his eyes. There was a smile on his face that warmed my heart. I closed my own eyes, and found sleep easier this time as I knew my kid was okay.

 **A/N:** **This will be the last chapter with Amanda for a bit. I may include phone calls or video messaging with her, but I won't bring her back any time soon. At least, I don't think so. Perhaps I shouldn't make promises. Oh well. Anyways, hope you enjoyed. Kind of felt the need to show that Tony isn't 100% okay with everything that's happened in his life. Things have been going really well for him, but there's a lot of stuff he hasn't dealt with, but just buried. Not sure I'll delve into this next chapter, though, as I'd like to have a little fun with Peter. Hope you enjoyed! Please review!**


	50. Chapter 50

**A/N: HOLY SHIT, HAVE YOU SEEN THE AVENGERS TRAILER?! It's kick ass! I can't WAIT until May 4** **th** **!**

 **Okay, I know this next chapter was Peter-centric, but another idea struck me. I actually wrote the majority of that chapter, but changed my mind, deciding Tony needed to deal with the video coming out by giving an interview. Sorry this took so long to come out. I haven't lost interest, but I've found other hobbies that are taking up my time.**

 **Chapter 50: The Interview**

 **Tony's POV:**

"Quit fidgeting, kiddo," I told Peter as he pulled at his bowtie.

"It's suffocating me," he whined, and I rolled my eyes before pulling it off him, and unbuttoning the first few buttons of his shirt.

"There, noose off," I told him, placing hand on each of his shoulders, and rubbing them reassuringly.

Peter gave me a nod, taking in a shaky breath. He looked at me with wide eyes and a pale face that revealed how nervous he was about all of this.

"You don't have to do this," I assured him with an easy smile. "I'm already giving my own interview, and you know I can fill up an entire hour all on my own."

"No, it's fine, Dad, I can do this," Peter insisted. "I'm just really nervous. I've never done anything like this before, and what if I say the wrong thing? What if I sound stupid? What if I embarrass you?" I stared at my panicking boy, and my heart ached for him. How many times had those thoughts gone through my head when I was a kid?

"Hey, little spider," I spoke softly as I wrapped the boy in my arms. "You could _never_ be an embarrassment to me. Just be your regular, weird, lovable self. I can sit right with you during the interview, if you need me to, remember that."

He hid his face in my chest, inhaling deeply before breaking apart. "I can do this," he declared with more confidence that I knew he felt.

"Okay," I replied. "Just know that you can say no whenever you want, before, during, or afterwards. You understand?"

"Yes, Dad, I understand," he answered.

"Let's go," I stated, placing a hand on his back as I led him into the building. 60 minutes. I'd agreed to an interview with them after the whole shit show from two days ago when that goddamn video of my parents' murder surfaced. It'd been quite some time since I'd given an interview, and I'd chosen them because I respected the interviewer, Carol James. She was still a reporter with her own agenda, but she had a moral compass. I told her I'd answer whatever questions she wanted as long as she'd be gentle with my boy. She happily agreed.

The reason Peter was brought into this interview was because just how people were pushing me to talk about my parents' murders, people were pushing for people to give an interview about himself. He'd been adopted over half a year ago and had never given a single interview. Twice, he'd given impromptu talks to the reporters (both times to defend me, I realized), but never an official one. I'd been fending off questions and reporters for a while, but after this last incident, if Peter didn't agree to this, then I wouldn't be able to stop him from being followed and hounded constantly.

My spiderling had agreed easily, but I'd seen his nervousness even then. He didn't like being in the spotlight. He wasn't an extrovert. He wasn't me. I knew how to handle and enjoy the limelight, but Peter didn't. This was why I wasn't holding a press conference as Peter could've become overwhelmed with dozens of people staring at him and asking questions.

"Mr. Stark, it's a pleasure to see you, as always!" Carol James exclaimed, shaking my hand with both of hers.

"Carol James, you are looking as lovely as ever," I replied, gracing her with my dashing Tony Stark grin. She was a professional, though, so instead of blushing, she just raised an eyebrow and laughed. "Call me Tony, by the way," I added as I pulled Peter forward. "With two Mr. Starks in the room, it's best we go on a first name basis. I'm Tony and this is Peter, my son."

Carol's smile brightened as she extended her hand. "It's wonderful to finally meet you, Peter," she said with genuine kindness, and Peter blushed as he shook her hand and replied, "Um, t-thank you. Nice to meet you too." I watched her eyes soften, and I swore she was about to coo, but thankfully professionalism won out, and she settled with a kind smile.

It was decided that I would be interviewed first, half the show being dedicated to my thoughts regarding my parents' murders. The second half would be dedicated to getting to know Peter. My kid would be frontloaded questions to review as I went through my interview, and I could sit in on or intervene in Peter's interview if I felt the need to. I also had final say on whether his part of the interview would be broadcast. If not, I agreed to filling up the entire broadcast with questions of their choosing.

To top it all off, and to satiate the media's curiosity for at least a couple months, I agreed to a photo shoot at the Avengers tower for _Time_ magazine. Tony, Nat, Bruce, Vision, and Pepper all agreed to give statements and take pictures showing what life was like in Avengers tower. Peter would be photographed, but not interviewed. Oh yeah, and Anthony would be photographed as well. According to Peter, the mutt was ecstatic. Thankfully, he couldn't talk. Who knows what story the dog would come up with.

Peter and I were taken into a dressing room where we were both sat down. Make-up artists approached us, and I couldn't help but smirk at how the majority of them went over to Peter. The girls either cooed or flirted with him, and I watched as he squirmed and blushed. When his face took on a panicked expression, I decided to speak up.

"Ladies and _gentleman_ , my young son is considered jailbait, and potentially a _very expensive_ sexual harassment law-suit," I called out casually, and the gal working on my face snorted in amusement when several of her co-workers fell silent, and some even blushed. Thankfully, all but one dispersed, leaving my thoroughly embarrassed spiderling alone.

"Okay, Mr. Stark, you're all set," the woman working on me stated with a shy smile, and I grinned back before getting up. Peter was handed a sheet of paper with the questions he could be asked. I walked over and roved my eyes over them. Nothing too deep, it seemed.

"You can always say no," I reminded him, and he nodded distractedly, no doubt attempting to figure out what his answers would be.

"Doesn't look too bad," he mumbled, and I had to resist the urge to ruffle his hair, lest I ruin it.

"You ready, Tony?" Carol asked, looking us both over approvingly, and we both nodded.

"Okay, Peter, please sit on over here. You'll be able to watch Tony's interview," she explained, and my kid flicked his eyes to me. I gave him a grin that he returned, before he walked over to his seat. Carol motioned for me to sit on the couch across from her, and I did so.

"Let's get things started," I declared grandly, arms spread wide. Carol smirked at me before motioning for the cameras to start rolling.

The questions started easy as she was just confirming facts. She asked how I originally saw the video, and I was mostly honest, telling her that Zemo had lured me and rogers to Siberia separately, where he'd shown us the video to tear us apart; and that it'd worked. I'd gone after the Winter Soldier, and he'd stopped me.

"That must've been incredibly difficult, Tony," Carol responded sympathetically. "Steve Rogers was your friend, yet he not just stopped you, but he fought against you as well. Do you think your friendship can ever be repaired?"

"Yes," I answered immediately, and her eyebrows rose in shock and disbelief. "I'm pissed, of course, and it'll take time and work, but I can see us being friends again." This was truth. I was not just willing, but I _wanted_ to be friends with Steve again, despite how self-righteous and infuriating he could be.

"Even though he's best friends with your parents' murderer? Even though he's not signed the Sokovian Accords?" she pressed curiously.

"I have no love for Bucky Barnes," I admitted softly. "I'll never be able to get the image of what he did out of my head, but I've had enough time to see past the rage I felt the first time I saw that video, meaning I won't try and kill him if I see him again. I know he was brainwashed. I know what Hydra did to him, and that he wasn't in control when he was sent out to…do whatever they wanted him to," I explained. "As for the Accords, nothing lasts forever," I stated with a cryptic smile. Carol narrowed her eyes, but I spoke again before she did. "Admittedly, repairing my friendship with the old man would be easier if I could actually talk to him, but I'm willing to let bygones be bygones. I'd also like to punch him in the face, to be honest," I added amusedly.

"Let's go back to the video," Carol redirected, her voice turning gentle. "What was going through your mind as you watched it? You admitted to attacking the Winter Soldier afterwards, so clearly you felt anger."

I let out a sigh. I was more than prepared for this question, but that didn't make it any easier to answer. I didn't owe the people of America or the world any explanation, but as always, my opinion didn't matter. They felt they had the right to know every last piece of every minute of my life; and, not just what happened, but what I thought as well. Hurray, me, I thought sarcastically.

"My first reaction was shock," I told her. "I've thought since I was sixteen that my parents died in a car accident, and to be honest, I'd even thought that my dad must've been drunk." I looked down at my hands briefly in shame before shooting Carol a grim smile. "Everyone knows I didn't have the best relationship with my dad. We just didn't see eye to eye, and I was a dumb kid who did everything possible to piss him off. I still loved him, though, and I knew he loved me. My mom, on the other hand, we always had a great relationship. I never doubted her love for me." I paused now, reining in the sorrow that coursed through me.

"Watching them die—no, not just die, but be _murdered_ on that video was…I can't even put it into words how horrible it was," I recounted morosely. "I watched my dad crawl out of his car, begging _–_ The Great Howard Stark— _begging_ for someone to help my mom. Barnes pulled him up by his hair, and my dad, y'know, he recognized him. They knew each other from way back," I explained, a humorless laugh escaping me. "Barnes bashed his face in, and then calmly placed him back in the car. With an expressionless face, he then walked to the passenger seat, and choked the life out of my mother." I gritted my teeth tightly, swallowing back my emotions. Instead of looking at Carol, my eyes went to my kid, who looked to me with eyes full of sympathy. He looked ready to rush over and hug me, and that managed to bring a small smile to my face.

Carol's expression was mournful at she watched me, and she gave me a few moments to compose myself before speaking again. "Why did you lie to the reporters when they confronted you?"

I smiled as I shot her and the camera a weary look. "The media has recorded my every moment from the day I was born," I told her, only letting mild bitterness escape me. "All my triumphs and mistakes, but, mostly my mistakes, because that's jucier gossip. _Every_ part of my life is on the internet for anyone to Google. Everybody believes because they've read and seen my life that they know who I am, and that they can judge me. They believe they have the _right_ to know not just details of what happened, but of what _I_ think about." Carol's expression turned guilty first and then ashamed as I spoke, so I shot her a gentle smile to let her know I wasn't upset with her. "I wanted to keep this tragedy to myself," I confessed softly. "I wanted to mourn them on my own and without cameras in my face like when I was sixteen. I should've known better, though," I remarked with a shrug.

"Peter, your son, told the reporters the truth, which is why you're here, isn't it?" she asked, and I nodded my head.

"Yup," I answered. "I don't blame him, though," I quickly asserted, flicking my eyes over to Peter, who looked apologetic. "The truth always comes out eventually. I lied because I was shocked, and not really ready to deal with my feelings regarding their murders publicly. This is my life," I declared, charming grin in place and arms spread wide. "I'm here to set the record straight on my thoughts regarding the video, and to disregard the ridiculous claim that I had anything to do with their murders," I growled lowly. "I was a dumb, sixteen-year old college kid struggling to be an adult when my parents were killed. Hydra were the bad guys from bedtime stories, and I had no idea SHIELD even existed until I became Iron Man, despite the fact that both my father and Aunt Peggy were the founders."

"Yes, I've seen those claims, and I for one _never_ in my wildest dreams believed them to be true," Carol remarked firmly. "In fact, anyone with a brain cell wouldn't have. This was just reporters looking to make a dime."

"I know," I responded, "but that doesn't mean there aren't a bunch of idiots out there who bought it. Anyhow, talking about the video was only one reason I wanted to do this interview. The second reason, which I find the more important one is regarding my son."

Carol's expression turned curious. "What would you like to say?"

My expression turned serious as I looked first at her, and then the camera. "The media can attack me all they want, but my son, Peter, is off limits. This is non-negotiable. I've lived my whole life dealing with people putting their noses into my business, but he won't go through that. I used to wish my parents would protect me, but they didn't, and that made me angry with them. Peter didn't grow up the way I did. He's not used to being followed and bombarded, or having people look into his life; so, _leave him be_ ," I ordered, voice and eyes hardening for only the briefest of moments before relaxing.

Carol nodded, voicing her agreement, and beginning to talk about how vicious paparazzi and journalists could be when searching for a story. The rest of our conversation went easily, Carol asking about my relationship with Peter, which I was all too happy to talk about. I spoke of how much I loved him and how proud of him I was. "He makes every day a great one," I explained with a happy smile. "I never thought I'd be a dad, but it's the best thing that's ever happened to me. He's so good, and as I've stated before, he makes me want to be better. I don't drink anymore. I don't party. I stay home when I'm not working, and I spend time with him and Pepper. We do family things like watching movies, going on hikes, and having dinner together. I know it sounds surreal and so un-Tony like, but it's the truth. Life is good."

Our interview ended shortly afterwards, and the camera was turned off. Peter rushed over and gave me a hug that I happily returned. I noticed not just Carol, but several female staff mentally cooing at the scene, and I resisted rolling my eyes.

Carol approached us when we pulled apart, and said, "Thank you, Tony, for being so candid and open. I must admit, I didn't expect you to be."

I smiled, before responding, "Yeah, I know. Honesty has never quite been my forte with the media. Things are different now, though."

"I can see that," she remarked, eyes flicking from Peter back to me. "Fatherhood looks good on you."

"I know," I stated cheekily, and she laughed while Peter snorted. Looking down at my boy, I then asked, "You ready?" He stiffened, anxiety entering his eyes. "Remember," I said for the umpteenth time, "You don't have to do this. I'm sure Carol here has many more questions she'd like to ask me if you're not up for this." I shot the woman a look, and she immediately nodded her head.

"We always have questions for you, Tony," she remarked, giving my son a kind look. "Take your time Peter, and let us know. No one here will force you to do anything you don't want to."

Peter seemed to relax some at his words before he took in several deep breaths. "I'm good," he told us both firmly, and I wasn't so sure he was telling the truth. He did seem determined, though, so I didn't argue. "Let's get this over with," he then said, and Carol's eyes went to mine questioningly. I nodded, and she led Peter over to the couch I'd been sitting at, setting him up with a microphone. I resisted the urge to sit with him during the interview. He wanted to do this on his own.

 **Peter's POV:**

"You ready?" Carol asked nicely, and I nodded my head, even though I wasn't sure I'd ever be ready. What if I froze? What if I said something stupid? What if I embarrassed Tony? What if I said something I wasn't supposed to? What if I made a fool of myself? What if I started crying or something? Everybody at my school was no doubt going to see or hear about this, so how would I live if I acted like an idiot?

I glanced over at my dad, and he graced me with a reassuring smile. Damn it. That look alone make me want to start crying, so I focused my eyes back on Carol, who was talking to one of her cameramen. Dad had done just fine. More than fine, actually, he'd been brilliant. He was well spoken, not stuttering even once. He didn't cry or say anything stupid, even though he was talking about his parents' murder.

He's also been doing this his whole life, another part of my brain reminded me. I hadn't, so that probably meant I'd come off looking stupid. God, why did I agree to this?

I winced when lights focused on me. Did they have to be so damn bright? And, they were so warm. I could feel myself sweating in this uncomfortable dress shirt. I hated dressing formally. It was uncomfortable, and scratchy, and too stiff. Dad had insisted I needed to look good, though, and I deferred to him, but I still wished I could've worn something less starchy.

Carol began to speak, introducing me to a fake audience before asking me my first questions.

"How are you, Peter?" she asked, and I felt my heart hammering. Answer, you freaking idiot!

"I'm good," I replied, relieved that my voice didn't crack or come out in a whisper.

"Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview," she stated. "America, if not the world, has been eager to get to know Tony Stark's adopted son. I can understand how scary that can be, though, especially when you grew up outside the spotlight, am I right?"

Really? She wanted me to admit to being scared? This wasn't on the list of questions, I thought dismally.

Maybe because they're just introduction questions, Peter. Quit being a dork.

"It's been tough," I admitted. "I went from nobody caring who I was to _everybody_ caring who I was. School was crazy."

"I bet it was," she stated with an understanding smile. "Did you have friends by your side to help you get through it?"

"Oh, yeah, definitely," I promptly answered with a true smile. "They've helped me get through the change, and they don't treat me any differently. It's a relief having something from…from _before_ ," I said, alluding to before my adoption.

"Is there a special lady in your life, or…" she trailed off, eyebrow raising suggestively, and I couldn't fight off the blush.

"I have a girlfriend," I admitted, "and she's the best. Keeps me grounded and sane."

She grinned, remarking how helpful friends could be, and how happy she was that I had people I could still trust. "One of the hardest things about being famous is finding genuine friends with no agenda," she said, and I nodded in agreement.

"Let's turn the clocks back now, Peter," Carol said. "Your parents died when you were three years old. A plane accident, right? And, then your aunt and uncle adopted you?"

"Yes, that's right," I replied, voice softening as I realized the topic was going to get more emotional.

"Do you remember your parents at all?" she asked, her tone gentle.

"Not really," I told her honestly. "I have a couple short flashes of memory like my mom reading me a story, and being carried on my dad's shoulders."

"Does it hurt to think about them?" she pressed, and I shook my head negatively. "It hurts knowing my parents died, but I never knew them, and the only reason I know what they look like is because of pictures"

She nodded her head in understanding. "How was life like with your aunt and uncle?" she then questioned.

"It was great," I told her. "They loved me very much, and they did everything they could to give me a good life. We weren't rich, but we weren't exactly poor either. We were like every other family, y'know?" I remarked with a light shrug. I wasn't sure what exactly she wanted to know, but I also didn't want to start getting into personal details.

"I do," she said with a gentle smile. "Your average American family," she said, and I nodded, relieved she wasn't pushing for more details. Carol looked down at some notes she had, and her expression was gentle and hesitant as she began to speak again. "You had eleven blissful years in a happy family, and then tragedy struck again with the death of your uncle when you were fourteen? What was that like?"

"He was murdered," I blurted out without thinking, reddening when her eyes turned curious. "A-a, um, it was a mugger. He shot him in cold blood," I told her angrily, my mind flashing back to the day. Running from home because I'd been angry. My uncle out looking for me, only to be gunned down for no goddamn reason.

"That must have been awful," Carol spoke sympathetically. "You were already working the Stark Internship at that point, weren't you?"

"Yeah, I'd been there for only about a month when it happened," I responded, hoping she wouldn't ask a lot of questions as I sucked at lying. "My aunt and I managed to move on, though. We got an apartment since we lost my uncle's income, but we were doing well. Having Tony come into my life at that point was a huge help," I admitted, speaking the truth. "Having that internship gave me a purpose. It took up my time, so that I didn't dwell on Uncle Ben's death."

"Tony mentioned previously that he'd go and spend time with you at your apartment because your aunt requested it? Can you tell me about that?" Carol requested curiously.

I smiled in amusement, recalling those days fondly. "Yeah, my aunt was really protective of me, and she didn't care who Tony was. If I was going to be spending so much time around him, then she wanted to get to know him."

"What was it like to have _the_ Tony Stark, _Iron Man_ , taking such interest in you?" she pressed. "I imagine it must've been shocking."

"It was shocking," I spoke in agreement. "I mean, I grew up as a huge fan of all the Avengers. My best friend and I used to watch all news footage on them, and we had costumes and toys, and…God, that's embarrassing, isn't it?" I mumbled more to myself, covering my reddening face with my hands.

Carol laughed as she shook her head. "Not at all, Peter. It makes perfect sense."

"Yeah, so he was, like, my hero, and then one day I meet him, and it was just crazy," I recounted, being purposefully vague on details. "The first couple months we knew each other I couldn't help but be nervous around him, worried I'd say something stupid or that I'd annoy him or something. As time went on, though, I found myself relaxing around him, and our conversations weren't so forced or one-sided anymore. I got to know who he really was. A kind, caring, crazy old man," I declared with a large grin, that caused Carol to laugh. A glance to my right showed Tony, eyes glinting in amusement.

"Is it safe to assume, Tony became sort of a father-figure for you at this point in your life? Seeing as your uncle was dead, it was only natural for him to take on that role, wasn't it?" she asked, and I frowned lightly.

"He was, but I never planned on it being that way. Like I said," I told her, "he was my hero first, and then a mentor. But, yeah, as the months went on and we got closer, I did start to see him like that."

"Did you talk to him about that?" Carol prodded, and I shook my head.

"No way," I responded instantly, "that would've been mortifying. I still couldn't get it out of my head that I was just Peter Parker and he was Tony Stark. I was embarrassed that I started to look to him like a dad, so I never told him as I was afraid he'd make fun of me or not want to see me anymore. Stupid, I know."

"No, no, not at all," Carol reassured me. "I imagine I would've reacted the same, honestly. Your situation was unbelievable, and, well, I'm sure you've heard this, but it's like something out of a movie."

"I know," I spoke grimly. "I've been called the real life Annie," I grumbled, and she laughed once more in amusement.

"A much better looking and charming Annie," she corrected, and I couldn't help but smile back at her.

Her expression then turned serious and grim, and I knew what topic she was about to broach. This was the one thing I'd feared talking most about. Aunt May's death. My heart began to pound, and my palms sweat. I yanked at my collar, even though it wasn't buttoned up.

"Tell us about your aunt's death. You were the one to find her, correct?" Carol asked, and my mind immediately went back to that morning. I gripped my pants tightly, the memory of my dead aunt sitting slumped over on her bed filling my mind. The horror, panic, and devastation I'd felt hit me, and my heart beat even faster. I was sure the microphone had to be picking up on the sound. My breathing rate increased, and I looked over to Tony, and the second our eyes met, he was on his feet, rushing over to me. My head was pounding, so I didn't hear what he said to Carol. I did notice, though, when he knelt before me and placed his gentle hands on both sides of my face.

"Hey, pal, look at me," he spoke softly. "Let's take some deep breaths, okay? In and out. In and out. Good boy, there you go," he said soothingly, arms sliding down to my shoulders that he began to rub. When I regained my ability to hear again, I lurched forward and wrapped my arms around him. I was shaking, and tears fell down my face in both sorrow and embarrassment. He held me tightly, caressing the back of my head. I soaked in his comfort, inhaling his Tony smell. When I felt in control of myself, I broke apart and looked him in the eyes apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Dad," I whispered in shame.

"None of that," he chided lightly. "You've got nothing to be sorry about."

"I acted like a baby," I argued, and he shook his head, giving me a loving smile as he wiped stray tears from my face.

"You did no such thing," he refuted firmly. "Now, do you want to continue, or call it quits? There's no shame is saying you're done," he reminded.

"I wanna finish," I stated, not wanting to come off like some wimp. It was just a dumb interview. I could do this.

"Peter," Dad sighed, "giving me a searching look. You don't need to prove anything to anyone, and this is not mandatory. No one will think differently if you decide to stop now."

"He's right, Peter," Carol spoke up softly. "You don't have to do this."

"Yes, I do," I argued more resolutely. "I'm going to finish." I gave both determined looks, although it was kind of ruined by the fact that one of my hands was tightly gripping on to Tony's vest.

Dad sighed heavily before looking to Carol. "I'm going to sit in with him for the rest of the interview," he declared, and she nodded. I opened my mouth to protest, but he gave a curt shake of his head.

"I sit in, or we call it quits," he said, so I said nothing. Truthfully, I felt a lot better knowing he'd be by my side for the rest of this.

"Okay," Carol said, eyeing me with pity, "let's start back with your aunt's death, but I'll skip that question. I'll just ask you about how you ended up in Tony's care." I eagerly agreed, not wanting to recount the horror of discovering Aunt May's body. Carol spoke a few words to the camera men as Dad and I situated ourselves on the couch. We didn't sit close enough to touch, but he did put his arm on the back of the couch, which allowed him to lightly caress the back of my head if he wanted. Just having him close by was a huge help. Already I felt an upsurge in confidence, and I found myself copying his casual, laidback posture. By the quirk in his lips, I knew he noticed what I was doing. Dumb, observant, old man.

Carol counted down from 3, and the cameras and those blindingly, annoying lights were back on. She turned her attention to Tony first. "Thank you for joining us again, Tony. I should've known I couldn't keep you away from the camera," she teased.

"Oh, you know me, Carol. I'm a sucker for the limelight," he spouted with his famous Tony Stark grin. Carol and I both shared looks of amusement.

"Hmm, I just realized something. You two are wearing identical outfits," she commented, looking at us in continued amusement.

"Pepper," we responded in unison, and she gave us a look of understanding. "I can't be trusted to dress appropriately, apparently," Tony added with a roll of his eyes, although his loving smile revealed he wasn't annoyed.

Carol's expression turned serious once more as her focus was back on me. "Well, let's move the topic back to you, Peter. It was a little over a year after you uncle's death, that your aunt passed away from a tragic brain aneurysm," she stated. "How did you end up in Tony's care?"

"I was at the hospital, and the cops were asking me about who I was going to stay with. They told me that if I didn't have anybody, then I would have to go with them," I recounted, shuddering slightly at the memory of how scared I'd been. "The only person I could think of was Tony. Unfortunately," I added with a grim smile, "I didn't have my phone on me, so I didn't have his number. I told the nurse and cops to call him, but obviously, they didn't believe me. My best friend showed up, telling me he'd called Tony, but that he hadn't answered. The cops didn't believe either one of us, and they were starting to take me away when Tony showed up," I told her, a huge grin appearing on my face. "He was in his Iron Man suit, and he _politely_ told them to let me go. It was awesome."

"You were already my kid then," Dad stated, a smug look on his face. "I wasn't going to let anybody take you anywhere."

"Well, he took me to his place, and the day after the funeral, he and Pepper asked to adopt me, and I said yes. That's pretty much it," I told her, sharing a reminiscent smile with my dad.

"What went through your head when they asked you?" Carol pressed. "I can't even imagine what would've been going through my mind."

"Honestly, I was relieved," I confessed. "I was worried about where I was going to end up, so when they asked, I didn't even hesitate. I just said yes. You see, by that point, he and Pepper were already family to me, so it seemed only natural to agree." Tony ruffled my hair affectionately, and I slapped his hand lightly.

"What has life been like these past eight months?" Carol inquired. "You're living at the former Avengers tower where, if I'm not mistaken, Vision, the Black Widow, and Dr. Banner also reside. What is that like?"

"It's amazing," I told her, a fond grin on my face. "It can get crazy at times, but they're just people, no matter what the rest of the world thinks. To me, they're like my aunts and uncles. They're fun to hang out with, but they can be annoying as well."

"Do you ever get the urge to join them on some missions? Do you plan on taking up the Iron Man mantle after your father retires?" she asked eagerly, and I blinked in surprise, never having considered it. From my peripheral vision, I noticed Tony sported a raised eyebrow.

"No way," I answered, shaking my head firmly and gracing her with an askance expression. "I just—I don't think I'm hero material, and I can't imagine Dad ever retiring. I mean, obviously he won't do it forever, but I've never once thought of taking on the mantle. I don't think anybody could ever be Iron Man, because that's just who he is. It's not the suit that makes the hero."

Carol's eyebrows rose at my words. "Very wide words for one as young as you."

"I have my moments," I stated cheekily, and Dad gave a snort that he morphed into a cough when I shot him a glare.

"I can see just from these past few minutes that you two have a very close relationship," Carol assessed softly. "One would think you'd known each other for more than just a couple of years."

I shrugged, unsure of how to respond. "I guess we just connected," I said lamely.

"I would have to agree," Carol responded.

The interview ended shortly afterwards, and I let out a huge sigh of relief when the lights were taken out of my face. When the microphone was taken off me, I couldn't help but turn and hug Tony tightly. "I did it!"

I felt his chest rumbling with laughter as he returned the hug. "You sure did, pal," he stated, kissing the top of my head. "Let's head home, round up the gang, and go stuff our faces with junk food."

I enthusiastically agreed.

Carol thanked us for our time, assuring Tony she'd let him see a copy of the interview before it aired. I relaxed at knowing Tony would be able to cut out any embarrassing parts. I certainly didn't want anybody to see me freaking out.

As we walked out, I could only hope that this would answer a lot of questions for people, and that it would keep reporters off my back for a bit. I had heard Tony pretty much threaten people to leave me alone. Part of me was embarrassed, but a larger part of me was relieved and appreciative.

Now, all I had to put up with was some pictures. Dad said that unlike the rest of my family, I wouldn't be required to answer any questions. Instead, I "just had to smile and look like my adorably, charming self", according to Dad. Good thing was, after the dratted picture show, it was Christmas…my first Christmas as a member of the Stark family.

 **Steve's POV:**

"It's starting, it's starting, it's starting!" Scott cried out, and I smiled at how enthusiastic he sounded. He seemed to be the only one, but probably because he had no real connection to Tony. The only time they'd met was during that battle. The others, while they were gathered around the TV, were no where near as excited as Scott to watch the special on Tony and his son, Peter, who I knew was Spider man.

I sat myself down on the couch next to Clint, who looked conflicted. He and Tony had been close, yet Clint felt utterly betrayed by the events that had occurred. He fluctuated between aloofness and curiosity, anger and sorrow. One thing that didn't change, however, was his longing to be back with not just his family, but the other Avengers.

Our location today was Spain. Somehow, we were slowly making our way closer towards the United States. I didn't think it'd be long before we headed back to the Americas. We'd been keeping up to date with the news, glad to finally know what was going on in the world. As such, everyone knew now about Bucky having killed Tony's parents. To say I wasn't everyone's favorite person now, was an understatement. Nobody but Bucky, T'Challa, and I had known what had really gone down in Siberia, but now they did, and they weren't at all happy that I'd kept this information from them.

Truthfully, they were more upset by the fact that I'd kept this information from them rather than the fact that Bucky killed Tony's parents. At least, this helped sway some of their feelings in favor of Tony. They understood why he tried to kill Bucky, even if they didn't all agree (Sam and Scott). None of them were happy either when they found out I'd just left Tony injured with a non-functioning suit abandoned in Siberia. Their shock and disappointment hit me hard, yet I couldn't argue against it. In hindsight, it'd been a terrible thing to do, just assuming he'd be able to get himself out of that situation. I hadn't even known how injured he was as I'd helped my old friend get to safety. I felt guilty that my only concern at the moment had been on Bucky, not Tony.

That guilt only intensified when I'd seen Tony's face as journalists bombarded him with that video. He's been completely caught off guard, shock and sorrow in his eyes before his mask had fallen back in place. He'd denied the validity of the video, but his son had blown that cover. I supposed this is what led Tony to doing an actual interview. Despite how much he seemed to love attention, he wasn't one to give more than a few statements to a reporter. To actually do an interview was rare, and it'd only happened twice since I'd known him. Once, after the battle with the Chitauri in New York, and then after the battle with Ultron in Sokovia. I assumed he was trying to gain control of the situation as he had those two previous times.

So, here we all were, in some hotel room we'd broken into preparing to see what Tony had to say.

"Alright, everybody, shut up and sit down. If we're watching this crap, then I'd at least like to hear it," Sam ordered irritably, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed. Scott just rolled his eyes as Wanda sat herself on the floor, her back leaning against Clint's legs.

The interview started, and as I watched, I found my body relaxing, but my heart aching to be home. I relaxed because Tony looked okay. He didn't have bags under his eyes from lack of sleep, and his eyes didn't have that dark, haunted look to them that I'd gotten used to seeing on him since Ultron. He looked healthier than he had in a while, his skin not as pale, and he'd bulked up a little. He looked healthy and happy, and while I was genuinely happy for him, I also couldn't help but feel jealous. Yes, the great Captain America could feel jealousy. Here I was on the run, never in one place for too long, and always worrying about getting caught; and then, there he was living the life. I shook my head of those notions. Tony had every right to be happy. I couldn't begrudge him that.

As I listened to him, I also felt relief that he didn't even hesitate when asked if he and I could ever be friends again. While he admitted to not being a fan of Buck (no surprise there), he was open to welcoming me back no problem. It was nice to know that, but I still wasn't ready to return. The Accords were still in place, and I wasn't ready to give in. The government had no business in controlling who we fought and when. Still, I could tell from his few words that he still cared about me despite everything that had taken place, and that warmed my heart.

The point where I felt the most astonished of all was when Tony began to talk about Peter, his son. I'd known the man for years, but I'd _never_ seen Tony talk about anyone the way he did Peter. He was practically gushing. He openly admitted to loving the teen, and from the look on his face, I didn't doubt that at all. I still found it so strange, though, thinking of Tony as a dad. It just didn't fit the mold of the man I knew. Was I really that blind? Ignorant? Shallow?

His interview ended, and Peter's began. Knowing that he was both Spider man and Tony's son, I was immensely curious to watch this, not so much for what he would say, but what his expressions and actions would reveal. As soon as the young man appeared on screen, Clint let out a loud, disbelieving laugh.

"Holy crap, he's Spider man," Clint exclaimed, shaking his head. "No wonder Stark adopted him. I couldn't understand why he'd take in some random kid, no matter how tragic their life was, but now it all makes sense."

"You think he just took the boy in because he is a super hero?" Wanda asked, and Clint just shrugged. I was glad to see him not immediately say, yes, because I certainly didn't think that was the truth.

"He's _sixteen_ ," Sam murmured. "Jesus, what the hell was Stark thinking getting a kid that young involved in this life? He was in Germany. What if we'd hurt him?"

"He seemed to handle himself pretty well," Scott remarked, a light frown on his face as he watched the interview.

"Let's save judgment until the interviews over," I stated, and everyone fell silent, at least for the moment.

We watched the kid's interview, and I saw immediately how uncomfortable and nervous he was. And god, did he look so _young_. I couldn't believe this scrawny teen was Spider man, the guy I'd fought in Germany. It certainly explained his chatter and naivete. Hearing about the tragedy he'd faced at such a young, my heart went out to him. First his parents died, and then his uncle and aunt. I wondered at what point Peter became Spider man. Was it before or after his uncle's death? Did it have an influence on him?

"When do you think Stark met Peter?" Wanda asked curiously. "He never mentioned him before."

"Not really surprising," I replied to her. "He wasn't an Avenger any more, and he was never one to fully open up to us. Maybe he knew Peter before Germany, or maybe he didn't. All I can say is that it's obvious they both love each other. They can't fake that." Next to me, I saw Clint nodding his head. His eyes were fixed on the television, and I once again saw the longing he had to be with his family.

At one point, the scene changed, and Tony appeared next to Peter. He said it's because he loves the attention, but I knew he was there for Peter. Right away, I noticed the difference in the young hero's emotions. While still nervous, he was more relaxed and confident. I also noticed, with a smile, that he mirrored the way Tony was sitting or talking. It was downright adorable.

Peter continued to answer questions, describing how he ended up in Tony's care. While listening, I found my eyes wandering to Tony's, taken aback by how gentle and caring he was coming off. His arm was draped over the back of the chair, but there was a protectiveness to his positioning. Every once in a while, I watched his hand rubbing at Peter's neck or shoulder, noting how Peter relaxed every time, even leaning into the touch. It was the look in Tony's eyes, though, that surprised me the most. There was a softness in them that I'd never witnessed before. He looked at the teen with so much love and affection, emotions I wasn't sure he'd ever be comfortable expressing.

"He's a good dad," Clint remarked softly, a small smile adorning his face.

"Yeah," Scott agreed, a wistful look on his face as he no doubt thought of his daughter.

I just nodded my head while Wanda and Sam remained silent. They didn't look to be in disagreement, though, just taken aback.

The interview ended, and I was glad I'd decided to watch it. I'd initially decided to watch it because I wanted to hear Tony's thoughts regarding his parents' murders, wondering if he was still furious. I'd gotten a lot more than that, though. Tony was different. Or, maybe he was showing his true self for the first time. Whatever it was, it was like he'd matured. I could only contribute this to Peter. That teen seemed to have changed his life, and for the better. I wanted even more than ever to meet him.

"Weird, huh?" Clint remarked as he eyed me knowingly. He seemed to have assessed the same things I had.

"Yeah," I answered.

Scott began flipping through channels, and I wondered what he was looking for. It quickly became obvious, though, when we found ourselves watching footage being taken _inside_ Avengers tower. What in the world? Tony had once said he'd _never_ allow reporters in his home, but what I was looking at now was the common room. My heart suddenly ached fiercely at the familiar room. God, I missed home so much. Blinking, I realized that Avengers tower was the only place I'd considered home since I'd woken up in this century. It was the only place I'd truly felt comfortable and happy.

The special was on the Entertainment channel, describing the photoshoot Tony had allowed, which included the other Avengers. It was a way of showing the world that they were regular people. I watched with a grin as Tony leaned close to Natasha, whispering something in her ear that caused the normally stoic woman to actually laugh aloud. Tony's expression was smug as he broke apart, and Bruce, next to him just rolled his eyes in exasperation. Vision looked uncomfortable, but every time he looked to the others, his expression was one of affection. Footage changed to Tony pulling Pepper into his arms, twirling her around slowly, as they both just stared into one another's eyes. The way they looked at each other, it was obvious they were in love. Way to go, Tony, I couldn't help but think, immensely happy that he'd gotten back together with Pepper. Peter joined the footage, a dog at his heels that caused me to raise an eyebrow. Peter's grin was nervous, but it became wider as Tony reached over to ruffle his hair affectionately. The special was brief, only ten minutes long, informing viewers that they could tune in to next week's issue of _Time_ magazine for photographs and interviews. I filed away the notion to buy one.

The TV was turned off, and we were all deep in thought. Once again, I found myself jealous of the sheer bliss my old friends were feeling. They seemed to truly being enjoying themselves, content in each other's presences. It was like they didn't need us or miss us the way we did them.

"Nat was wearing my sweater, did you notice?" Clint remarked quietly, his eyes happy yet sad at the same time. I shook my head, not having noticed that.

"They seem really happy," Wanda commented, and I noticed longing in her tone. Longing for normalcy and family as we all were.

"Anybody else feeling really jealous of them right now?" Scott asked sheepishly, and everyone gave a nod, even Sam who seemed to hold the most resentment towards the other's.

I stood up and headed towards the window, looking out into the dark sky. I wanted to see them badly. I didn't want to talk just on the phone, but in person. Even if we didn't come to an agreement on the Accords, I still cared about them. They were more than just teammates or friends. They were family, a fact that I'd allowed myself to forget during all this political nonsense.

I let out a weary sigh, thinking it was time I made a call this time. Christmas was tomorrow, so perhaps we could all call and wish them a merry Christmas. They'd called on Thanksgiving, so I didn't think they'd mind. Running a hand over my bearded face, I turned back to the others, wondering how I could make tomorrow special for us. We all deserved to have some fun after all we'd been through. Scott, the least known of us all could no doubt go out and get a festive meal for us, and even some gifts.

Thinking over what would be a good gift, I came to a decision. It was time to head home, at least for a short visit. I was under no illusion that we could stay there for more than a couple days. No matter our views on the Accords, I knew Tony would help keep us safe for that brief time. Grinning, I felt my heart lift at the mere thought of returning to New York. Yes, this would be a wonderful Christmas gift.

 **A/N: Okay, not my fave chapter, but I felt the need to give you something. Lots of ideas go through my head, but finding a way to get them out in a good manner is more difficult. Definitely time for some action, but I don't feel like I can skip over Christmas. I'm getting closer to getting our rogue Avengers home, but I'm unsure how I'm going to get their fugitive status revoked. What changes could be made to the Accords that would convince them to give in?**


	51. Chapter 51

**A/N: Sorry I've taken so long to update, but I've been busy. Rest assured, that I am not quitting this story at all! I'm still very much attached, but you'll just have to be more patient with it comes to updates! People give lots of ideas through reviews, and I'll attempt to include some, but it'll take a bit.**

 **Chapter 51: Christmas**

 **Peter's POV:**

It was three minutes to midnight, and I grinned widely, sitting up in my bed and looking at Anthony. "It's time," I told him, and his tail wagged happily, the bells I'd tied on them ringing loudly. I turned on the flashing lights on both our Christmas sweaters. "Let's go wake the old folks," I stated, and we both jumped off the bed.

With blinking lights and jingling bells, I headed in the direction of my parent's bedroom. When I was right outside, I signaled to Friday with a hand held up, slowly counting down the seconds until midnight. It was fortuitous that both parents were actually asleep at this hour. Usually one of them was up at this hour working (Pepper) or playing (Tony), so when Friday had told me both of them were sleeping, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to do this.

It was something I'd started with my aunt and uncle. Every year at midnight on Christmas, I'd burst into their room as loudly as possible, singing Christmas songs at the top of my lungs to signify the start of one of my favorite days of the year. When I was little, I'd done it because I wanted to open presents, but then it'd turned in to a tradition. They always knew it was coming, but they always made sure to be asleep, so that when I burst in, I'd delight in seeing them jump in happy surprise. They humored me like that.

5

4

3

2

1

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" I hollered as I burst into their room. Multiple loud tracks of holiday music blared through the speakers, and lights flashed on and off, all Friday's doing. Anthony and my sweaters flashed with Christmas lights and jingled loudly as Anthony barked loudly and I sang a modified version of _Jingle Bells_.

" _Jingle Bells, Rhodey smells, Natasha laid an egg, the Maserati lost a wheel, and Happy played ballet!"_ I sang obnoxiously as I jumped on to the end of the large bed. My parents gave two startled shouts as they were jolted out of their sleep. I suddenly ducked, letting out a startled yelp of my own when a repulsor blast was aimed towards me.

"Son of a bitch!" Tony shouted as Pepper screamed, covering her ears as a small portion of the ceiling fell onto the floor.

"Holy shit!" I exclaimed, eyes wide in shock as I looked at the damage.

The music cut off at this point, and the three of us exchanged wide-eyed looks. Anthony just wagged his tail, looking delighted with the turn of events.

"Merry Christmas?" I said, giving my parents a sheepish grin. Dad was the first to recover, bursting into laughter that Mom soon mirrored. I watched them for a few seconds before beginning to laugh myself at the ridiculousness of the situation. Sooner than I'm sure my dad hoped, Pepper regained control and slapped him hard on the arm, the smack causing both Dad and I to wince, him in pain and me in sympathy.

"What in god's name are you doing blasting that thing in this house?!" she shrieked. "You could've killed Peter!"

"What?" Tony cried in shock as he rubbed his injured arm. "That blast wouldn't have killed him, just-just burned him…a little," he explained, his voice going quiet as Mom's glare didn't lessen. I couldn't help but start laughing once more, volume increasing when Mom's glare darkened after Dad had aimed a kick at me I easily avoided.

Anthony, having had enough of being ignored, hopped onto the bed and put himself in between my parents, licking Pepper's face affectionately. Her ire seemed to melt, and she sighed heavily as she kissed the dog's head and then looked to me. I grinned widely, giving her a little wave.

Dad, who was pouting, aimed a weak glare at me. "Any particular reason you barged into our room at, uh, what time is it, Friday?" he asked aloud.

"It's 12:15 AM, sir. Merry Christmas," she answered cheerfully, and he grumbled as he shot me a pointed look that requested I explain myself.

"Just wanted to wish you guys a merry Christmas," I explained with a nervous grin. "I used to do this to my aunt and uncle every year," I added, blushing when both their eyes softened.

"Your tradition was to barge into their room at midnight as loudly and obnoxiously as possible?" Tony asked, and I nodded my head, gesturing to the sweaters Anthony and I were wearing.

"Yup, and after I scared the daylights out of them we'd each open one present," I declared, a large cheerful grin on my face, eyebrows raised in anticipation.

"This just keeps getting better and better," Tony remarked, throwing Pepper a smile. "So, not only do you get the joy of scaring the crap out of us, but you get to open a present too!"

"Not just me, but you guys as well," I corrected. I had their presents in my room, and I wanted to give it to them in private since I'd written them both heartfelt letters. I didn't want the others judging my presents since they weren't that great. I was hoping the letters would make up for how lame they were. "Wait here," I told them, not waiting for a response as I quickly ran into my room and grabbed their presents. As I ran out I passed Anthony who'd been trying to run after me, and upon seeing me, his paws skidding on the hardwood floor as he quickly turned himself around to follow me back to my parent's room. I ran on in and jumped on to their bed, tossing them each their present before I lost my nerve. Anthony lay himself down next to me, and I began to take off his sweater.

Their eyes flicked to mine before down to the presents in their hands. "I-it's not, um, I know you guys can just buy whatever you want, so I wasn't sure what to get you, so it's nothing, uh, special," I explained nervously. "I also wrote you each a letter cuz, uh…just because," I added in a near whisper, my face heating up. Suddenly, I was regretting doing this. Maybe it would've been less embarrassing with other people to distract me or them.

"Peter, you have no need to be so nervous," Mom stated reassuringly. "We'll love whatever you've gotten us."

"And you don't need to get us anything, pal," Tony stated softly.

"It's Christmas, though!" I protested. "Of course, I have to get you something. I mean, I _wanted_ to get you something. It wasn't because I felt obligated," I rushed to explain. "I just, um…just open them."

They exchanged a quick glance before beginning to unwrap their gifts. I avidly watched their expressions, relaxing some when I saw grins appear on their faces. They were small, simple gifts. Gifts I found childish and probably embarrassing, but they were smiling, and the smiles looked genuine.

"This is my new favorite shirt," Tony remarked simply, pulling off the one he was wearing before putting on the new one. It was a red shirt with the words _Iron Dad_ on the front along with a picture of Iron Man. I smiled widely and blushed at how pleased he look. My eyes flicked to Pepper then, who was happily admiring the personalized travel mug I'd gotten her with pictures of her, Dad, and I.

"Oh, how cute!" Pepper exclaimed, showing the cup to Tony. He smiled before rolling his eyes and scoffing.

"Why does Anthony take up one-third of that cup?" he asked in mock annoyance.

I grinned, shrugging lightly before saying, "He's the baby of the family, and the cutest one."

Dad groaned theatrically while Pepper laughed and said, "Well, I love it! Thank you, Peter." She then held her arms out to me, and I eagerly went in for a hug, ecstatic and relieved that they both seemed to genuinely enjoy my gifts.

"You guys are hard to buy for," I complained when I broke apart. "I mean, you can buy whatever you want, and _you_ ," I addressed Dad, "can just make whatever you want."

"Like we said, pal, you don't have to get us anything," he repeated.

"But I wanted to," I argued. "Anyways, I, um, wrote you guys letters too just…just because," I added, once more feeling nervous as both of them opened up their envelopes. I'd written them partially because I felt like my gifts were kinda crappy, but also because I wanted to express to them how much I loved and appreciated everything they'd done for me now just since I'd been adopted, but before that as well. By writing it in a letter, it'd allowed me time to think everything that I wanted to say carefully. I wasn't so worried as embarrassed by the letters. I knew they'd love them, but I was kind of embarrassed by how sappy I got.

 **Tony's POV:**

I opened the envelope, curious as to what my spiderling could've written to me and Pep. A quick glance showed an eager, yet embarrassed face, so my curiosity mounted. Pulling out the envelope, I took in my kid's messy scrawl, noting that it looked like he'd erased and re-written several parts over and over again. That thought alone brought a small smile to my face as I realized how much thought Peter must have put into this.

 _Dear Tony/Dad,_

 _I'm not great at writing letters. In fact, I don't know how to start this letter, but I had loads of stuff I've wanted to say, but haven't been able to get out. We've known each other for a year and a half already, and while sometimes I feel like all that time has flown by, I also feel like I've known you forever. Life before you and Pepper seems like it was so long ago. It's like I have two eras in my life: Pre-Spider man and Post-Spider man, and when it comes to my life as Spider man, you've been there nearly every step of the way. I may have put on that homemade suit (NOT a onesie!) and decided to fight crime on my own, but you've shaped me into a real hero._

I paused, unable to stop from thinking that Peter had been a real hero long before we met. All I did was give him a better suit and teach him how to better protect himself. His heart and passion were all him.

 _I love you, Dad. It strikes me odd at times to call anybody dad. Uncle Ben was always "Uncle", and while I'm sure I called my birth dad, "Dad", I don't remember. I know nobody ever thought the great Tony Stark could ever be a dad, you especially, but you've been the best dad I've ever had. You're everything Uncle Ben was to me and more. You get me in ways that he never would've been able to. You understand tragedy and what it's like to lose those closest to you. You understand what it means to be a hero, and the trials and hardships that it can bring. And, like every other dad, you're there for me in every way: talking, joking, playing, helping, guiding, and teaching. I appreciate all of it, even if I don't always show it, say it, or realize it at the time._

I swallowed back the lump that formed in my throat as I read, not wanting to start bawling. A glance to my side showed Pepper with tears in her eyes. If her letter was anything like mine, then she'd no doubt be crying by the end. I knew Peter loved me. I knew he appreciated what I'd done for him, but hearing it like this…it still got to me.

 _I can't imagine my life without you in it. Funnily enough, at the same time I still can't believe you're actually_ in _my life. I mean, you're_ you, _and I'm_ me _. We're from two different worlds, or at least we were. I wake up sometimes and marvel at the fact that you're my dad and how incredibly lucky I am; and I don't mean lucky because you're Tony Stark, but lucky because you're an amazing dad. You get me. You always know the right thing to say, and I know you'll always be there for me whenever I need you to be. I can talk to you about anything, and I know you won't make fun. I know I make a lot of dumb decisions at times, and you get angry because you think I don't trust you or something like that. I'm sorry for being an idiot. I can't promise I'll never screw up again, but know that I really do try. I want you to be as proud of me as I'm proud of you._

I am proud of you, little spider. Every day I'm proud of you. You don't have to do anything to gain that.

 _I've got a lot of baggage. I'm insecure. I'm needy. I'm stubborn. You never give up on me, though. You're always there to help and comfort me. I remember how things used to be between us, and I'm amazed at how far we've come. There used to be a time where neither one of us knew how to act around the other. I was too in awe and nervous to say anything, and you just didn't know how to act around kids. I remember how complimenting and hugging me used to be so difficult for you, not because you didn't want to, but because anything involving outward shows of emotion were hard for you. You made the effort, though, and I want you to know that I saw that. I saw you push yourself to be what I needed you to be, and I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate and admire that. I've seen and heard about who you used to be, and I don't know if you even realize how much you've changed. You're not just a good person, but a great person. You've got such a big heart that I can't believe people don't see it, or maybe you don't want them to. Point is, I've seen the things you've done for me. I've seen you change yourself. I've seen you strive to make things easier for me, whether it's moving closer to my school, shortening the amount of hours you work, or allowing the media to attack you so that I'll be left alone. I've noticed it all, and this is me saying, thank you._

 _Love,_

 _Peter Stark_

Aw, crap, kid, you're seriously gonna make me cry. I swallowed back the lump in my throat once more as I read through the letter once more, committing each word to memory. Looking to my boy with loving eyes, I held out an arm and said, "C'mere, pal." Without hesitation, he came and wrapped his arms around me, and I wrapped mine around him, placing an affectionate kiss on the side of his head.

"Thank you," I whispered emotionally. "You have no idea how much joy you've brought into my life. I have changed for you, and I don't regret any of it. Every day I'm proud of you, and every day I think I love you even more. You're the best thing to have ever happened to me, so I want to thank you for allowing me to be a part of your life."

His hug tightened, his head burrowing into the crook of my neck. I could feel tears beginning to soak through my shirt, but I didn't care. I caressed the back of his head, placing another kiss to his temple. Noting that Pepper was in tears as well, I released my hold on our teen as she placed her hand on his back. She held her arms out to him, and he shifted, wrapping his arms around her now.

 **Pepper's POV:**

I noticed the nervous anticipation in Peter's face as I pulled out the letter he had written me. I was curious as to what he'd written, and completely unprepared for the amount of gratitude and love he'd put into this.

 _Dear Pepper/Mom,_

 _I wrote Dad's letter first, so hopefully this one doesn't sound as disjointed as his._

 _I never in a million years thought I'd be calling someone Mom. I mean, Aunt May was a mother to me, but she was still my aunt. We've only known each other about a year and a half, but in that short time, you've become as important to me as she was. Even while she was alive, you fully accepted me into your life from the moment we first met. You were loving, compassionate, and kind, and I am grateful. You also helped me understand the complex person that Tony is, and I am grateful for that as well._

 _You are amazing, Mom. Everything you do, you do perfectly, whether it's running a company, managing Tony, or being my mom. You are everything I need and more. Loving, caring, kind, and attentive. You are someone who I love to be around, and someone who I can depend on for whatever I need. I love you so much, and I just can't find the words to express how grateful I am to you, and how much you mean to me. You've made my life better. You make me happy. After Aunt May died, I never thought I'd be able to smile, let alone be happy. You and Dad changed that. From the minute Dad brought me to you guys that day, you guys were a comfort to me, and a pillar to hold me up. You didn't hesitate to welcome me and take me in as your son, probably because I already was a son to you by that point, and you were already a mother._

 _I know you worry for me constantly, especially when I'm out as Spider man. It can't be easy for you to let me do that, yet you let me anyway. You've never once tried to stop me or change my mind. In fact, you've been nothing but supportive and understanding. Maybe it's because of Tony. Whatever the reason, I am thankful. Spider man is a part of me. It's who I am, and I can't imagine my life without that. Thank you for understanding. Thank you for being there as a comfort when things have been hard or when I've complained about all Dad's restrictions. I know you agree with him, but you've been a sympathetic ear that I've needed._

 _I know I can be difficult, and not just because I'm a teenager. I can be clingy, needy, overly emotional, defiant even, but you've never made me feel like a burden. I've never felt that I've been an annoyance to you, even when you've had to make changes or adjustments to having a kid around. You can't know how much that means to me as I've always feared you'd get tired of me._

 _Thank you, Mom, for being who you are, and for loving me as your son._

 _Love,_

 _Peter Stark_

Tears trailed down my face unnoticed as I read the letter over again. So many emotions flowed through me, love being the most prominent. He was grateful for having me in my life, and I was just as grateful for having _him_ in _my_ life. I never thought in a million years that I'd be a mother. Even when dating Tony, knowing that one day he would propose, I never once considered having a child. With how busy we both were, and with how much danger Tony's super-hero duties brought to our lives, how could I subject a child to that? It would be selfish. Not to mention, I never thought I was the maternal sort.

Having Peter, though, I found motherhood come naturally. It was so easy to love everything about him. It was so easy to be that caring, supportive mother he needed. I'd never set out to be his mother, but it happened anyways. From the moment I met him, I instantly found myself feeling protective of him. It was both because of how adorably good he was, but because of what he'd done for Tony. He'd brought a spark to his eyes that I hadn't seen in years. He brought out nothing but the best in him, and I couldn't be more grateful. He'd shown Tony the man he could be.

I watched as Tony pulled in our son for a loving hug, whispering something into his ear that had Peter crying. Looking at Tony's face, I saw glistening eyes, and I realized he was fighting back tears. His letter had no doubt been as emotional as mine had been.

I reached a hand out to Peter, needing to have the boy in my arms, and was overjoyed when he promptly turned around and wrapped me in a tight embrace. I placed several kisses on his head, hugging him as tightly as I could before speaking.

"I love you so much, Peter. Thank you for that lovely letter, it means the world to me. You must know that you've brought just as much happiness to my life as I have to yours. I am honored to be your mother, and beyond proud of the young man you are." I couldn't bring myself to say anything else, as I became overwhelmed with emotions, my throat tightening.

"Love you too," Peter murmured, and I buried my head in his soft hair.

 **Peter's POV:**

I was thrilled by how much they both enjoyed my gifts and letters. Writing those letters had been extremely difficult because I'd wanted to express to them how much they meant to me, and how grateful I was for everything they'd done. It seemed I'd succeeded, though.

"So, I take it you want your gift now," Dad remarked rather than asked once Mom and I had stopped hugging. I hastily wiped at my face before nodding emphatically.

"Well," he drawled slowly, a smirk on his face, "I think you should follow me."

My curiosity spiked as I got off the bed and made to follow. Pepper trailed behind us, and from the look on her face, she clearly knew where we were headed. "Why can't you just tell me what it is? Why do I have to see it?"

"You'll understand when you see it, kiddo," Dad responded patiently, and my curiosity mounted. I was surprised when we headed to the elevator and took it down to the Commons. It must be something big, I surmised. I eagerly followed Tony as he led me towards his lab. As we neared it, I noticed a huge difference. They'd been doing construction there for the past several weeks, and there had been boards hiding what was being done. Dad had said he was expanding, and I hadn't pushed. My heart was beginning to pound in excitement as I began to figure out what he'd been up to.

"This present is from everybody, because we all pitched in," Dad began to explain as he pulled a large plastic tarp off a glass wall. "Seeing as you're indefinitely banned from my lab, but knowing that one shouldn't squash a budding scientist's desires, we decided to build you your own lab."

My mouth fell open as I took in the sight of _my own personal lab_. Oh my god. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! I was nearly jumping up and down as I looked from my parents to the lab.

"Put your thumb here," Dad directed, a large, knowing grin on his face as I followed his directions. My thumb print was scanned, and I was granted access. I walked in and immediately began to run all over the lab, oohing and aahing over every little thing.

"This is amazing! I can't believe it! I can't believe you made me a lab! Oh my god, look at this! Look at that! This is the coolest thing ever!" I exclaimed before throwing my arms around both parents. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"You're welcome," they both said, and I immediately yanked on Tony's hand, asking him to show me everything this lab could do.

"Not tonight, pal," he said, giving me an empathetic look when I pouted. "We'll have plenty of time tomorrow to go through this place. I need you to know, though, that while this is your lab, I have final say on what goes on in here. Your materials are all regulated, and if you need anything, you've got to run it by me first. You can't be in here earlier than 5AM and later than 10PM, you got it?"

I nodded my head up and down emphatically. "Yeah, yeah, I got it, Dad, I swear. This is so awesome," I continued to gush, so overjoyed by having my own lab that the rules didn't phase me at all. I'd just gone from no lab privileges to having my own lab, so if he wanted to set restrictions, then I was okay with that.

"Thought you might like that," Dad stated, an arm wrapped around my shoulders as he guided me back to our floor.

"That was the best present ever! Thank you, guys so much!" I repeated, unable to stop from grinning widely. We arrived outside my bedroom, and Anthony was sitting outside my door, giving me a look that clearly stated he was upset about having been left behind.

"Get some sleep," Mom said, giving me one last kiss and hug.

"And for god's sake, don't you dare wake us up before 9AM or I won't miss next time," Dad threatened, and I laughed when Mom shot him a venomous look.

I walked into my room and threw myself onto my bed, feeling completely elated and at peace. This was a great start to Christmas, I couldn't help but think…

…Morning came, and when my eyes opened I was greeted with the sight of two large brown eyes along with the smell of dog breath. "Ugh, Anthony, remind me to get you some breath mints," I complained, and he just responded by giving me a lick on the face. I yawned widely, stretching my muscles before checking the time. It was nearing ten, so I hopped out of bed, threw on some clothes and then ran out of my room and into the kitchen where both parents were sporting cups of coffee.

"Presents!" I shouted joyfully, and Pepper smiled brightly while Tony just rolled his eyes. "Merry Christmas to you too, spider elf," he greeted, and I shot him a cheeky grin before grabbing hold of his hand and Mom's and leading them to the elevator.

"Is everybody else up, Friday?" I asked the AI, and she responded that everyone was already gathered in the Commons and just waiting for us. "They haven't started opening gifts yet, have they?" I then asked, alarmed, and she quickly assured me they hadn't. Pepper and Tony chuckled at my concern and excitement, but I ignored them. The elevator doors opened and Anthony and I burst out.

"Merry Christmas everybody!" I hollered loudly before rushing around and giving everybody hugs.

"Didn't think you lot were ever going to get up," Rhodey complained from his seat on the couch. "If it wasn't for Friday, I would've woken you up hours ago."

"Well, we would've gotten up earlier, but _somebody_ decided to wake us up at midnight," Dad complained theatrically, throwing himself onto the couch, his head resting in his friend's lap. Rhodey just laughed loudly before looking over at me. "I take it you like Christmas?"

"I love it!" I exclaimed, agilely jumping over the couch and in front of the tree. The adults, all with coffee in their hands (except Vision), settled themselves around the tree, most on couches, and some on the floor (Tony, Nat, and me).

"Alright, I say we start with the baby of the family as I'm sure he's got the most presents," Tony announced, and I shot him a mild glare for being referred to as a baby, while at the same time blushing at how everybody had gotten me presents.

All in all, by the time I'd finished opening my presents I'd ended up with a cacophony of gifts. By far, my favorite was still the lab, but I also received a cool addition to my Spider man suit.

"They're tranquilizer darts that you can shoot out in case of emergencies," Natasha explained. "They're non-lethal, just meant to knock someone out if they're giving you some trouble. It'll take a couple minutes to take effect, and depending on how big the idiot is, it may take more than one tranquilizer."

"Wow," I exclaimed, "these are awesome! Thank you, Natasha!"

"Well, your old man helped as well, attaching it to your suit, and finding a way for you to launch them like you do your webs," she added with a small smile. I threw my arms around her, feeling as she stiffened, but it took only seconds before she relaxed and returned the hug.

"Thanks, Dad," I then threw out, and when I didn't give him an immediate hug, he pouted, holding out his arms to me like a wounded puppy.

"You've used up your quota for hugs today," I joked, laughing loudly when Natasha leaned over and caressed his hair, muttering, "Poor baby." Dad continued to pout, throwing me big, sad eyes until I went over and gave him a hug.

Other presents that I received were clothes, most notable of which was an Iron Man hoodie where the hood could zip up over my face like a mask; and no, it wasn't from Tony.

"Figured you'd make an adorable little iron kid," Rhodes stated with a large grin, and while I rolled my eyes at his comment, I also immediately put the sweater on, absolutely loving it. Dad looked immensely pleased by my actions, and I was also pleased as I noticed he was still wearing his Iron Dad t-shirt. I'd blushed furiously when he'd proudly shown it off to everybody earlier. Even when he'd been teased mercilessly by Rhodey, he'd retorted by just saying Rhodes was jealous.

From Happy and Ned, I'd gotten a new load of Legos. Happy had gotten me the newest Star Wars sets, while Ned had gotten me Avenger themed ones. Ned had even managed to paint over a dog Lego to make it look like Anthony.

MJ had gotten me a photo album filled with pictures of me hanging out with her, Ned, and even Flash on different occasions. In addition, there were pictures of me with different members of my family. I wondered how she'd gotten them, but then I figured Mom must've helped her out. I flipped through it, grinning widely as there were photos where I didn't even know there were cameras…Friday! Duh! Friday had footage of everything that went on in all our homes. The more I thought about it, the creepier that seemed. She saw _everything_. Huh.

After I'd opened my gifts, it turned into a free for all, the others grabbing their gifts and opening them all at the same time. I rolled my eyes as I munched on some peanut brittle, wondering why they all wanted to watch me open mine one by one, but they all opened theirs at the same time.

"Really, Rhodes?" Bruce drawled as he held up a Hulk sweater, a similar style to mine. Rhodes smiled back widely as Tony barked out a laugh.

"Put it on, Brucie!" he crowed, and Bruce huffed before putting it on. While he looked annoyed, though, I could see he was also amused.

"Looks good on you," Natasha remarked, a faint smirk adorning her face. That smirk turned into a small smile, her eyes lighting up when she opened a box and pulled out a new set of widow's bite. Her eyes went to Tony's, who was sporting a Cheshire grin.

"These are a new pair," he began. "I know better than to steal yours without asking," he explained sheepishly, and I notice Nat sporting a very satisfied smirk. "They're a little bulkier and longer, but that's because you can control the amount of charge for anybody you're holding onto, and I've also increased the amount of bites you can unleash. You can control the charges on those as well," he explained, eagerly bouncing from one foot to another like an excited puppy. Natasha looked over the devices carefully before gracing my dad with a warm smile.

"Thank you, Tony," she said simply, and you'd think she'd have yelled with excitement and hugged him by how pleased Dad looked. He puffed his chest out proudly in response to her simple thanks. I sometimes forgot how odd their relationship was.

Presents were opened, and everyone sported some new shirt or sweater, even Anthony. Everybody had gotten the spoiled mutt gifts, his favorite being the new Captain America chew toy, which he promptly began chewing on happily. He got several new sets of clothes, each Avenger, including Vision, attempting to put their own costume on him. After several intense battles of rock paper scissors, Rhodey won, and Anthony now sported a War Machine sweater. Rhodey was extremely proud.

The rest of the day seemed to pass quickly, all of us spending time together here in the Commons, watching as many holiday movies as we could. We lounged about, ribbing each other good naturedly, telling stories and just enjoying each other's company. Unlike Thanksgiving, where we'd had a formal dinner and get together, we ordered in Chinese food. I couldn't believe anybody was open, but apparently they'd ordered from this place before on Christmas. I didn't care. I was delighted just being with everyone and being like every other family. Even as Vision floated in the air, Natasha tried her new widow's bite on Tony, and I made a web hammock for mom and I to hang out from above from the chaos of everyone else, we still were your average family. Okay, maybe we were a little different, I thought, watching as Dad and Rhodey arm wrestled with their Iron Man/War machine arms, but that just made things all the better.

 **Tony's POV:**

We were finishing up _How the Grinch Stole Christmas_ when my phone went off. Surprise and concern flooded through me as I'd told Friday to ban all but emergency calls. A glance at my phone revealed it to be Steve calling. My eyebrows rose, and I quickly got Natasha's attention, shifting the phone as to show her who was calling. She gave barely a tilt of her head before I stood up and excused myself. Groans and ribbing followed my declaration that I had to take the phone call, but nobody stopped or followed me.

I stepped outside, relishing the feel of the fresh air on my face. Despite how cold it was, it felt nice after being cooped inside all day. Lifting the phone to my ear, I answered it. "Dominos Pizza, how can I help you?"

A soft chuckle greeted my words. "Hey, Tony, Merry Christmas," Steve greeted, and I gave a small smile. It was good to hear his voice.

"Merry Christmas, Cap, although, where you're at, it's already the 26th, but whatever," I responded, and he responded with another short laugh. I noticed how tired his voice seemed to be, and I wondered how they've all been doing. I was just about to ask when Steve began to speak again.

"Listen, Tony, I'm calling because I've got a favor to ask, if you don't mind," he stated, and I raised an eyebrow, wondering what he could possibly want from me?

"Everybody here's been feeling a little homesick," he began, and I furrowed my brow, "and I was wondering if it'd be at all possible for us to come home for a day or two?" I blinked, shocked by his question. It wasn't that I didn't understand, it just wasn't something I ever expected him to actually ask me about.

"I know it's dangerous and stupid," Steve rushed to say, sounding both embarrassed and apologetic. "It's just…things have been hard for everyone, especially Clint and Scott, who have families over there. If it's not too much trouble, at least help so that they can see their families…please, Tony. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. I know the position I'm putting you in," he continued, but I cut him off.

"It's fine," I interjected softly. "I'll figure something out."

There were several moments of silence before he replied with some incredulity, "Really?" I couldn't help but be offended.

"Rogers, why would you ask if you thought I'd say no?" I couldn't help but gripe irritably, stung that he didn't have faith in me. "I know I can be an uncaring, selfish jerk, but I'm not heartless."

There were several more moments of silence before Rogers let out a long, weary sigh. "I'm sorry, Tony," he apologized, "and thank you." I could hear several unsaid comments in that sigh and those simple words. He was really tired of everything. He was sorry for having doubted me, but after everything that he'd been through, he was more than a little jaded. And, he was grateful for whatever help I could give him.

"Look, Cap," I stated with as much weariness as he was feeling, "despite all the shit we've been through or done to each other, we're still the Avengers. We're still…" I trailed off, not quite comfortable at saying the next word out loud. Steve, on the other hand, didn't seem to have the same difficulties.

"We're family," he finished, and I was pleased to hear his voice coming out stronger and happier.

"Yeah, so, let us take care of this. I'm not sure if bringing you here will be the best idea, but what if I could fenagle it so that we could meet you somewhere in Europe?" I asked, and he immediately responded, "That's fine. That's great. We just want—we all want to see some friendly faces, and Clint and Scott are desperate to see their families. Anything you can manage, Tony, we'll make it work."

"Leave it to us," I stated, "we'll work something out. Maybe do a little New Year shindig. I can fly Clint's family, and Scott's over and we can all meet somewhere private. Hmm," I thought aloud, mind going through a multitude of possibilities. "I'll get back to you when I figure this out."

"Tony, _thank you_ ," Steve stated, sounding oddly choked up. I wasn't quite sure what to say, so I just responded with a simple, "You're welcome."

"Maybe, when you're here we can start to talk some things through…like about the Accords," Steve suggested, and I could sense how difficult it was for him to say that. He was still adamantly against the Accords, but as a thank you, he would be open to discussing them.

"Might not be the best time," I replied, "but thanks for the offer."

The atmosphere seemed to turn a little awkward then, neither one of us knowing what to say. I longed for the days where'd conversation had come easily, and silences were comfortable.

"I should go," I eventually stated. "The others are probably wondering what happened to me."

"Yeah, same here," Steve responded, and we bid each other good-bye before hanging up. I heaved a sigh as I stared at the phone, pondering over our short conversation and all that was said and unsaid. A knock sounded on the door, and I looked up to see Natasha staring at me with a raised eyebrow. I motioned for her to come out, and when she did, I explained the conversation.

"They must really be having a hard time for Steve to have asked this of you," she remarked.

"They've been away for nearly two years," I said in sympathy. "Clint and Scott have kids, and they're growing up without them. Not to mention, being on the run isn't exactly relaxing. They're no doubt exhausted. We've had it easy compared to them."

"True, but they are reaping what they sowed," she responded coldly, and I raised an eyebrow at her, causing her to sigh irritably. "If we meet up, then we need to force a conversation between us all," she told me. "I know you want everything to be "one big happy family", but things need to change. They can't remain on the run forever. It's time for this all to end."

"Agreed," I said, "but the question is how? We're working our tails off to get these damned Accords changed, but in all honesty, we need to get them repealed. They won't ever sign, you and I both know that, no matter how many changes are made.

"Well, then I think that means the question should be, how do we get rid of the Accords?" Natasha shot back, and I slowly began to nod. Our aim had been amendments before, but maybe Cap was right. Maybe it was time to get rid of them.

"We need to show the world _why_ they don't work," I said, and she nodded back. "How are we going to do that?"

Her response was a shrug. Instead she said, "We should go back inside. Worry about this tomorrow." I sighed heavily, slipping the phone into my pocket before going on inside. This really hadn't been something I wanted to think about on Christmas. Thinking about our rogue friends and how to fix their situation was stressful, but I had to remind myself as I looked out at my family, we had it better than they did. We were home and safe, and they weren't. It was time to change that.

 **A/N:** **Yeah, I know, this chapter wasn't worth the wait, but I felt the need to give you all a Christmas present. I apologize for any errors as I didn't quite proof-read as well as I normally do. Once again, I am not abandoning this story, but updates are going to be really slow from now on. Apologies, but that's just how it's going to be. Hope you enjoyed. Please review!**


	52. Chapter 52

**A/N: Your reviews are as lovely and enjoyable as ever! Thank you so much! I had an amazing Christmas, and I hope you all enjoyed yours as well (if you celebrate it, that is). The moment you've all been waiting for is coming up! Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 52: New Year's Reunion Part 1**

 **Tony's POV:**

I shifted uneasily outside the front door of the Pym house. I knew the old man didn't like me. Or, more specifically, I should say I knew he didn't like my dad; which, of course meant he didn't like me, because in his mind the apple didn't fall far from the tree. I was far from agreement, but when the front door opened and two sets of narrowed eyes greeted me, I was immensely glad Pepper had the foresight to call ahead and let them know we were coming, otherwise they probably wouldn't have even opened the door. I was also grateful that Pepper had decided to come, because while those eyes looked to me with anger and mistrust, they only looked at Pepper with polite curiosity. They seemed to know enough about her that she wasn't to be influenced or pushed around by me.

"I suppose the polite thing would be to welcome you on in," the elder Pym remarked, although he made no move to let us in. I withheld a sigh.

"Hello, Mr. Pym," Pepper greeted kindly, as though the bastard wasn't being rude or unwelcoming, "Thank you for agreeing to meet with us. I promise not to take up much of your time. I'm Pepper Potts, by the way," she added, holding her hand out before motioning towards me with a jerk of her head, "And this is"—

"We know who he is," Hope Van Dyne stated emotionlessly, placing a hand on her father's shoulder that spurred the older man into moving aside so that we could walk on in. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Potts," Ms. Van Dyne replied, shaking Peppers hand. "Thank you for calling ahead." We all stepped inside, and there were a few awkward moments of silence before the daughter took control once more and led us into a sitting room. Pepper took a seat in once chair, and I was preparing to sit down myself when a mass horde of ants appeared on the chair. I stiffened, making to take a step back before realizing I was completely surrounded by an army of ants.

"What the hell!" I exclaimed, freezing in place before looking to Pym and Van Dyne. Judging by the smug smirk on his face, I knew this was Pym's doing, so I shot him a heated glare. "Would you mind reining in your minions?" I asked tensely. I recognized these as bullet ants, and one bite would be insurmountably painful, let alone hundreds. Admittedly, I found it amazing how he was controlling them, but fear of being bitten was taking control.

" _Dad_ ," his daughter spoke firmly, and Pym gave her an innocent look before the ants walked away. Letting out a sigh, I really didn't want to sit anymore, but I also didn't want to give the old timer the satisfaction of knowing he'd gotten to me. I sat down and resisted the urge to glare.

"So, what can we do for the famous Tony Stark?" Pym asked acerbically, and I graced the man with a hard look.

"It's not what you can do for me, but what you can do for Scott Lang," I replied in forced calm, and Pym's eyes just narrowed.

"In the past two months, we've been in sparing contact with the missing Avengers, including Scott," Pepper stated, "and they've been having a difficult time of it recently, emotionally speaking. Both Scott and Clint have kids, so being away has been very hard on them. What we're planning is a short get together in Spain for New Year's, and we feel Scott would appreciate having you there as the likelihood of getting his daughter, Cassie, is not high."

Father and daughter exchanged looks of surprise and suspicion. "Why should we trust you?" Hope asked plainly. "We don't know you, and frankly, we don't trust you at all, yet, you've come to us offering to take us to Scott because he and the others are feeling _lonely_?" Her face and tone were disbelieving and even condescending. Clearly, they thought me to be a heartless machine or something.

Sitting up, I let out a loud sigh, garnering both scientist's attention. "Look, let's clear something up first, okay," I stated firmly. "First off, I'm _not_ Howard Stark. If you're going to be wary around me or hate me, then hate me for something that _I've_ done, not from something _he_ did. Secondly, we just openly admitted to having contact with known fugitives, so that's _us_ showing _you_ trust. Thirdly, you don't know us, but realize that we're here for not just Scott, but for the other Avengers. Yeah, I don't know Scott, but the other's do, and they consider him a friend, so he's part of the group now. The Avengers are a family despite what happened, and we look out for each other as best as we can in this fucked up world. Families care about each other, and you probably find it hard to believe that I'm capable of human feelings, but it's true. I wouldn't be here if I didn't."

I fell silent then, allowing them time to digest my words and respond. I wasn't going to force them to trust me. If they didn't want to help out, then so be it. At least we'd tried. Pepper's hand found its way to mine, and I gave her a small smile.

Pym's eyes were calculating as he looked at me, and Van Dyne's were almost amused. I realized quickly that she wasn't as bitter and close-minded as her father, but then again, he'd actually _known_ my father.

"Where are they?" Hope asked curiously, and I considered whether to respond before realizing that even if they didn't trust me, I trusted them. I'd done my research on them, learning about Mrs. Pym's death, and then their involvement with stopping their technology from being sold to Hydra. They were "good guys", and despite whether they agreed to go and visit Scott or not, they wouldn't betray him.

"Spain," I answered. "My plan is to fly my family in for a vacation. You'd fly in separately on your own, or I could fly you in. Clint's family is coming in separately on one of my plane's. I've got a place where they'll be waiting for us. We'll get two days maybe before we should go our separate ways. Aside from some family bonding, we're going to have a serious discussion on how to get them pardoned and home. Right now, that may mean getting the Accords revoked."

"You would be okay with that?" Hank asked, leaning forward and maintaining that calculating stare.

"Yes," I responded. "I agree that we do need watching, but I believe the Accords are an extreme. Having someone to answer to is a good idea, but we need to have final say on what missions we take. Having to get permission is time consuming, and could lead to disasters. We've been lucky so far that there haven't been any major instances needing us, but that won't last forever. The world needs the Avengers, _all_ of them, and I'd rather they realize that before the next big catastrophe."

"You mean before you make another psychopathic AI?" Pym pressed darkly, and I pressed my lips tightly to keep from snapping back a caustic response. What could I say? Ultron was my fault, no matter _why_ I'd created him.

"The next catastrophe won't be of my doing," I settled for saying, a note of warning in my tone. Something was coming. I didn't know what, but I'd known ever since the battle with the Chitauri that something _out of this world_ would come for us eventually. That's why I'd wanted Ultron. We weren't ready for whatever would come, I knew that, and with the Avengers scattered, we were even more vulnerable than ever. I didn't know what was coming, but it was going to be bad, and somehow, I knew time was starting to run short.

"I'm not here to fight," I then said with forced calm, finding it hard to keep from becoming defensive at the obvious contempt Pym felt for me. "Believe it or not, but I'm here on Scott's behalf. You don't have to come and see him if you don't want, but at least write him a letter or something. Also, if you could talk with his ex, that'd be lovely as well."

"You want us to invite her family as well?" Hope questioned in confusion.

"Well, I want Cassie, but I get she's young and her parents aren't going to want to send her to Europe to visit with her fugitive Dad all by herself. I don't want them, so seeing as Cassie probably won't be joining us on this venture, could you get her to write something for her dad at least?" I asked her.

"Of course," she responded assuredly, "and I'll speak for myself when I say that I'll be there for Scott."

"I'm going as well," Hank asserted, and I shot him a surprised look. "I'm gonna kick his ass for getting involved in your Avenger shit show, and for getting _my suit_ taken."

"He got it back, y'know," I had to say, and he just harrumphed loudly before getting up and walking away. I considered that our cue to leave.

Standing up, Hope held out a hand to me that I happily shook. "Don't worry about him, his bark is worse than his bike. He's set in his ways, and he does trust you whether he'll ever admit it or not. He wouldn't have agreed to see you let alone agreed to this trip if he didn't," she informed me, and I shot her a grateful smile.

"I'll keep you updated on the details," Pepper told her when they shook hands. "Thank you for agreeing to speak with Maggie regarding Cassie."

With the goodbyes out of the way, I happily exited the house, glad to be away from the grumpy, judgmental old scientist. Ugh. Scott Lang better be damn grateful for this!

 **Steve's POV:**

"God, Tony knows how to spoil a guy," Clint sighed contentedly as he lounged on a couch, watching Netflix, and stuffing his face with ice cream. I couldn't help but smile, a feeling of nostalgia going through me as I'd seen him like this more times than I could count at the Avengers tower. It'd been a while, though, since we'd been able to relax this much. Tony assured us that this place was secure and safe, at least for a few days.

I allowed myself to relax for the first time in months. I was happy. I was downright excited, in fact. The others were on their way, and would be here within the hour. I couldn't believe it was happening. I mean, I trusted Tony to try, but I never thought it'd happen this soon, or that we'd be having a big reunion. Clint's family was scheduled to arrive an hour after Tony, and friends of Scott were to arrive an hour after that. I was concerned about them, but assurances from both Scott and Tony let me know that Hank Pym and Hope Van Dyne could be trusted. Sadly, Scott's daughter would not be making it, but at least he'd see some friendly faces.

Wanda, too, was eagerly awaiting our fellow Avengers arrival, and it was mostly due to her desire to see Vision. Those two had a special relationship, and I was happy for them both. I hadn't seen Wanda smile so happily in a long time. Even Sam seemed excited, and I knew he was eager to see Rhodey, wanting to see for himself that his fellow soldier was okay. Those two had forged a friendship over their combined experiences in the Air Force, and Sam seemed hopeful that their friendship could be rekindled.

For the first time in a while, it seemed I wasn't the only one feeling hope for the future. Tony wanted to discuss the Accords, and I had a feeling he was starting to sway more towards our side, meaning he wanted to get rid of the Accords. Well, maybe he'd always felt that way. I wouldn't know as we'd never actually sat down to have as serious discussion about them. Things had happened so quickly, and the second Bucky was involved…everything had revolved around him, and my opposition to the Accords had solidified.

I looked at my friends, all lounging around the lavish room of the estate we were occupying. Tony said he owned it, but that he hadn't used it in years. Why he owned a home he rarely used was beyond me, but then again, he did value his privacy. I'm sure this had been the sight of some wild parties in the old days. We'd arrived this morning, and the fridge had thankfully been stocked, and the place looked like it'd been recently cleaned. This meant we wouldn't be expecting anyone besides those already invited to show up. The estate was on the outskirts of Madrid, but it was surrounded by forest so that it almost felt like we were in the middle of nowhere.

Wanda appeared, and I noticed she'd put more effort into cleaning herself up, donning more make up than usual. It wasn't that she didn't always look beautiful, but the subtle make up accentuated her natural beauty. Clint, while he was spread out on a couch looking as relaxed as could be, I knew he was nervous as his left leg periodically began to shake. Scott was sitting and then standing up, and he looked worried. When pressed, he admitted that Hank and Hope were probably going to chew him out for having helped me out without talking to them. I apologized, but he waved it away, expressing once more how it was an honor to have fought along side me. While the others and even me seemed nervous at the others imminent arrival, Sam just seemed thrilled that we were getting some company. Whether he was happy at who was coming or happy for us, he was energized like all of us.

I really hoped things went well, though, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned that things might turn out badly. There were a lot of strong personalities among us and we'd be debating a difficult, touchy subject. I could only hope that tempers could be contained, most notably Tony and Clint's. For someone who'd been retired when the Accords had passed, he was extremely passionate about his views. Heated topic aside, there was also the way things had ended between us, what with the fight in Germany and then in Siberia. Thankfully, the news about Tony's parents and his subsequent interview seemed to have cooled much of my friends' ire towards the genius. If anything, they'd at least be civil and willing to listen. I'd like more than that, of course, but I'd settle for civil now.

The sound of two approaching vehicles interrupted my musings, and everyone was suddenly out of their seats, rushing out the front door. In the back of my mind I recognized this as an idiotic decision as we had no idea who was in the car, and we were potentially putting ourselves in danger, but I disregarded my common sense. My heart thumped in my chest, anxiety and anticipation coursing through me. What would this day be like? How would our reunion go? God, I really hoped things went well.

The cars pulled up, and I noticed Happy was driving the first car with Tony, Pepper, and Peter inside while Natasha drove the second car with Bruce, Vision, and Rhodey inside. My heart clenched, and I realized how much I missed these guys…how much I missed my family.

Clint wasted no time in rushing over to Nat's car, opening the door and uncharacteristically pulling her out for a crushing hug. It was a testament to how Natasha must have been missing him just as much, because she didn't fight him, just returning the hug in an uncharacteristic display of affection.

"Awww, isn't that precious," Tony commented somewhat sarcastically. "The spy twins are reunited." I rolled my eyes at his teasing, but said nothing as I heard the underlying relief in his comment. I had a feeling I wasn't the only one hoping this get together went well.

I turned my full attention to the engineer, taking in the sight of him. I made the same observations as when I'd seen his interview. He looked happy and healthy, and he seemed to have bulked up a little. No doubt being Natasha's only real training partner had pushed him into training his body more.

"It's good to see you, Tony," I decided to say, walking over and extending my hand. I made sure to exude none of the uneasiness that I was feeling as he focused his intelligent eyes on me. There were a few awkward beats of silence before he smiled kindly and said, "Good to see you too, Cap," as he reached out to shake my hand. I happily noticed how he called me, Cap instead of Rogers or Steve.

The atmosphere around us seemed to breathe and relax after this simple handshake, everyone beginning to exchange greetings and introductions. Things weren't fixed or forgotten, but this simple moment revealed that our relationships or bonds had remained intact, and that things could get better.

Pepper, Peter, and a black dog approached, Pepper embracing me and Peter eyeing me up and down dubiously.

"Pleasure to finally meet you, Peter," I greeted, holding my hand out to him. Unsmiling and with narrowed eyes, he took my hand and squeezed hard enough that I grimaced. This kid was strong.

"Hurt my dad again, and I'll hurt you," he declared quietly and threateningly before releasing my hand.

"Peter!" Pepper exclaimed angrily while Tony laughed loudly. Pepper began scolding Peter for his rudeness, demanding that he apologize, but I just shook my head.

"It's okay, Pepper, I understand," I assured her, feeling more amused by his words than angered or concerned. Granted, I knew he was serious, but I had no plans on harming Tony. Eyes on Peter, I told him with complete seriousness, "Don't worry, I won't hurt him again, I promise."

The kid stared me straight in the eyes for several moments before nodding his head and offering me a small, almost shy smile. "Nice to officially meet you by the way," he said, and this time I was the one to laugh out loud. He really was just a kid.

Pepper let out an exasperated sigh as she walked away, and Tony let out another laugh as he clapped Peter on the shoulder. "Such a protective little spider," he cooed obnoxiously, and Peter groaned as he smacked Tony's hand off.

"You're so embarrassing!" he yelled before he too walked away, followed closely by the dog, who if I wasn't mistaken, was eyeing me weirdly.

"Spider man," I said with a small smile, and Tony grinned proudly as he responded, "Yup."

"Hello, Steve," Natasha greeted, shoving Tony over towards the others. "It's good to see you."

"You too, Nat," I replied, reaching out an enveloping her in a hug that she thankfully didn't stop. I made sure to keep it brief, though. Pulling apart, I noticed that, like Tony, she too looked happier and healthier than the last time we'd seen each other. I was glad that she'd decided to go back to Tony instead of wandering on her own or coming after us. A life on the run was no life at all.

Bruce came over, sporting his characteristic shy smile as he said hello.

"I'm glad you decided to move in with Tony," I told him. "You shouldn't be alone." Bruce's smile grew as he looked at the people around us, and he smiled.

"Yeah, I'm glad too," he stated.

Rhodey was the next person I saw, and I couldn't help but be impressed to see him walking. I remember him saying Tony had created braces for his legs that allowed him to, but seeing it was another thing entirely. "Don't look so surprised, Cap, I told you Tony had built these bad boys," the Colonel remarked with an easy grin as he shook my hand.

"I know he's brilliant, but I still can't help but continue to be surprised by what he can do," I admitted.

"Tell me about it," Rhodey responded with a short laugh. "I've known him since he was a kid, and he still manages to surprise me."

Shaking my head, I had to laugh as I said, "I can't imagine dealing with a child Tony. He must've been a terror."

"Honestly," he told me, his expression turning somewhat somber, "He was actually pretty sad—Don't tell him I said this," he rushed to add, "but for all his smarts, he was a really lonely kid who tried way too hard to fit in and make friends. The first time we met I found him doing homework in the library, hiding under a table because he'd been bullied by some frat guys. He was this scrawny little dude who didn't know when to shut up and who didn't know how to act like a normal kid." Rhodey shrugged, smiling fondly at some memory before saying, "So, not much has changed, you see. He's taller, but he's still just as annoying, if not more so."

I smiled in amusement, although my heart went out towards little Tony. I'd never though much about what his childhood had been like; or, rather, I'd just assumed it'd been a good one. I realized over time that Howard and Tony hadn't been close, but I hadn't thought much about that. I felt a morbid curiosity to know more now after what Rhodey had said.

Happy came by next, and he shook my hand enthusiastically. I didn't really know the man well, but I knew Tony trusted and cared for him, which made him okay in my books. I also had to hand it to him for having put up with Tony for so long. It took a strong personality to be able to maintain a friendship with Tony, and he was one of a three who'd proved themselves to Tony long ago.

Vision was the last person I greeted, and by the time I shook his hand, he was sporting an uncharacteristic large smile. Wanda was right at his side looking just as pleased, and I was immensely happy for the both of them.

I looked over the group, relaxing when I saw no arguments or even glares. There was definitely an air of awkwardness, but that could be dealt with. After introductions and greetings were out of the way, everyone walked inside, the newly arrived taking their luggage to their rooms.

"Do we have assigned rooms?" I asked, none of us having felt comfortable enough to choose a room yet.

"Nah," Tony replied with a dismissive wave. "First come, first serve. This place is enormous, so if you find a room you like, it's yours." With those words, glances were shared before everyone rushed off to claim a room for themselves, myself included. I wanted to make sure I got a room close to the front, and with a window that would allow me to peek out. Just because we were on "vacation" didn't mean I would fail to keep an eye out.

Once everyone had settled in, we all gathered back in the living room. I smiled at hearing not just Peter, but Scott as well gush about how cool this place was. I noticed that Vision and Wanda were no where to be seen, but I wasn't concerned. The two probably wanted to talk privately. In fact, I figured now would be as good a time as any to speak privately with Tony. Now that we could speak face to face, I felt there were things that needed to be said. I only hoped he wouldn't be his usual difficult self.

I focused my gaze on the genius, and within seconds he was looking back at me with a raised eyebrow. I gestured with my head towards my right, signifying I wanted to speak with him alone. Without hesitation, he gave a curt nod, said something to Pepper and then casually began to walk down one of the hallways. I followed, saying nothing until we arrived in a library I didn't even know had been here.

"This place was built to house royalty back in the day," he remarked once the door closed, and when I just looked at him, he looked mildly embarrassed.

"Yeah, yeah, I got a bit of an ego problem," he muttered before situating himself down on a comfy looking armchair. I grinned in amusement before sitting myself down across from him. Silence ensued, neither one of us looking at each other. It wasn't an awkward silence, but it wasn't exactly comfortable either. This was the first time we were in the same room since Siberia, and while we'd talked on the phone, we hadn't talked at all about what happened. Seeing the pursed lips on Tony's face, I knew I would have to be the one to start this conversation off.

"I'm sorry," I declared, and Tony looked at me with a blank expression and wary eyes. "I should have told you about your parents. I thought I was doing it to protect you, but I realize I was protecting myself just as much. I didn't know it was Bucky, but I suspected," I admitted.

A sigh escaped the other man's lips before he spoke. "Cap, it's fine, I get it. Yeah, you shouldn't have kept that a secret from me, because I really shouldn't have found out the way I did, but I'm not mad about it anymore."

I stared at him intently, wondering if he was being honest with me. Correctly interpreting my expression, he graced me with a small smile before saying, "Sheesh, old man. I forgive you, if that's what you're looking for."

Rolling my eyes at the old man comment, I did smile, though, at hearing him actually say I was forgiven. I'd been wracked with guilt over how he found out about his parents' deaths. Being told they'd been murdered was one thing, but watching it happen and then having their murderer standing right next to you? I had no idea how I would've reacted. I'd like to think I would've been able to control myself, but I honestly didn't know.

"I guess I should be the one to apologize now," Tony stated, looking very much put out before saying, "I'm sorry for trying to kill your best friend. I get that he was brainwashed and not entirely responsible for his actions, so my reaction was, perhaps, a bit excessive."

I raised my eyebrows at his apology, and he groaned dramatically before saying with much more sincerity, "I'm sorry." I smiled softly, giving him a nod at hearing the genuine apology in his tone. "And I'm sorry about… _everything_ ," he continued guiltily, looking down at his hands. "I should have listened to you in Germany when you were trying to explain things to me. I shouldn't have tried to kill your friend, and I shouldn't have taken your shield. I brought it, by the way," he stated, looking back up at me. "I also brought Clint some weapons and minor upgrades for Sam's suit. I have no access to things for Scott, and Wanda is pretty badass without weapons, so I wasn't sure what to bring them, but"—

"Tony, stop," I ordered firmly as he began to ramble, a sign that he was nervous. "You don't need to— _I'm_ the one that needs to apologize. I'm sorry for not trusting you more. I'm sorry for leaving you stranded in Siberia with a broken suit. You could've died and that would've been my fault. I'd never have forgiven myself if something had happened to you. You're my friend, too. We're Avengers—we're _family_ , and despite everything that happened, I'd never want anything bad to happen to you."

The normally hyper verbal man was mute as he looked at me with marginally wide eyes. Clearly, he hadn't expected my words, so I anxiously waited for him to get his voice back. I made sure to keep my eyes on his, wanting him to see how sincere I was being. I'd never would've left him in Siberia had I known the state he was in. I stupidly didn't know enough about his suit to know that I'd left him in a precarious situation. As leader of the Avengers, and as his friend, this was unforgivable.

Tony began to nod slowly, letting out another sigh before shooting me a small smile. "Suffice to say we both screwed up and we're both sorry," he stated, and I nodded back. "Let's move on then before we start arguing over who should be sorrier." I laughed shortly as I once more nodded.

Silence reined once more, but it was a comfortable one. The issue of the Accords was still prominent, but one that we could work on together.

"You look good, Tony, and I'm really happy for you," I decided to say. "I—we all saw that interview you and Peter gave, and you two seem close. You deserve it."

My friend just stared at me, cocking his head slightly before speaking. "I am happy, Cap, _really_ happy. So happy that I feel at times it isn't fair," he confessed, and I just snorted at the ridiculous statement.

"You deserve it," I repeated, my voice firmer. "You're a good person whose been through a lot, and from what I've seen and heard, you bring everyone in your family as much happiness as they do you." The other man raised an eyebrow at me, and I just shook my head in mild exasperation. I was opening my mouth to speak when he changed the subject.

"Unlike my posse, you guys don't look the greatest," he stated factually. "Healthy, yeah, but not happy, and it's grating on my nerves. You've all been away from home too long, and it's time to get past this. Fuck compromise. You want the Accords gone, then so be it. Let's do it. Let's get rid of those goddamn Accords," he declared, and my eyes widened in surprise. Not too long ago, he was talking about amendments, but now he was willing to abolish them? What changed?

"Why the change?" I had to ask. "It'd be easier for you to just amend the thing rather than get rid of it, so why are you willing to fight so hard now? Did something happen?"

"Nothing happened," he answered. "It's just…Look, you know why I went along with the Accords in the first place. Staving off something worse and all that. Admittedly, my guilt over Ultron added to it, but the longer I've had to think about it, the more I realize the Avengers will never operate best if we're at the beck and call of anyone outside our team. We're the ones out there risking our lives. We're the ones that have dealt with the bizarre, alien, and crazy shit. We know our capabilities better than anyone, so to have to ask or be ordered around by people who don't know this information is grating. I want to be able to help whoever I want, and I want to be able to fix my mistakes. I'm okay with having someone to report to, or answer to. We've done a lot of damage, and some culpability is probably a good thing, but as you said before, 'the safest hands are our own'."

I ran two hands through my hair before leaning back wearily in my chair. "I have a feeling if we'd put more time into talking this over back then, things would've have turned out so horribly. We really screwed this up."

A short laugh was given by Tony as he nodded in agreement. "I'm sorry that it was you guys that've paid the price, though."

"You didn't get off scot free either," I argued. "Finding out about your parents, Rhodey, and taking the blame with the UN for what happened can't have been easy. You've shouldered a lot of responsibility while I've just been in hiding. Not sure which of us got the raw deal."

"At least I was free," Tony retorted, "so I'd say you ended up with the short stick; but we're going to fix this. I'm not quite sure how, but we'll get working on this as soon as possible so you all can come home. Your rooms are still available at the Tower, and I've even added rooms for Barnes on your floor and Wanda on Clint's. If Scott and Sam plan on sticking around, I can have rooms or floors added for them as well."

"Tony…" I began to say before falling momentarily silent. "Thank you," I eventually said with as much emotion as I could. "You don't have to do any of this. You don't owe any of us anything"—

"I'm not doing this because I owe you. We're a team," he stated somewhat defensively, looking offended by my words. The unspoken, 'we're a family', was heard, and I couldn't help but feel an inordinate amount of affection towards the other man. I'd forgotten how giving and selfless he could be. God, how I'd missed him and the others, and how I'd missed being together.

"I've really missed you all," I confessed, looking away when my voice came out hoarse. "I wish things had ended differently, but I guess there's no use lamenting on what happened. I'll do whatever you need me to, to help. It's time the Avengers reunited."

Tony's bright grin brought a smile to my face, and when he stood up, signifying the end of this conversation, I couldn't stop myself from pulling him into a hug. I knew Tony wasn't the affectionate sort, especially when it came to hugs, so I was surprised that he only stiffened momentarily before returning the hug full force. When we broke apart, he huffed as though irritated, grumbling about me being such a sap, but I could tell he didn't mean it. In fact, I could tell he was downright pleased by the conversation, as much as I was. He was as much of a sap as I was, but I wasn't going to call him on it.

We walked out together, arriving into the living room to see everyone spread around and talking. Wanda and Vision were back, both sitting on the floor. Vision was holding a guitar and strumming a few notes while Wanda looked on with a large grin. Sam was talking with Rhodey, and I was happy to see the two bonding again. Scott was speaking animatedly with Peter, who seemed just as animated. It seemed Peter was inquiring about his Ant-man suit. Happy and Pepper were conversing, occasionally looking out at the others, no doubt keeping an eye out for any discord. Clint and Natasha weren't here, and I wondered where they'd disappeared off to. Clint's family were to be arriving soon.

When our presence was noted, the room went silent, all eyes turning towards us. There was wariness, question, and curiosity in them, and I realized they wanted to know how things went. As the designated leaders of two groups, I realized Tony and I's relationship would determine whether our groups would ever become one.

I decided to respond with a reassuring nod and smile while Tony just gave a theatrical groan before voicing, "For crying out loud, quit staring at us like a bunch of fools. We talked things out and it's all cool."

"We hugged it out," I had to add, grinning cheekily at the affronted look the genius shot me.

"Cap forced it," he shot out, looking as though the experience had been awful.

Laughs were given, and the relief in the room could be felt, as if everyone let out a sigh at the same time. Conversations resumed, and Tony and I exchanged looks before each joining a different group, him heading towards Scott and Peter, while I headed to Rhodey and Sam.

I had only been talking with them for a couple minutes when a car approached with Clint's family. I frowned when I saw Clint in the car, thinking of how reckless it was for him to go out like that, but seeing the huge grin on his face, I couldn't begrudge him his choice. As he stepped out of the car, he was holding Nathaniel with one arm while his other was wrapped around his daughter, Lila. Laura was walking right behind them, and Natasha was standing outside the car talking with Conner, who it seemed was upset about something. From pervious conversations with Clint, I knew Conner wasn't happy with his father, resentful of how he'd left them and never come back. I could only hope this reunion would help their relationship, but one look at the angry face of the teen, and I knew I was hoping for a lot.

"Steve, look at my boy!" Clint crowed as he approached him. "He knows who I am! He called me Dada! Go on, Nathaniel, tell Uncle Steve who I am. Say Dada," he coaxed the infant in a soft voice.

"Dada!" the boy exclaimed, and Clint responded by squeezing the baby tight and proclaiming how proud he was of his son. Nathaniel was clearly ecstatic with his father's reaction for he kept repeating Dada over and over again, clapping his hand and laughing adorably.

Clint proudly introduced his son to everyone, seemingly forgetting any of his own anger as he also introduced the boy to Uncle Tony. I couldn't help but laugh at the engineer's gobsmacked expression. Wanda and Pepper were most enamored with Nathaniel, and quickly stole the boy from his father, cooing over how cute he was.

Clint gave a long-suffering sigh at having his son taken from him before he picked up Lila and walked around to introduce or reintroduce her to the others.

"Hello, Mrs. Barton, I'm so glad you were able to come. I haven't seen Clint this happy in a long time," I spoke as I shook her hand.

"It's Laura, and I'm glad I was able to come as well," she replied. "I can't begin to express how much I've missed him."

I felt guilty at seeing how haggard she looked. Raising three children alone couldn't be easy, but adding worry for Clint could only have added to her stress. "Laura, I'm sorry," I apologized, and she graced me with a sad, yet understanding look.

"Steve, Clint is a grown man capable of his own decisions. He chose to leave and get involved, and I don't blame you at all. It's him I'm angry with, and even then, I'm only mildly upset. I knew what I was getting into when I married him. Both my parents worked for SHIELD, so I know how it goes," she explained, smiling at me reassuringly. I quirked back a smile, although I still felt guilty, especially at seeing Conner storm out of the car and into the house. Laura sighed heavily before excusing herself to go after him. A look to Clint showed him looking towards his eldest son with a forlorn expression.

We were all preparing to head inside when another car pulled up with our final guests, Hank Pym and Hope Van Dyne. Scott's face immediately lit up as he rushed over and opened the driver door.

"Hey, Hank!" he yelled joyfully, pulling the older man into a hug. Hank looked rather startled, but he returned the hug, albeit briefly. When they broke apart, he looked Scott up and down before letting out a sigh and smacking Scott upside the head.

"Ow!" Scott cried out, and Hank just shook his head at him before walking over towards us. Scott seemed to recover quickly because within seconds he was grinning and enveloping Hope in a hug. When they broke apart, she thankfully didn't smack Scott, although it certainly looked like she was holding herself back as she immediately began to berate the man for being so goddamn reckless and idiotic.

"Mr. Pym, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name's"—I began to say before he cut me off.

"Steve Rogers," he finished for me, firmly shaking my hand. He looked me over with the eyes of an engineer, similar to Tony and Bruce before smiling thinly and saying, "Pleasure to meet you as well." He walked away to meet the others as Hope approached me with Scott. Her greeting was much warmer than her father's, although I could tell she felt some anger towards me, no doubt for the position my actions put Scott in. Seeing the two of them together, I wondered if they were dating. Scott had never mentioned that, but they certainly seemed comfortable and close with each other.

Watching the rest of the introductions, I noticed Hank seemed pleasant with everyone besides Tony, who he graced with only a nod. Tony didn't seem surprised, only mildly exasperated by the reception. Hope was clearly more of a people person because she kindly greeted everyone, even Tony.

We finally all made our way inside, and it was a good thing the living room was so large, because we were now a group of eighteen. Clint's family along with Hank and his daughter were being shown to their rooms when Peter brought up the topic of food. Tony responded that he'd had the kitchen stocked with a lot of pre-prepared food that just needed to be cooked, so that no one would have to spend a lot of time making anything. Sighs of relief were given before Pepper, Wanda, and Vision volunteered to get the cooking started.

Everyone was settling themselves around the living room and kitchen, which were open and connected, and various conversations were going on before Clint addressed Peter. "Oy, Spider-boy!" he called out, and the teen froze as he gave the archer a look of surprise. "How'd you get your abilities, and how the hell did you end up living with Shell Head over here?"

"Bite me, Katniss," Tony automatically snapped, and while I was relieved to see them bantering, I was concerned by the way Peter seemed to have paled. Looking around the room, all eyes were on him, and all our guests were wide-eyed, no doubt not having known that Peter was Spider-man. Way to go, Clint, I couldn't help but think.

 **A/N: Happy New Year peeps! Hope you've had an enjoyable holiday, and hope you've enjoyed this chapter! Got at least one more chapter dealing with this nice reunion. I know a lot of you have been looking forward to all of this, so I hope I'm not disappointing anyone.**


	53. Chapter 53

**A/N: Here's part 2 of the reunion. Please enjoy!**

 **Chapter 53: New Year's Reunion Part 2**

 **Peter's POV:**

"Oy! Spider-boy!" Clint called out towards me, and I froze, giving him a wide-eyed look. He knew who I was? "How'd you get your abilities, and how the hell did you end up living with Shell Head over here?" he asked, and I just sat there, not knowing what to say.

I numbly heard Dad retort something, but blood was pounding in my ears as all eyes were focused on me, many looking rather stunned at finding out my secret. It seemed the rogue Avengers already knew, but everyone else had been in the dark. God, at the rate people were finding out my secret, the whole world would know it in no time. Damn it!

My face flushed now at all the attention, especially when I saw so much judgment, and I looked to Tony for help. Should I answer the question? Should I deny it?

Tony's face softened, turning sympathetic and apologetic when he caught the expression on my face. Standing up, though, his face quickly turned hard, even threatening as he looked around the room. "Alright everyone, listen up," he announced, "Yes, Peter is Spider-man, but you _cannot_ tell anyone as he wants his identity to be kept a secret. He doesn't want the attention, and it's frankly safer for him and his friends that no one knows who he is. Are we clear?" He hadn't said much, but with the people in this room, he really didn't have to. They knew what dangers went along with being a super hero.

Nods and assurances were immediately given, no one wanting to cause me any problems. I'd figured my secret was safe with them, but I was worried more about what they'd think of a 16-year-old super hero. I was worried about their questions, which Tony seemed to understand because his next words were, "You can ask him questions, but if he doesn't want to answer, then leave him be." There was an unspoken threat in the air as Tony outright glared at everyone, and while embarrassed by his over-protectiveness, I was mostly appreciative.

"How old were you during the fight in Germany?" Sam asked, and I frowned at already hearing the disapproval in his tone.

"Fifteen," I answered, and he shook his head, shooting Tony a disappointed look.

"You took a fifteen-year-old kid to that battle, Stark?" Clint asked disbelievingly. "What the hell were you thinking? He could've been hurt or killed! I mean, look what happened to Rhodey! No offense, man," he rushed to say to the colonel, who waved away the apology. Looking around the room, I saw a lot of disapproval on everyone's faces, even anger. My stomach churned unpleasantly, and I wanted to yell at everyone to stop looking at my dad like that.

"I was thinking I was desperate to protect my friends," Tony answered, tone steely as he looked specifically at the rogue Avengers. "I knew, even if things came to a fight that none of us would be seeking to seriously harm each other. What happened with Rhodes was a tragic accident, and yeah, I realize now that something like that could've happened to Peter, but I don't regret bringing him. I do regret not fully informing him about what was going on, and for making him feel like he had to come," he admitted, his eyes now on me, and I looked to him in surprise.

"No, don't!" I cried out, shaking my head and standing up. I wasn't going to let them look down on Tony. "I'm not sorry about what happened. You needed me, and I'd do it again," I told Dad. Looking at the rest of the room, I then stated, "Don't judge Tony for my actions. I got my abilities when I was fourteen, and was swinging around in a homemade suit saving people from that age. When he came to me, he didn't force me, and when I agreed, he made me an amazing suit that'd help keep me safer. After Germany, he kept tabs on me through Happy, and he saved my butt a couple times. He even took my suit away when I got too reckless, so don't you dare accuse _him_ of being reckless with _me_! Ever since he first contacted me, he's done all he can to protect me and teach me how to take care of myself when I'm out as Spider man. He and Natasha have been training me, and Dad has even banned me from going after enhanced individuals…although I think I'm ready for that," I couldn't help but add quietly, specifically looking at Tony, who was sporting an expression of affection and amusement.

Finished lecturing, I crossed my arms and shot the crowd a challenging look, noticing how my family looked torn between amusement, pride, and exasperation.

"I have to say that when I found out your age, Peter, I wasn't happy that you got involved in our fighting, but after what you just said, I think it's clear that it's really none of our business," Steve asserted, looking specifically at Clint, Sam, and Hank, who seemed the most upset. "You've been doing this since you were fourteen, before you met Tony, and it seems that since you met him, he's done nothing but make sure you're more prepared and safe when going out." I shot the captain a look of appreciation, surprised that he would be the one to defend me. I had assumed he would've been scolding both me and Tony, and judging from Tony's expression, he'd thought the same.

"Jesus, but you're just a kid," Clint argued, giving me an earnest look. "You shouldn't be out there risking your life."

"It's what I want, though," I retorted firmly, and he let out a harsh sigh.

"This isn't a game," he snapped heatedly, and Laura placed a calming hand on his shoulder. Clint took a deep breath before speaking again. "People die in this business. Your actions affect not just you, but everyone around you. Are you really prepared for the consequences that your actions will have? Are you prepared to kill? To watch people die? This is a really hard life, and you're too young to be getting involved already."

"I know what I've gotten into," I defended, offended that he thought I hadn't. "I know what this job entails, and no matter what you or anyone says, I'm not going to stop being Spider-man. It's who I am. I know this isn't a game, it never was. And, yeah, I know what it's like to watch people die or to watch someone you care about be hurt," I informed him darkly, thinking of Uncle Ben dying and Tony being tortured and shot.

Clint's blue eyes were trained on me, serious and grave, and I stared back, unwavering. It was a few seconds of intense staring before the archer let out a soft sigh. "Okay," he exhaled, gracing me with a small smile. "If you're sure, and Tony is training you, then I guess I'll stay out of it."

I was the one to let out a sigh this time, of relief, glad to have changed his mind. I wondered what the others were thinking, and as I found myself being graced with smiles of understanding, pride, and concern. Some of them still didn't look convinced, but they didn't say anything.

"You're something else, Spider-man," Scott remarked, a large, excited grin on his face. "The way you helped take me down in Germany…just wow," he stated, letting out an impressed whistle. I grinned back as I replied, "Well, the way you just turned into a giant was way awesome! I was blown away!" Scott seemed pleased by my words, and looked to Hope as though expecting some praise. She just rolled her eyes, though, looking unimpressed.

"Peter, how did you get your abilities? Are you a mutant?" Hope asked, intense curiosity in her eyes. Scientist, I couldn't help but think. Only scientists could look at me with such intense curiosity. I looked to Tony, asking permission if I could answer, and he gestured that it was up to me. Seeing nothing but interest and curiosity in most eyes, I decided to answer.

"I'm not a mutant. It was a spider bite," I answered simply, unsurprised when I saw raised eyebrows and disbelief.

"Seriously?" Sam asked incredulously, and I nodded my head.

"I was on a school field trip at Oscorp," I recounted, "and we were just walking through one of the labs when a spider literally fell from the ceiling onto my hand and bit me. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it had to have been a spider that was experimented on, because I remember it had a number on it. I threw up and then passed out afterwards, but when I woke up I felt fine. The next day, though, I passed out again at school and was taken to the hospital. I don't remember much, but at some point I woke up feeling stronger and healthier than I ever had before. My aunt and uncle told me I'd nearly died, and the doctors just couldn't explain what had happened to me."

"Do you know what had been done to that spider?" Hank asked, looking immensely intrigued. "What kind of spider was it?"

I shrugged. "I have no idea what kind of spider it was, or what was done to it. I just know it was immediately crushed afterwards."

"Have you had your DNA looked at?" he then asked, and I nodded my head, feeling amusement at how the old man's eyes lit up in excitement.

"Bruce checked it out," I informed Hank, looking at the Bruce then to indicate he take up the explanation. Bruce explained that my abilities stemmed from having extra genes activated, and that it was random chance that I wasn't killed.

"There's no guarantee that if any of us were bitten by that same spider, that the same thing would happen," he informed them, and I found myself being looked at with wide eyes.

"What exactly can you do?" Steve then asked. "I know you've got super strength."

"Were those webs coming out of you?" Sam asked, and I recalled him asking the same question during our fight.

"Uh, yeah, I'm really strong, and no, I made the webs," I answered them, blushing once more at the way I was being looked at by everyone.

"You made that stuff?" Sam asked in surprise, and I nodded my head.

"Kids a genius," my dad spoke up with pride, and I turned even redder.

"I can also stick to walls and stuff with my hands and feet, I'm really flexible and agile, and I've got this, uh, spider sense thing that warns me of danger," I told them, nervously rubbing the back of my neck at the looks of awe on their faces.

"Can you stick to the wall?" Conner asked eagerly, eyes lit up in excitement.

I shrugged, standing up and easily hopping up onto the ceiling, sticking to it with just my fingertips.

"Holy shit," Scott mumbled, and I grinned before letting go and landing on the ground.

"How did you end up living with Stark?" Pym asked, looking amazed by my abilities, but also concerned. Concerned for what, though?

"Oh, er, well, I'm an orphan now, so...," I trailed off awkwardly, and the man's eyes widened. "My aunt died last March, and Tony and Pepper decided to take me in. I was already close to them both because I'd spend some weekends with them, and because they'd visit nearly every week," I explained, and Hank just nodded in understanding, a solemn expression on his face.

After the sad turn in topic, no one seemed to want to ask another question. I stood there awkwardly for several moments, no one doing anything but stare at me. I was extremely uncomfortable, but thankfully, Anthony came to my rescue when a loud squeak echoed throughout the room, causing all eyes turn towards the dog. Feeling their eyes, the loveable mutt wagged its tail, treating them all to a happy dog grin.

"Is that a Captain America _chew_ toy?" Steve asked incredulously, and I nodded my head.

Several people let out laughs, Tony's loudest of all.

"It's his favorite," I stated, and the captain looked at the battered toy and then the dog warily.

"What's his name?" Lila asked, walking over and hugging the dog.

I smirked towards my groaning dad as I answered, "Anthony."

"Hahaha! You named a _dog_ after yourself, Tony?" Clint asked, looking highly amused.

" _I_ didn't," Tony snapped moodily. "Peter did."

"It suits him!" I defended, walking over to Anthony, who immediately came up to lick my face.

"Well, Tony is a bit of a dog," Clint stated teasingly, and I was pleased to see my dad just stick his tongue out at the archer. It seemed they were getting along well, despite any differences. This reunion was actually working on re-bonding the shattered team.

"Hey!" I protested on Tony's behalf. "It's because of some physical similarities they share," I stated, and after several laughs were given, Dad mumbled, "Not helping, spiderling."

Sighing harshly, I then set about explaining why I'd named my dog Anthony, pointing out the patch on his chest, the scar on his leg, the fur color, the eye color, and even the attention-seeking attitude. "He's had a rough start to life, just like Dad has," I declared, and Tony was the one looking uncomfortable now as eyes flicked between him and Anthony. I noticed confusion on some of their faces, and realized not everyone knew about my dad's arc reactor, but they thankfully didn't ask.

"You should see the way they dress him up," Pepper stated from the kitchen, and Tony once more let out a groan as I set out to explain all the different outfits the dog had, causing lots of laughter amongst the group.

"He's so cute!" Lila exclaimed, placing several kisses on my boy, who seemed thrilled with all the attention he was getting. Unfortunately, for Anthony at least, the attention was taken away from him when dinner was announced. Everyone immediately began heading to the kitchen, Anthony trailing after Lila, his new favorite person. He no doubt hoped she'd feed him, the glutton.

Tony walked over and wrapped an arm around me. "You okay?" he whispered in concern, and I nodded my head.

"You did great. They're all in awe of you, it's awesome," he remarked with a grin.

"If you say so," I mumbled, not sure I wanted them to be like that.

Dad seemed to understand what I was thinking, for he squeezed my shoulder before telling me, "They're not going to be weird around you or anything. If anything, they'll treat you with more respect now. You're one of us, little spider."

I couldn't help but smile at his words, giving him my thanks before rushing off to eat.

Dinner was a rather chaotic affair, many of us fighting for food even though there was more than enough, even for those with increased appetites like Bruce, Steve, and I. The dining room had a table large enough to fit us all, so we all sat down intermingled with each other. Current and rogue Avengers were sitting together rather than apart, and I felt a thrill of happiness.

I sat myself down next to Conner, wanting to have a talk with him as I'd seen how he was treating his dad; and, I'd seen how it hurt Clint. I knew it wasn't any of my business, but I wanted this trip to be good for everyone. Conner seemed really pleased to have me next to him, so I figured he was a Spider-man fan. I let him lead the conversation at first, answering all his questions regarding Spider-man.

"And your parents are okay with what you do?" he asked inquisitively. "Well, I guess your dad is Iron Man, but what about your mom?"

"I don't know if they're okay with it, even my dad," I responded thoughtfully, "but they have accepted that it's something I'm going to do whether they want me to or not. Being Spider-man isn't a job for me. It's just who I am, and I couldn't stop even if I wanted to."

"Why?" he asked, and I realized he was thinking about his dad right now. "With great power, comes great responsibility," I quoted, and his brow furrowed. "My uncle used to say that to me all the time, and until I got my abilities, I didn't really understand. Basically, since I have the ability to help people, then I should, because if I don't, and something bad happens, then it's my fault," I attempted to explain, and he frowned deeply. I decided now would be a good time to talk about Clint.

"Look, Conner, I don't really know your dad, but I know what it is to be a super-hero. I know he got involved because he wanted to help, and he felt he was doing the right thing," I said, and I noticed anger entering his expression.

"He was retired," he hissed quietly, shooting a glare towards Clint, who was happily cooing at Nathaniel. "He shouldn't have gotten involved because the Accords had nothing to do with him anymore." In addition to the anger, I also saw hurt and despair in Conner's eyes. Not knowing Clint's reasons, I could only make assumptions as I attempted to defend him.

"He may have retired from the Avengers," I spoke delicately, "but that doesn't change who he was. Hawkeye is as much a part of him as Spider-man is of me. His friends needed him, and he never would've been able to forgive himself if he hadn't gone to help." While I spoke these words confidently, I wasn't sure if that's what Clint really felt. I said all this, because I knew it's what I would've felt.

"And look where it's gotten him," Conner argued darkly. "He's on the run, a fugitive," he spat. "We're alone again, and Mom is super stressed and sad all the time, worrying about what's happening to him. It's not fair."

"No, it isn't," I agreed, just imagining if something similar were to happen to Tony. "I'm not asking you to forgive your dad, but at least talk to him. You're angry, so explain why, and give him time to explain. You still might not agree, but just remember that he's your dad, and he's really missed you. The main reason behind this get together was because of your dad."

The younger teen looked conflicted, torn between longing to speak with Clint, and wanting to lash out at him. He eventually closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. "Fine," he grumbled, "I'll talk to the old man. But, I won't be nice," he warned me, and I bit back a laugh as I nodded in understanding. Looking suddenly determined, Conner stood up and walked towards Clint. I was surprised, having anticipated Conner waiting until after dinner, at least. I watched him walk straight to his father, give him a serious look, and then declare that they needed to speak. Clint seemed shocked yet pleased, and he immediately handed Nathaniel over to Nat, got up, and walked away with his son. I hoped their conversation would go well.

Feeling eyes on me, I looked over to see Natasha raising an eyebrow at me. I offered her a small smile, and she just nodded her head, giving me a brief smile.

"That was a nice thing you did," Hank spoke, and I looked at him in surprise, having thought he'd been engrossed in conversation with Scott. He interpreted my expression, and gave a light laugh before saying, "I'm old, not deaf." I smiled sheepishly, unsure of what to say. I didn't really know this man, but I did know that he was not a fan of my dad. I hadn't missed the mistrusting eyes he'd periodically throw Tony's way.

"Why don't you trust Tony?" I decided to ask, and the man sucked in a large breath, briefly giving Tony a glance.

"I knew his father," he stated, and I shot him a displeased expression.

"He's not his father," I declared strongly, resisting the urge to say they weren't even related.

"I…I'm beginning to see that," Hank replied reluctantly, "but it's hard to get past the hate."

"Hate? Why?" I asked, not understanding what Howard Stark could've done to garner such an emotion. As far as I knew, apart from sucking at fatherhood, he was a good man.

"I used to work for SHIELD," the older scientist recounted, and I nodded to show I knew of SHIELD. "Did you also know I created the Ant Man suit?" he asked, and I looked at him with wide-eyes, not having known that. It would definitely explain his connection to Scott. "I used the suit to infiltrate and fight for SHIELD, alongside my wife, who had a similar suit to mine, but we called her The Wasp. During on of our missions, she ended up dying, and I stopped being Ant Man," he informed me, and I saw a deep sadness in his eyes. I felt my heart go out to him, but said nothing, as he seemed lost in the past.

"I was never the biggest fan of Howard Stark, finding him arrogant, egotistical, and self-serving. He's one of those guys who the end justified the means, and I was the opposite," he described, voice filled with rancor. "The final straw for me was when I found that SHIELD was trying to recreate my suit without my permission. They wanted to mass produce it, and sell it…or should I say, _Stark_ wanted that," he spat, eyes narrowed with anger. I didn't know what to say, because frankly, I was on Hank's side. "As soon as I found out, I confronted Stark, and told him that I quit. Without me, he wasn't able to recreate the suit."

"I'm sorry about your wife, and what Mr. Stark tried to do," I finally decided to say, and the man snorted, shooting me a small smile.

"Don't apologize for something that has nothing to do with you," he lectured, "but, thank you, nonetheless."

"My dad isn't like that," I felt the need to say. "He doesn't make weapons, and he'd never feel that the end justifies the means. He's a good person, Hank, he really is. I know it doesn't always seem like it, especially with how he acts with the media, but he cares a lot about people. He's the one that that managed this whole reunion."

Hank's lips pursed, his eyes looking troubled before we both turned to look at my dad, who was looking quite panicked as he held a crying Nathaniel in his arms. I couldn't help but laugh, and noticed as even Hank's lip quirked in amusement.

"I'll acknowledge that Stark isn't who I thought he was, but it'll take some time before I'll be able to put my trust in him," the older man eventually said, and I nodded my head, relieved to have made some progress with him.

 **Tony's POV:**

The screeching infant was quickly soothed by his mother, and I shook my head bemusedly that such a small thing could make such an awfully loud sound.

"You looked petrified," Natasha commented in amusement, and I huffed as I shook my head.

"Not petrified," I corrected, "perturbed. I don't know how to deal with babies," I defended, and she just shook her head at me, laughing at me with her eyes.

"Big bad Iron Man defeated by an infant," she remarked teasingly, and I just rolled my eyes, letting her have her fun.

I looked around the table now, elated to see everyone getting along. I'd noticed that Clint had left to speak with his eldest, and I had a feeling my little spider had something to do with that, especially after seeing the exchange of looks between him and Natasha. I also noticed when Peter began to speak with Pym, feeling their eyes on me a little earlier when I was dealing with Clint's youngest spawn. Their conversation seemed to have gone well, I surmised, seeing the two of them now smiling as they spoke. At least the old man wasn't taking his anger towards me out on Peter.

Clint walked back in, sitting down next to me, and sporting a thoughtful frown. I hesitated on inquiring if he was okay. While we were civil with each other, even feeling comfortable enough to tease, there was still a wall between us. Deciding that I'd regret saying nothing, I nudged the archer with my foot. "You good?"

A glare was the response I got, but I wasn't fazed as he'd given me worse glares for having eaten the last of his Captain Crunch. I maintained my gaze on him, trying to portray that I was genuinely concerned for him. He read me just as easily as I read him, so he let out a harsh sigh before ruffling up his short hair. "My boy is pissed with me, and with good reason," he mentioned quietly, clearly only wanting me to hear. Thankfully, no one seemed to be paying attention to us, whether because they were engrossed in their own conversations, or they were allowing us privacy.

"We talked—well, he talked mostly, letting me know that while he's proud that I'm a superhero, he thinks I was selfish to have gotten involved in all this Accords bullshit," Clint informed me grimly, and I felt for him. I remembered the one-time Peter wanted nothing to do with me after his adoption became world news, and I'd hated it. It was awful having your kid angry with you, especially when you felt it was deserved.

"I told him I was sorry, but I also explained why I did it," Clint continued, crossing his arms as his frowned deepened. I didn't need to ask his reasoning. He'd been there because Steve asked, and because he felt protective of Wanda. Since Pietro had died protecting him, Clint had taken it upon himself to take the sorceress under his wing. She definitely needed it, I thought, recalling how alone and depressed she'd been after Pietro's death. If it hadn't been for Clint, and then Vision, I doubt Wanda would've stayed.

"Conner understands, I know he does," Clint expressed, "but he's just angry. Angry that I left him, his siblings, and his mom. He sees the effects my long absence has had on everyone, and as the man of the house, he feels protective of everyone." Clint let out a sad sigh, shaking his head dismally. "I don't know what to say to him." I thought over his situation, wishing there was something I could say or do to help him out. I dimly noticed that we were now the only two left at the table, people coming in only to grab dishes to take to be washed. Laura gave me an encouraging look at one point, so I felt the need to say something to help my friend.

"Clint," I addressed, garnering his complete attention with the use of his first name and serious tone. "I'm going to do whatever it takes to get you home. I've been thinking it for a while, but after talking with Nat and Steve, we've decided that we're ready to get rid of the Accords."

Clint's eyebrows rose in surprise, but I also saw skepticism and mistrust, which really hurt. "I'm sorry," I apologized, "for the way things happened. I'm sorry you got put in that hell hole, and"—

"You _left_ us in that hell hole, Stark," Clint hissed heatedly. "If Steve hadn't shown up, would you have ever done anything?"

I gritted my teeth, unable to stop from narrowing my eyes at his accusation. "I didn't leave you anywhere, Barton. I left behind a virus to screw up their security system, and to alert me the second Steve showed up, because I knew he would. The second I was alerted, I activated the virus and refused to give Ross assistance when he called for my help." Clint opened his mouth, but I continued speaking. "I've always known you were in Wakanda, and I didn't do anything about it. I kept tabs on you guys through T'Challa, and since you left Wakanda I've kept my ear to the ground, making sure if any of you were idiotic enough to get caught, I'd know as soon as possible. I _never_ wanted things to turn out this way. Having you guys considered fugitives kills me, because you're all _heroes_. You deserve to be free and home with your family. I'm doing the best I can to help, I swear I am, so I really wish you'd stop treating me like the bad guy. We all screwed up, Clint, and I'm sorry for my part; but you're not exactly innocent in this either," I felt the need to add.

Clint's head was in his hands by the time I finished speaking, and he was leaning on the table. "This is all so fucked up," he grumbled, and I nodded my head in agreement. He shook his head roughly before looking at me. "I'm sorry, Tony," he whispered dejectedly, all previous anger gone. "I'm sorry for what I said back then when…" he trailed off, but I knew he was referring to our conversation on the Raft.

"It's fine," I assured him. "I totally deserved it, and you were in a shitty situation, so it's cool, man."

Bird-brain let out a humorless laugh, leaning back in his chair before then quietly, yet meaningfully saying, "Thank you…for arranging this…and for doing what you can to help. For a tin man, you just might have a heart in there," he assessed, giving me a teasing smirk, and I chuckled lightly, glad to see this teasing side of him.

"Missed you too, Legolas," I shot back, and his smirk turned into a grin. Reaching out an arm, he slapped me on the back, harder than needed, which caused me to give him a mild glare.

"Your spider boy is pretty interesting," he commented suddenly, and I smiled as I said, "Sure is."

"I saw your interview," he then said, the teasing look gone. "Just from that, I could tell you're a good dad. From what I've seen today, I can say you're not just good, but actually great. I honestly didn't think you had it in you, Tones, but damn if that kid doesn't love you."

My heart warmed at his words, and my smile just widened. Clint just looked at me before laughing loudly. "Oh, wow, he's got you wrapped right around his spider finger, doesn't he?"

"Hell yeah, he does, but don't tell him that," I replied, and Clint continued to laugh.

"I get it, man, I get it," he remarked, looking towards the living room where his family was. He stood up, paused, and then muttered, "Oh yeah," before giving me a hard slap upside the head.

"Ow!" I yelped, "What the hell?!"

"That's for taking so long to propose to Pepper," he answered as if it was obvious, and with a shrug he then simply walked away. Lunging out of my chair, I tagged him back even harder, which caused him to whirl around and give me an incredulous look. "Jesus, Shell Head, I didn't hit you that hard!"

"That was for screaming out my kid's _secret_ to a room full of people who didn't know, _and_ for giving him a hard time," I declared, and he opened his mouth to argue, and then promptly closed it, nodding his head and gracing me with an apologetic look. Satisfied, I shoved him playfully before heading into the living room. I heard him chuckle as he walked behind me, heading to sit with his wife while I settled down with Peter, Wanda, and Vision.

Vision had apparently bought Wanda a guitar, and had given it to her today. Currently, she was playing something simple, attempting to teach Vision. Peter watched eagerly, talking and asking many questions, which Wanda patiently answered, a smile on her face showing she was amused by the spiderling's constant chatter. Noting my presence, she stiffened, shooting me a dark look that caused me to grimace and look away. She had no reason to ever forgive me or even put up with my presence. I'd inadvertently killed her parents, I'd banned her from leaving the Avengers compound (albeit in order to protect her), and I'd been responsible for her getting caught and put in the Raft, where she'd been restrained like an insane person to keep her from using her abilities. An 'I'm sorry' just didn't seem good enough.

Feeling her eyes on me, I looked back, and allowed her to see the guilt in my eyes. Our relationship hadn't exactly been stellar before she'd left, but we'd been starting to get along, even joking with one another. I'd been the one to gift her with a guitar when I realized she played. All that understanding seemed like it was gone, though, as I looked into her guarded eyes. I wanted her to understand that I did care about her, and that I was grateful for the smile she brought to Vision's face, and for the joy she brought Clint. I wanted her to know how sorry I was for not being able to protect her. Leaning forward, I reached up a hand and lightly tapped my temple, subtly giving her permission to look inside. I didn't know if she'd already been reading me, but at her raised eyebrow, I realized she'd allowed me my privacy. I nodded, looking insistent, and she looked hesitant before nodding bad.

Eyes glowing red, I maintained eye contact, not really understanding how her abilities worked. A slight feeling of pressure in my head, sort of like a mild headache coming on was the only evidence I felt of her intrusion. This slight pressure alerted me that she could clearly read me or anyone without us realizing it. I wondered if she did.

I suddenly found myself back in that horrible vision she'd first shown me years ago, of the Avengers dying and an alien arm invading Earth, all because of me. There was a slight change this time, though, and in addition to the Avengers lying dead at my feet, there was the addition of Pepper, Peter, Happy, and Amanda. Reeling back in horror, I let out a loud gasp, roughly jerked back to reality by a shout and a hand on my shoulder.

My eyes cleared, and I found myself staring into Peter's concerned face. "Are you okay? What happened?" he asked worriedly, and I took in a deep breath, the air feeling cool against my suddenly sweaty face. "What did you do?" my son hissed, looking back at Wanda.

"I-I'm sorry," the sorceress stammered, looking upset and guilty. "I just—I needed to see…" she trailed off, looking nervous at the furious look Peter was gracing her with.

I noisily cleared my throat, garnering their attention. "I'm okay," I told them, and both looked at me disbelievingly. Rubbing a shaky hand over my face, I gave both a weak grin. "I'm fine, I'm swear. I was just—I'm good now," I attempted to assure them, realizing suddenly that we'd garnered the room's attention. Pepper was standing nearby, looking confused and concerned. Clint seemed to be the only one to understand what happened, because with a disapproving frown he looked to Wanda and softly asked, "What did you show him, Wanda?"

"Nothing," I shot out before Wanda could say anything. "It was _nothing_ ," I insisted once more, throwing everyone an easy smile. "I'm not good with words, and I wanted to apologize to Wanda for everything that happened, so I gave her permission to look in my head"—

"And it looks like she showed you a vision," Bruce growled, his eyes flashing with anger.

"Er, no," I started to defend, but then trailed off when I saw the knowing expressions of Clint, Bruce, Steve, and Natasha, three of who'd also experienced Wanda's _visions_.

"I wanted to know what his worst fear was again to see if anything had changed," Wanda spoke up honestly, frowning sadly at me. She was the one looking at me with apology now, and I clenched my mouth shut to keep from snapping at her for taking advantage of me. I'd allowed her to look into my thoughts, _not_ to play with them.

"Wanda!" Clint scolded sharply, "You had no right to do that! Tony is not an enemy no matter how you feel about him!" Wanda's eyes narrowed briefly before turning guilty once more. I decided it was time to speak up.

"Look, let's drop this," I ordered, standing up and holding my hands up. "I gave her permission to get into my head, and she did what she felt was right to try and figure me out. I've knowingly and unknowingly hurt her, and she no doubt did it to protect you guys. Let it go," I told them firmly, eyeing them each before turning back towards the woman. "I would like to know," I addressed her, "whether I have your trust or not now? Or, are you going to take advantage of _my_ trust again to fish around some more? Satisfied, _kid_?"

She frowned deeply at me calling her kid before responding. "You have my trust…and I apologize…I should not have done that." I sensed she was being genuine, so I gave her a single nod as I replied, "Okay, we're good." She searched my face before nodding back in relief.

"You might be okay with this, Tony, but I'm not. I saw the effect those visions had on you guys, and she told me recently what it was that you saw. If she made you see that again, well, there was no reason for that," Clint stated, his eyes trained on Wanda the entire time. She squirmed uncomfortably before getting up and quickly walking away. Vision made to walk after her, but Clint stopped the android, storming after her instead. Vision look concerned, and he pursed his lips, looking indecisive.

"Give them a few minutes," I advised him, and he gave a distracted nod. Looking to the other's, I saw Happy, Pepper, Peter, and Rhodey looking concerned. Natasha and Bruce looked understanding, having been through this, and knowing I wouldn't want to talk about it. Scott, the Pyms, Clint's family, and Sam looked confused and curious. I let out a heavy sigh.

"Wanda has the ability to show someone their worst fears, memories, or regrets," I explained. "She doesn't control what exactly we see, but it's not pretty…at least what I saw. I'm fine, though, and I'm not angry with her, so let's just move on. Please," I tacked on to the end, and the majority walked away, bar Peter. The boy was always too stubborn. I reached out a hand to softly run through his hair, but his hard stare didn't soften.

"You told me what her vision was, and she shouldn't have done that, regardless of whether you gave her permission to enter your mind. I know how you feel about those visions," he expressed, looking both angry on my behalf, and deeply worried.

"Pal, I swear I'm just fine," I reassured him, leaning down slightly to look him right in the eyes. "I was just shocked, but I'm perfectly fine, believe me," I pleaded. His anger melted off, his concern dwindling, but he still looked skeptical. However, he said nothing more, just hugging me tightly before urging Vision to practice the guitar with him. The android clearly didn't want to, but he couldn't bring himself to turn down Peter's puppy-dog eyes.

I sank back down into the couch, rubbing my face with two hands, not missing the glances that kept being thrown my way. It was only a few minutes before Wanda and Clint came back, Clint looking much calmer, and Wanda looking completely relaxed; although, upon closer look, it did appear as if she'd been crying. She sat herself down next to Vision, who wrapped an arm around her, offering her back her guitar. Peter seemed to just stare at her until I gave the boy a kick to his butt. He threw me a disgruntled look before mumbling a few soft words to Wanda, whose expression turned into one of thanks. The three then resumed their lessons, Peter now practicing along with Wanda instead of Vision.

Closing my eyes, I just listened to the murmur of talking around me along with the sounds of the guitar. Peter was getting good, I thought happily, pleased that he was able to bond with Amanda through this activity. It also was a way to bond with Wanda, so I guess that was a good thing. That young woman really did need more people to get close with, and Peter was closer to her age than any of the others. He was also a good influence, so I hoped they could form a friendship. Despite how Wanda might feel about me, I trusted she wouldn't hurt my boy.

I felt the couch sink next to me, and I knew from her scent and the feel of her hand in mine that it was Pepper, so I smiled. She lay her head on my shoulder, softly talking to me about her conversations with the others. Nothing of importance had occurred, but it was good that all her conversations had seemed to go well. She seemed to have already grown close to Laura, which didn't surprise me. The two had a lot in common, each being married to a super hero, and having children. I had a feeling we may be seeing more of the woman and her children around the tower.

Loud laughs were given, and I peeked an eye open to see an animated Rhodey and Sam telling some no doubt embellished story to their avid listeners. Bruce mumbled something with a smirk that caused another round of laughs to be given, both story tellers looking mightily offended.

"Everyone seems to be getting along really well," Pepper whispered, and I hummed in response. Everything was going well, and it was a goddamn relief. I was exhausted, though. I'd been stressing over this reunion since the moment I began planning it. I worried over how everyone would react, even myself. Then the talks with Steve and Clint, and then this little show with Wanda had tired me out even more. I just wanted to sleep, but as it was New Year's Eve, I would at least make it to midnight like everyone else was planning.

I felt someone sit down on my left, and opened my eyes to see Wanda sitting there, a brooding expression on her face that reminded me of Natasha. "You take too much blame on yourself," she remarked, looking straight ahead instead of at me. "I'm still furious over being imprisoned at the Raft, but I also realize you did attempt to protect me, in a stupid way, mind you," she added, looking at me for the first time. "Next time just talk to me... Anyways, everyone here shares some of the blame, and it's time we forgive each other if we're to move on. You want the Avengers to come together again, and I'll do what I can to help."

"Wanda, I wanted to protect you," I told her, "but I realize I screwed up. Our…relationship has never been the best because…of reasons, but you're an Avenger, and that makes you part of my family. Whether you like me or not, I'll do what I can to help and protect you. Just…don't betray my trust in you," I had to advise, giving her a serious look. "I won't threaten you, because I do trust you, but I'm asking you not to give me reason not to."

She stared at me with a searching look as if I were a puzzle she just couldn't solve. After several tense moments, though, she gave me a small smile as she said, "Thank you, and I won't betray you, I promise." I returned her smile, and she stood up, going over to Laura and striking up a conversation. Turning my head to Pepper, I raised an eyebrow, and she smiled beautifully before kissing me on the lips.

 **A/N: Not yet done with the reunion, so there's definitely another chapter coming along. I feel like there's so much that needs to happen, but I also feel like I'm rushing it at times. Once again, hope people aren't disappointed. :)**


	54. Chapter 54

**A/N: PLEASE ENJOY! Apologies for taking so long!**

 **NOTE: I made a mistake with Clint's first son's name. I put Conner instead of Cooper. It'll be changed in this chapter. Thanks to the person who pointed it out.**

 **Chapter 54: New Year's Reunion Part 3**

 **Steve's POV:**

Even while engrossed in conversation with different people, I kept my eye on Tony since the hiccup with Wanda. I was taken aback that Tony would not only allow, but basically ask Wanda to look through his mind, but it seemed he really wanted to make things right with her. I couldn't help but be proud and grateful to the man. Wanda, unfortunately, had taken advantage of that trust and had played with his mind, showing him that awful vision once more. I was both angered and disappointed in the woman, but I'd held my tongue when Tony had urged us to move on. He clearly didn't want to make a scene, so I refrained from speaking, at least for the moment. I knew Clint had words with her already, and it looked like Tony and Wanda had reconciled, but I was still pissed.

After my second phone conversation with Peter, where he'd mentioned the vision Wanda had shown Tony, I'd approached her afterwards and pressed her until she told me what the vision entailed. I hadn't even known he'd been subjected to one of those. Wanda recounted to me having done it when we were retrieving the scepter, and she described Tony's greatest fear: being responsible for all our deaths and the Earth's demise. I honestly hadn't known how to take that. In fact, I still didn't know how to process that. It certainly explained his creation of Ultron. Had I known at the time I wouldn't have come down so hard on Tony, but…God, I still couldn't believe Tony's greatest fear. I'd seen a life with Peggy, Thor had seen some vision of the future, and Natasha had seen some horrors from her past. All were horrible, but Tony's was the worst of all.

If seeing us all dead wasn't bad enough, Wanda told me that my vision-self had told Tony he could've done more, as if he could have prevented all that he saw. It explained so much. It explained Ultron, and it even explained the Accords. The genius was terrified of being responsible for our deaths, and he was doing everything to prevent it. Idiot, I thought ruefully. He should've confided in us, so we could've shaken some sense into him. He wasn't responsible for Earth's safety and our lives. We protected each other and the Earth as a team, but we couldn't be responsible for everything that happened. _And_ , I was certain that nothing Tony could do would result in the catastrophe of his vision.

Wanda had expressed sorrow for not just Tony's vision, but all of ours; so, for her to show it to Tony again was nearly unforgivable. How could she put him through that sort of pain after she'd seen what the vision had led to originally? She'd said it was to see the sort of man he was, but she could've done that with memories alone. There was no need to put him through that horror again! Yes, she and I were definitely going to have words later.

Giving the stubborn genius another surreptitious look, I saw him grinning at something Pepper was saying to him. He looked exhausted, but not traumatized. He was a master at deception, though, and if he was affected, he wouldn't let any of us know. I wanted to talk to him and apologize once more, but I knew he wouldn't want to discuss any of this. He'd shut me down because he wouldn't be comfortable conversing about the vision, but he also wouldn't want to admit to being negatively affected. He was the suffer in silence type.

Well, I guess all us Avengers were…but _still_.

"Another round of drinks!" Sam crowed loudly, and I shook my head in bemusement. Sometimes Earth's mightiest heroes acted like a bunch of frat boys.

"I'll get them," I volunteered. People called out what drinks they wanted, and I raised an eyebrow when Peter called out that he wanted a beer.

"Hey! Absolutely not, little spider!" Tony declared, shooting the teen a disbelieving look.

"What?" Peter replied, like he couldn't understand Tony's reaction. "With my metabolism a beer isn't going to do anything to me, and anyways, remember last year you told me that you didn't care if I drank just as long as I didn't get drunk." More than one disapproving look was given to the billionaire, who looked momentarily caught off guard by Peter's response. He recovered quickly, though.

"Well, that was before I was your dad," Tony stated. "You're sixteen, five years away from drinking age, so under no circumstances are you to take in a drop of alcohol, regardless of your metabolism." His look and tone were firm, and I couldn't help but watch the scene in fascination, never having seen Tony this stern. Admittedly, him lecturing anyone on drinking was rather odd considering his past.

"Come on, Dad," Peter protested, sporting a puppy-dog expression that I was certain got him almost anything. Even I was finding it hard to deny the kid with that expression.

" _Peter,_ " Pepper spoke up sternly, "the answer is no and will always be no, so enough of this, please."

The young hero let out a dramatic groan before gracing his parents with a disgruntled look. "You know this isn't really fair," he argued quietly towards Tony, "seeing how you were at my age." Both my eyebrows rose at his audacity to say that. I was immensely curious to see how my friend responded to his son's impetuousness.

Tony's face turned hard as he stood up, towering over the suddenly nervous teen. His voice was steely as he replied, "No, you don't get to use any of that against me. You know what my circumstances were at that age, and I refuse to stand by and let you commit the same mistakes as me, do you understand?" There was a feeling of discomfort in the air, everyone torn between wanting to pretend they weren't aware of the disagreement going on, while at the same time drawn to watch it unfold.

Peter's face was red now with embarrassment, no doubt sensing all our eyes on his. " _Do you understand_?" Tony repeated, and Peter nodded meekly as he softly said, "I understand." I could already see the apology in his eyes, and couldn't help but feel for the boy. He really was just a kid. I wondered if Tony would maintain his anger, but was once more surprised to see his face immediately soften as he knelt before Peter, reaching a hand out to ruffle his hair. Peter responded with a hesitant smile before Tony stood back and began walking towards me.

"Let's go get these crazy people some drinks before they riot," he quipped, walking past me and into the kitchen. I followed, shaking my head at how different this man seemed from the man of a couple years ago. As we moved around the kitchen grabbing drinks and making mixes, I had to ask, "Who are you and what did you do with Tony Stark?"

Tony grinned cheekily as he expertly mixed some cocktails. I continued to stare at him, and he shrugged. "Kids, y'know?" he finally said, and I had to shake my head.

"No, I don't know," I responded. "But, I can definitely say I'm both shocked and pleased. You're a really good dad, and you dealt with Peter like an expert."

"Didn't expect me to, did you?" he questioned, and with a guilty look, I nodded my head in agreement. "Don't sweat it," he added with a kind smile, "I didn't think I had it in me either. That troublesome spider brings out the best in me. I want to be someone he can look up to and be proud of, and I don't want him to make any of the mistakes I did. I gave up drinking for him, and it's been hard," he confessed, "but he's worth the struggle. He's an amazing person, and I love him."

"I'm so happy for you," I expressed, truly elated for the man, and once again taken aback at how he'd actually given up drinking. Seeing Tony with alcohol had been a common occurrence. Granted, he'd rarely gotten drunk, but I'd never been content with his drinking habits. It'd been a battle I hadn't bothered fighting, though.

"By the way, Mother Hen," Tony addressed right as we were making to head back, "I'm perfectly fine. Wanda's vision unsettled me briefly, but I'm good. You don't have to keep watching me."

I grinned sheepishly as I nodded my head. I wasn't surprised he'd noticed. All us Avengers were observant, and we'd learned how to read each other. "I'm not a mother hen," I complained as we walked back, and he let out a loud laugh.

"Avengers!" Tony called out, and all eyes focused on him curiously. "Is our dear captain a mother hen?"

"Pfft, yeah."

"Of course, he is."

"Yes."  
"Since the moment I met him."

"Haven't we already had this conversation before?"

Tony sported a cheshire grin as he turned to me, and I just huffed, grumbling about annoying, juvenile teammates who didn't know anything about me.

"There, there, Mother Hen," Natasha downright cooed as she patted my shoulder with a smirk. I couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation, the others joining in. It was almost like old times, hanging out in the Tower, laughing at a joke someone had said as we lounged around eating pizza.

"I wonder where Thor is," I mused aloud, and nods of agreement were given.

"He hasn't been back to Earth since the Ultron fiasco," Tony stated. "I've contacted Jane periodically to check in, and she hasn't heard anything from him. In all honesty, I think Point Breaks gonna be single whenever he gets back here."

"He did say he was going to look for information regarding those infinity stones," Bruce commented.

"I wish we had a way of keeping tabs on him," I griped, feeling unsettled that at any moment Thor could be in danger, and he'd have no way of contacting us.

"You think he'll ever come back?" Sam asked curiously, and the original Avengers exchanged looks before all nodding in unison.

"He'll be back," Clint answered, "even if just to pick up a box of poptarts." We laughed, reminiscing over his odd fascination with those treats. "Never run out of poptarts," Clint continued. "One of the sacred rules of the Avengers tower, right along with never running out of Bruce's tea." The scientist reddened while the rest of us laughed heartily, recalling incidences that had caused the implementation of those rules.

"Never run out of coffee," Bruce declared, and all eyes turned towards the resident genius, who looked rather proud to have had a rule implemented just because of him.

"Make sure Steve doesn't miss a meal," Natasha remarked, shooting me a raised eyebrow, and I groaned aloud as I argued, "It was one time, guys, _one time_."

"One time was all that was needed, Steve," Clint said with a solemn look, and I smacked him with a pillow.

"Don't steal Clint's favorite pillow," I stated, and the archer grinned back proudly like Tony had done.

"Don't steal Natasha's _anything_ ," Clint announced, shooting Tony a sympathetic look as the billionaire sported a traumatized expression.

"Funny, how it always seems Tony's the one to discover these sacred rules," Bruce commented casually.

Tony just huffed, crossing his arms and mumbling, "Just because I'm a curious person…" We all laughed loudly before realizing the majority of the room was rather lost on what was going on. I smiled apologetically at the others, feeling rude for having an inside conversation.

"I'm thinking we're bringing some normality the group," Sam stated, insinuating himself, Scott, Wanda, Vision, and Rhodey. I couldn't help but raise a disbelieving eyebrow at him, noting I wasn't the only one. Sam seemed to reconsider his words as he took in the android, sorceress, and a man who could turn as small as an ant or as large as a building.

"If anything, you're going to make things crazier," Pepper stated, shooting us all dubious looks. "I don't even want to imagine how crazy home is going to be when you all come back."

"God help you, Pepper, I don't know how you managed with all of them in one house before," Laura stated, gracing Pepper with a commiserating look.

"And here I thought dealing with just Scott was difficult enough, but all of them together…," Hope shook her head, looking at Pepper with sympathy.

"We're not that bad," I mumbled in embarrassment, shouts of unjust treatment coming from Tony, Clint, and Scott. Natasha and Bruce looked amused, while the three kids, Hank, and even the dog looked highly entertained.

Pepper smiled kindly at me as she said, "Well, you were the best behaved, but even so…"

Tony barked out a joyous laugh, exclaiming, "We corrupted him!" as he and Clint high-fived each other triumphantly. I gave both men an exasperated look, rolling my eyes at their antics in mock irritability. Truthfully, I was just as amused and entertained by everything as the kids were.

Conversations started up again, Sam plopping himself down next to me. "So, this is what the Avengers were like?"

"No, no, no," I assured him, and at noting his disbelieving eyes, I smirked and added, "We were so much worse." The man's eyebrows rose before he laughed.

"Jeez, I haven't laughed this much in a long time," he muttered. "And, I sure as hell didn't expect things to go this well. I honestly wasn't sure how things would go with Stark," he admitted, and I gave a single nod in understanding and agreement. "The mans unpredictable…and crazy," Sam stated, weirdly eyeing the aforementioned man get into a tug of war match with his dog over a pillow. Peter was rolling on the floor, laughing his head off. "He's not at all like the Stark I remember," he continued with a light frown.

"Yes and no," I told him, laughing inwardly when the dog won the match, Tony falling back onto his butt. He sported a bewildered expression for two seconds before turning outraged and launching himself at the large dog. Peter got in between the two, holding his hands out towards his irritated father and overly excited dog. I shook my head. "Tony has always been unpredictable and crazy," I informed Sam, "and he's always been a caring guy, but he was never the best at showing it. He can be a right selfish jerk who delights in getting a rise out of people. He's still _that_ guy, but he's now also a father, as crazy as it is. He's caring, responsible, and mature, which isn't something any of us expected. I'm really happy for him."

"I can tell," Sam responded, eyeing me with a smile. "I haven't seen you this happy in a long time. I haven't seen you laugh this much or joke around. Hell, Clint and Wanda are like completely different people. He and Wanda have been like moody teenagers since we left the Raft (with good reason), but right now they haven't stopped smiling. They're overjoyed, ecstatic even. Seeing the original Avengers together sans Thor has been enlightening. You guys were really close— _are_ still close, and it's obvious you're more than teammates and friends…you're _family_."

I turned my head to look at him fully. Everything he said was right, except… "You're part of that group and that family as well, Sam. Your friendship means the world to me, and you've been a huge help to me time and time again, having my back without question. I don't know if you'll appreciate the comparison, but you're exactly like Bucky used to be, even down to personality. Well, he was a little more brash and flirtatious, but you're still similar."

I chuckled lightly at seeing his expression turned askance at my words before finally softening as he registered everything I'd said. "Hmmm," was the only response he gave, before offering me a smile and getting up. I hid a knowing smile. He wasn't good with emotional talks either, just like Bucky.

Shouts of delighted surprise were given by the kids, and I looked to see Scott had disappeared. Peter was looking at something on his finger in absolute awe, and I figured the engineer had shrunken himself down. I noticed that while Hope looked exasperated, Hank looked angry, but perhaps at seeing the joy on the kids faces, he kept his opinion to himself. "The suit is not a toy," he grumbled quietly, getting up and heading to the kitchen. Hope watched him go, sighed, and then got up to follow. I pondered going after them, but I honestly didn't know what to say, and I doubted they'd appreciate my intrusion.

Scott flashed back into regular size, and all three kids eagerly questioned him on what it felt like, what he could do, and whether they could try on the suit. Peter, in particular seemed eager to try it, wondering what it would do to his already enhanced abilities. Judging by the look in both Tony and Bruce's eyes, I could see they too were eager to know, their inner scientists showing. Hank returned at this point, putting an end to the show.

"Scott, get that suit off and put it away. God forbid anyone show up and see you, and don't you dare _ever_ let anyone put it on," he ordered, and a sheepish Scott nodded his head in understanding before disappearing down the hallway like a chastised kid.

Peter, Cooper, and Lila looked extremely disappointed, so Tony suggested they find somewhere _inside_ the home with enough room for Peter to show off his abilities. All three turned ecstatic, rushing off in excitement. Once again, I found myself feeling surprised at how attentive Tony was to what Peter was feeling. It was like his entire purpose was now to make that kid happy. Peter Parker was the best thing to ever happen to Tony.

A couple hours passed, people shuffling around from one group to another. With twenty minutes left to midnight, the kids appeared looking absolutely exhilarated. Peter threw his arms around Happy's neck, causing the larger man to let out an undignified squawk as he was nearly toppled. Peter made sure he didn't, though, laughed delightedly as the man made to smack him. Lila launched herself into Clint's arms, jabbering animatedly about everything Peter had shown them, including how he'd swung around a large room with her in his arms. Cooper stuck close to Peter, and it looked like the young teen was now star-struck with Peter. I was glad as I figured Peter would be a good influence on the younger teen.

"Do we have any fireworks to set off at midnight?" Peter asked excitedly, and I looked to Tony, hoping he'd say no. Fireworks attracted attention, and that's exactly what we didn't want. Thankfully, Tony just scoffed, rolling his eyes at his son.

"Kiddo, we're trying to stay under the radar here," he explained. "Fireworks are just going to capture people's attention."

"Oh," the young hero responded, cheeks pinking as he nodded his head sheepishly. He suddenly let out a surprised yelp as Happy smacked him with a pillow straight to the face.

A TV was turned on to the New Years Eve party going on in Madrid. Cups of champagne and sparkling cider were passed around. With ten minutes left, I loudly cleared my throat, garnering everyone's attentions. Smiling at everyone in the room, people I considered family, even those who I still didn't know well, I felt huge warmth in my heart.

"It's been a while since we've been together," I began. "Lots of things have happened in the past two years, some good and some bad. The bonds of many of us have been stretched to their limits, but they've endured. In fact, after today I think they've gotten even stronger," I allowed. "Things aren't perfect, but for the first time in a while, I'm truly and utterly happy. A new year is upon us, and my most fervent wish is that a year from now, we can all be together again…hopefully with some of us no longer on the run from the law," I added, light chuckles being given. I raised my glass, signifying a toast, and everyone raised theirs and took a drink.

Tony suddenly let out a loud sigh, looking put upon as all eyes turned towards him. "I guess I should say something as well," he bemoaned with a smirk, and I rolled my eyes at how dramatic he was. He dropped his smirk then, and began to speak. "I think Cap pretty much covered things, but I feel the need to make a promise to those of you that can't yet make their way home." His eyes roved over me, Sam, Scott, Wanda, and Clint. "I promise to do everything in my power to clear your names and bring you home. I promise to make Cap's dream come true, hopefully in the US, but if not, we'll find a way again to get everyone together." The man shrugged then, raising his glass, and everyone took a drink.

Clint spoke next, not bothering with cleared throats or fanfare. He simply began to speak. "Alright, there's something I gotta say, and that's, thank you," he stated, looking at both Tony and Natasha. "Thank you for doing this, for bringing my family to me," he told them, one arm wrapped around his wife. "I haven't been the best father or husband," he confessed as he stared at first his wife and then kids, "so I also say thank you to you as well for your patience, and for continuing to love me despite my many mistakes." Whatever else he was planning to say was cut off by Laura pulling her husband in for a deep kiss that had his kids gagging in disgust and Sam whistling lowly.

"Anybody else care to speak because I think those two are a little occupied," Tony remarked, an amused spark in his eyes. Clint broke the kiss and shot the billionaire a cocky grin that he'd learned from the aforementioned man. Yes, that's how much time we'd spent with each other, to the point that we'd begun sporting the same expressions, and even talking the same.

"The countdown is starting!" Lila suddenly shouted, and we all turned to the television. No one else spoke as the timer counted down the last minute of 2017. Honestly, I wasn't sad to see this year go. I was eagerly awaiting 2018, though, knowing that things were going to change for the better.

When it got to the ten second mark, the kids started yelling out the numbers. By the time it got to five seconds, even the adults had joined in.

FIVE

FOUR

THREE

TWO

ONE

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" was exclaimed all around, drinks being downed before hugs were exchanged. The most exciting exchange was Scott pulling Hope in for a kiss, getting slapped, and then getting pulled in for a kiss by her. Cat calls were given, and Hank just let out a heavy sigh before sporting a bemused expression.

As the noise began to quiet down and Laura began to usher her kids towards their bedrooms despite their loud protests, I heard Peter declare that he was calling someone named Amanda. Girlfriend, maybe? The phone was already ringing by the time Tony responded.

"Peter, don't, she's probably sleeping," he stated, and I frowned, knowing that if he was calling someone from the US, they wouldn't be asleep as it'd only be 6PM over there.

"But it's only 11 over there," Peter argued, giving him a frown.

"It is, but she's o"—

"Anthony Stark, you had better not be calling me old," a voice snapped through the speaker of the phone, and Tony's eyes widened comically. Peter was snickering as Tony's expression turned apologetic and he stammered, "Uh, no, no, no, no, Amanda, o-of course not. I was, er, I was just telling my _darling_ child that you were…probably _over_ at a friend's place and wouldn't be answering your phone," Tony declared triumphantly, shooting the phone screen a winning smile.

"Uh huh," Amanda replied disbelievingly. "I truly hope you lie better to your enemies than you do to me, sweetheart." Sweetheart? Who was this woman? It seemed I wasn't the only one confused, though, because Clint was throwing Natasha a questioning look while Sam was raising an eyebrow at me. Those living with Tony clearly knew the woman, though, because they were sporting amused expressions.

"Happy New Year, Amanda!" Peter cried out, and Amanda replied the same. Looking to Tony once more, I was shocked to see him blushing in embarrassment at what Amanda had said to him. I found myself immensely intrigued, wanting desperately to know who this woman was that could elicit such a response from Tony.

Peter spoke happily with Amanda, and seemed ready to mention where and who he was with before Tony's hand went over his mouth. Leaning down, he whispered something into his kid's ear that caused him to shut his mouth and look guilty.

"Don't sweat it, pal. You can talk to her, just not about where we are or who we're with," Tony told Peter. Addressing Amanda, he then told her, "We'll be stopping by your place tomorrow night, if that's alright, and I'll explain everything then."

"Not a problem, I look forward to seeing you," she replied. Tony shoved Peter towards the hallway, and the teen walked away, continuing his conversation with the mystery woman. A silence fell upon our large group, many curious eyes looking upon Tony. The man let out a sigh, shooting us a small smile at seeing our expressions. Before he could say anything, Laura excused herself and her children, before Hank and Hope excused themselves, dragging a very curious Scott with them. Wanda was the next to walk out, Vision following behind as he already knew what Tony would say. Happy hesitated briefly before bidding us all goodnight and walking away, Rhodey in tow. Sam bit his bottom lip, looking awkwardly around the room before he too walked out of the room. I made to stop him, but he waved me off with a small smile.

"This looks like family business," he stated, and I frowned as I stated, "You're part of this family too."

"I know," Sam replied with an easy grin, "but I'm like a cousin, and you guys are brothers and sisters." With those words, he then walked away before I could say anything else. Letting out a heavy sigh, I resolved myself to speak with him later. I didn't want him to feel like he wasn't one of us. He was as much my brother as Tony, Clint, Bruce, and Thor.

 **Tony's POV:**

Ugh. How was I going to explain this? How could I tell them about Amanda as simply as possible? It wasn't that simple of a story. This was going to be difficult. It wasn't that I didn't want Steve and Clint to know about my mother, but it still wasn't an easy story for me to talk about. Then…then there was the fact that I'd be admitting to Steve for the first time that Peggy Carter had been my godmother and that I'd known her very well. He'd no doubt be upset with me for keeping this information from him. We were barely repairing our relationship, but his trust in me would surely be shattered by this secret.

Pepper grabbed one of my hands in hers and kissed it as she gave me an encouraging look. I graced her with a grateful look before she walked away, and then gestured for those left to sit down. While I wouldn't have asked it of them, I did appreciate how many of them walked out to give us privacy. I didn't really know the Pyms, Scott, or Sam, so I'll admit to not being upset that they wouldn't know such a private story about me. I wasn't sure if Wanda had walked away to give me privacy or because she already knew. As for Laura and her kids, I wasn't close with them either, so it'd be easier for me to explain to just Clint and Scott about Amanda. If they wanted, they could tell Laura and Sam, at least, what I was about to say.

"Alright, what I'm about to tell you is something I only found out barely two months ago, and not something the public knows," I began, and both Clint and Steve nodded, understanding that I wanted this information to _stay_ secret. Their curiosity was mounting, and I couldn't help but smirk at how obviously they wanted to know who Amanda was. They were in for a shock, I thought amusedly. I sat still, saying nothing, relishing as their curiosity turned to irritability as they realized I was enjoying the moment.

 _"Tony_ ," Natasha addressed firmly, and I let out a sigh, giving her a look of annoyance for having ruined my fun.

"Okay, okay," I told her, turning once more to Steve and Clint.

Unlike with my family, I decided to give a little backstory, starting with how I'd been digging through my parents' things for photographs when I'd stumbled upon the secret documents.

"You're _adopted_?!" Steve gasped in shock, looking more taken aback than Clint. Clint was surprised, but not to the level of Steve. He'd known Howard, though.

"Pretty messed up that you were basically just a replacement to the first Tony Stark," Clint remarked, shooting me a sympathetic look. "Explains why you and your dad never got on well, doesn't it? I mean, he knew you weren't really his son."

I shrugged, not sure if it my dad's behavior would've been different regardless of whether I was biologically his or not. Steve's frown was deep now, lips pursed to keep from speaking as he normally was whenever the topic of Howard came up. He'd long since learned that his old friend Howard and my dad were not the same person. The war had clearly changed Dad, because the few stories I'd decided to hear from Steve showed Dad to be a different person, more carefree and with an actual sense of humor. We'd never really talked about it, but I knew it hurt Steve to know how much Howard had changed, and to realize that he hadn't been a great dad to me. I knew he felt guilty, but only because he felt that if he'd never been frozen, then he would've been able to keep Howard from changing so much, or from treating me so poorly. It was a really weird thought to know that if things had turned out that way Steve would most likely have been my godfather. I shook my head at that odd thought.

"Amanda is my birth mother," I told them, and the shock wasn't as great this time as they'd both no doubt made that assumption.

"How'd you find out who she was?" Steve asked. "Do you know who your biological father is?"

I hesitated slightly before ploughing forward and saying, "I went through my…aunt's things and found a letter she'd written for me that explained who my birth parents were, and why I'd been given up for adoption."

"Your aunt?" Clint asked with a raised eyebrow, and I sighed, deciding it was inevitable.

"She wasn't related to me or my parents, but she was a close friend of my dad. He named her my godmother after I was born, and she was like a second mom to me," I front-loaded, and I saw the realization flash in Steve's eyes.

"Peggy," he stated softly, first looking shocked and then upset, just as I'd expected. I shot him an apologetic look, hoping he'd let me explain later before admonishing me.

"Peggy Carter?" Clint questioned, and I nodded my head, which caused him to whistle lowly. "I've heard she was pretty bad-ass in her days. An excellent director and agent."

I quirked a smile, having heard the same as well. I'd never see her as Agent or Director Carter, though. She was and always would be just Aunt Peggy to me.

"Anyhow," I continued, "in her letter, Aunt Peggy (Steve's expression turned weird) wrote that my birth mom, Amanda, was a SHIELD agent. She was a famous singer, and they used her mostly for movement of information and products. My birth dad was also SHIELD, but he was kind of like you, Clint, except not as good, of course." Clint grinned. "He saved her life, and over time they got to know each other better and they fell in love. A few weeks before I was born my…that _man_ admitted to Amanda that he'd been working with Hydra for a while." Both their eyes widened, but before they could say anything, I rushed to finish the story. "Amanda killed him then and there, and when SHIELD came to take care of things, she told Aunt Peggy that she quit. She then begged my aunt to find a good home for me because she was afraid she'd find it difficult to love me, and she didn't want me to suffer because of that."

"Damn," Clint muttered, leaning back in his seat while rubbing the back of his head. "I don't even know what to say, Tony. I mean, what must've been going through your mind when you found out? And, I can't believe you actually found your mom alive. This is like out of some soap opera or something."

I could only nod my head in agreement. "I'll admit to having been rather caught off guard and upset by everything, but after having met Amanda, my mom…," I trailed off with a small smile. "She's amazing."

"You're not mad at her for having given you up?" Steve asked delicately.

I shook my head. "Not at all," I answered honestly. "After everything I read about her, and what she went through with my birth dad, I could never be angry with her for what she did. She's suffered greatly after what happened and has honestly never gotten over it."

"She is strong," Natasha remarked. "We met her a few weeks ago, and I trust her. She has this idiot's perseverance, wit, humor, kindness, and strength," she added, gesturing towards me with her head.

I rolled my eyes at the "idiot" comment while being flattered by her assessment of Amanda.

"Huh, well, I'd love to meet her then," Clint stated with a smirk. "From that little phone call, it certainly looks like she knows how to handle you."

"Whatever," I scoffed, giving the blonde a mock glare.

"Where does she live?" Steve asked curiously.

"London," I answered. "Pep, the spider kid and I will be heading to her place after we part ways. Oh, and if you ever find yourselves there, she'd be more than happy to lend you all a hand." Steve nodded his head, and I had a feeling he'd take me up on the offer, if only to meet Amanda. He couldn't hide the amount of curiosity he had in his eyes.

"Well, Amanda aside, since it's just us here, I think it's time we move the conversation to the Accords," Natasha suggested, and the atmosphere immediately turned serious. "How are we going to get rid of them?"

"In the least violent way possible." Bruce suggested.

"And, that hopefully doesn't make the rest of us fugitives also," I had to add, which elicited a few tense chuckles. I grimaced. Too soon, I supposed.

Natasha started the conversation off by informing Steve and Clint of everything that we knew about the Accords, and what amendments we'd already made. "There are ambassadors an all sides of the argument, some who feel the UN has too much control over the Avengers, some who feel each amendment is a mistake, and some who feel things are good as they are right now. I know you both want them completely obliterated, but I side with Tony when I say we need someone to answer to."

"I've got to admit, I really wish SHIELD was still around. Things were easier when Fury was being a pain in our asses. The old man had his secrets, but I trusted him with my life, and more importantly, my family's life," Clint commented, and there were nods from all of us. I'd never been Fury's biggest fan, but he'd earned my trust over the years regardless of all his mysteries and secrets. He was someone I'd come to care about.

"Anyone seen him recently?" I asked, and only Natasha responded.

"I saw him right before I joined Tony at the tower," she informed us, and I raised an eyebrow at her, wondering what the pirate thought of everything that had occurred. I honestly was surprised he hadn't made himself known during the entire fiasco, berating us all as if we were squabbling siblings. I kind of wish he had. He probably could've helped us all pause enough to listen to each other and think things through more clearly.

"Clearly, he wasn't pleased by everything that had happened, but he trusted that we'd find a way to make things right, and that we'd manage to protect Earth at the same time," she explained, and I smiled softly, imagining the tirade Nat must've heard from the former director.

"Is putting SHIELD back in control an option?" Bruce hedged, and looks were exchanged.

"After Hydra, I don't think people would trust SHIELD," Steve answered, and while I agreed, I had to say, "It would be a convenient middle ground for us. Maybe we can have something like SHIELD, but just not call it that. You think Fury would be up to coming back?"

Natasha's eyes narrowed, her lips pursing before she gave a single shake of her head. After a pause, she then shrugged her shoulders. "I'm leaning more towards no, but I could never admit to knowing what that man thinks. He's an enigma within an enigma."

"SHIELD is still in business, though," Bruce argued. "They work for the US, more or less babysitting us, so it would be easy to"-

"No, Cap's right, people won't trust the name SHIELD," I interjected.

"So, SHIELD is out, but we could talk to the UN about setting up some sort of organization like it. SHIELD answered to a world council, which in this instance could be the UN, or a smaller faction of them," Clint mused aloud. Definitely smaller, I thought. We didn't need the entire UN dogging our every step. "You think you guys could work on getting something like that set up?"

"We could try," I responded, my mind already planning how we could present this while also predicting which ambassadors would be on our side and which would be against us. I'd need to contact T'Challa and present the idea to him before putting out some feelers to those few ambassadors I had faith in.

Ideas were thrown back and forth, discussions on how this new organization should be set up and run, and who should be a part of it. The model was, of course, SHIELD, but instead of being largely American, we would make sure to have the best agents from around the world. We needed the faith and trust of the UN in this new organization. Discussions also talked about what authority this group would have over the Avengers. Who exactly would we answer to? If we wanted things to go back to what they were, the answer would be the director and only the director. Who would that director be, though? Maria Hill, maybe? She had our trust.

"Okay, so this idea is all well and good, but we need other plans in case the UN isn't on board," Bruce brought up, ever the rational one.

"Well, plan Z is we take over the UN and run the world ourselves," I threw out jokingly, getting a shove from Bruce as everyone laughed.

Conversation was cut short when looking towards the hallway I saw my little spider hovering at the edge, the large comforter from his bed wrapped around him. The boy's hair was tousled, and his eyes were locked on me. While I couldn't read his expression from this distance, I could feel his distress. I was on my feet before I knew it and walking towards him. When I was standing before him, I could easily see the red rimmed eyes filled with fear and sadness, so I immediately pulled him into my arms. He'd had a nightmare, I surmised, one that probably involved me considering he'd sought me out here with other people around rather than going to Pepper.

Peter's arms wrapped tightly around me, his head burrowing into my chest. My concern grew when I felt tears beginning to soak through my shirt, and I lowered my head to whisper loving and reassuring words to my boy. His tears dried up quickly, but a look into his face let me know that this was due more to his awareness that we were being watched rather than him being completely okay.

"Want me to help you fall asleep?" I whispered, and he immediately shook his head firmly. Understanding, I wrapped an arm around him, leading him towards the others. They all greeted him kindly, not commenting on what they'd just witnessed. Natasha stood up so that Peter could share the couch with me, and after he was settled she sat herself back down, putting the teen's outstretched legs over her lap. I grabbed a pillow, which Peter grabbed, and he settled himself down over my lap, so that he was basically lying on top of both Natasha and me. I ran my fingers through his hair soothingly, and he pressed himself towards me, taking in deep breaths. I knew he found my scent to be relaxing.

Looking away from Peter, I saw the other's watching us with soft smiles. We continued our conversations, and within minutes, he had fallen asleep, his soft snores barely audible.

"Nightmare?" Natasha asked once we were sure he was out.

"Yeah," I answered sadly, brow furrowing as I wondered what it'd been about. He didn't often seek me out anymore as he'd gotten better at handling them. Perhaps it was the strange environment that triggered his need to find me.

Natasha's expression mirrored mine, and she reached out a hand to lightly caress the boy's cheek once.

"Does he normally have nightmares?" Clint asked, and I noticed that he too wore an expression of concern.

I nodded my head. "He's been through a lot for his age, _and_ he's a super hero, so he's experienced things he shouldn't have."

"Does he usually get that upset?" Clint then questioned.

I sighed before giving a half nod. "Depends on the nightmare," I responded. "He's gotten better at dealing with them, but there are still some that hit him hard. It must've been a bad one for him to seek me out with you guys around. He's going to be really embarrassed tomorrow when he realizes you all witnessed this."

"It was probably about you," Natasha assessed, and I gave a dejected nod, hating that he had nightmares involving me. My kidnapping had traumatized him, and I hated that.

"You ever try and get him to stop being Spider man?" Steve asked cautiously, and I gave the man a look.

"There's no talking him out of it. Peter is a hero and will always be a hero whether I ban him or not," I informed them. "This kid has a heart of gold, and he's going to be the best of us, I guarantee it."

Steve and Clint's eyebrows rose, their eyes landing on the sleeping teen.

"I'm not just saying that because he's my kid," I continued. "He's definitely got some growing to do, but there's something special about him. I can't really explain it, but…" I trailed off, giving a small shrug and sheepish smile to my friends.

"It's so weird seeing you like this, Tones," Clint stated with a bewildered shake of his head. "A caring, doting dad, gushing about his kid…it's a really good look on you. Strange, but good strange."

I let out a short laugh before smiling brightly at the archer.

"You're so good with him," Steve said.

"I guess," I replied, feeling some embarrassment with their praise. "It's been difficult, and I've definitely had to change for him, but it's been worth it. He's the best thing to ever happen to me."

My friends all grinned at me, looking happy and bemused. The atmosphere was now content and familiar, and it felt really good. Despite the exhaustion I was feeling, I didn't want to go to bed in case the feeling disappeared. Thankfully, it seemed the others were of the same mind as we spent the rest of the night talking about not just the Accords, but of random things like who would get to choose the movie the next time we had a movie night. Morning came quickly, the gentle atmosphere broken by the shriek of an infant. Smiling apologetically, Clint disappeared, and shortly afterwards we all decided to head to our rooms to get ready for a new day.

 **A/N:** **So, so, so sorry for how long this has taken, but this is probably how it's going to be from now on. Life is just busy now. Anyway, hope you enjoyed! This is probably the last chapter dealing with the Avengers get together, even though they still have time together. I just feel the need to move the story forward.**


	55. Chapter 55

**A/N: Howdy all! I turned 29 yesterday, so this is my gift to you! Thank you very much for sticking with my story and reviewing. These reviews keep me writing!**

 **Chapter 55: Pete and Ned's Excellent Adventure**

 **Peter's POV:**

"How long have you had a police scanner, Ned?" I asked in a scandalized tone.

Looking far too nonchalant, he replied with a shrug, "I made it over the summer, so I could keep tabs on you and what's going on in New York. Figured since I'm your Guy in the Chair that it'd be best for me to know what's going on. You think Tony would give me a direct feed to your suit, so I can see what you see and be in communication with you when you're out there?" he asked, giving me an earnest look.

I stared at my best friend for a long time, not knowing how to respond. I had no idea he was working so hard to keep an eye on me, and that he wanted to be so involved. I mean, I guess I did know, but I hadn't known he'd thought it through this much.

Ned seemed to understand my silence because he sat down and gave me a small smile. "You're my best friend, Peter. I want to do everything possible to help you. I know you've got Tony and the Avengers at your side, not to mention Karen, but I want to do whatever I can to help. I can be with you while you're out there, or-or I can let you know when the cops need help." His eyes were earnest and sincere, and I smiled back at him.

"Thanks, Ned," I told him. "I'll see if Dad'll make it so you can see what I can, and if he says no, then we can just talk to each other through our cell phones. So, anything interesting going on?" I asked curiously.

"Always," he responded, "It's New York. Since you've been busy with family drama, low level crime has shot up. There've been a lot of muggings and robberies."

I frowned deeply, knowing that every time I didn't go out as Spiderman, crime would shoot up. With everything that'd been going on as of late concerning my dad and meeting the other Avengers, my time had been spent with him rather than out in the city. The superhero in me felt guilty, but the son in me felt I'd made the right decision. Dad had been going through a rough time, first with finding out about his adoption, and then the video of his parents' murder coming out. He'd taken that much harder than I'd imagined he would, but he assured me he was getting help.

We'd just gotten back yesterday from visiting Amanda, and I already missed her. Having a grandma was awesome, and I wished she lived closer, but I understood her desire to not leave her home. Thankfully, I'd still be video messaging with her weekly for guitar lessons, and she told me I could call more often if I wanted someone to just talk with or complain to. With my overprotective parents, I felt I'd probably be doing a lot of complaining.

Ned pulled out his laptop and sat himself next to me. "I've been cataloguing crimes, even ones you don't exactly have permission to take on." I raised an eyebrow at him, and he supplied, "Super mutant monsters like that sandman that's been robbing banks."

"I'd love to take him down," I muttered, and Ned grinned as he remarked, "Yeah, that'd be awesome."

"When's the last time he struck?" I asked, and he threw me a knowing look before answering, "Three nights ago. I think I might actually know who he is."

My mouth dropped open as I looked at him. "How?!" I asked in shock.

"I've been doing a little digging," he admitted somewhat sheepishly, and I narrowed my eyes as I asked, "Digging where?"

"Doesn't matter," he replied. "Point is, I think the creep's real name is William Baker, but he prefers to go by Flint Marko. He's been into petty crimes and such since he was in his late teens. Right before the Sandman made an appearance here, Flint was on the run from the cops when he ended up hiding out at a nuclear power plant in Savanna, Georgia where he had a nasty run in with some irradiated sand. What I think happened is that it turned his molecular makeup to sand or something similar. Video of the guy shows he can have a human body and that he can turn part or all of his body into sand," Ned described.

I look at him in utter disbelief. "When did you turn in to a detective?" I questioned.

"With you being grounded for months on end and then dealing with family stuff, I had to find something to occupy my time. I also wanted to show you I could be helpful. Y'know, two heads are better than one," he told me with a nervous smile, and I just shook my head in bewilderment.

"You are the best friend in the whole entire world," I told him genuinely, marveling at his grit. "How'd you find this all out, anyways?"

"Er, well, I may or may not have hacked into a few databases," he answered slowly, eyeing me warily when all I could do was stare.

"Oh my god, Ned, what if you get caught?" I burst out concernedly. "You'll go to jail, you know that, right?!"

"Relax, dude, I won't get caught," he insisted with confidence. "I've done this before. This is just the first time I've told you about it." I looked at him in complete astonishment, partially in awe and partially in worry.

"What you've done is the most bad ass yet stupidest thing you've ever done," I declared, and Ned frowned momentarily before smiling brightly.

"I know, right? That's pretty much what I say about most your Spiderman exploits," he told me, and I let out a hearty laugh.

"This is crazy," I spoke, and he nodded his head in agreement, looking very proud of himself. "So, what are _we_ going to do about Flint Marco?"

I registered his words, and still couldn't believe it was my Ned talking. The kid who was always telling me to be more careful and listen to Tony's rules. Here he was, though, not only encouraging, but helping me break one of Tony's rules that I'd already broken before.

"Ned, are you serious? When, not _if_ Tony finds out, he won't just spank me, he'll paddle my backside," I told him. "He'll probably even spank you, if he doesn't tell your parents."

"But, don't you want to take care of this guy?" Ned pressed incredulously. "I know who he is, and I even know how he picks his locations. We could conveniently be at one of the spots he's gonna hit up, and Tony can't be mad if you get into a fight with him then. If you're in the right place at the right time, then whatever happens will happen."

I stared at my crazy friend, the beginnings of excitement welling up inside me as I heard his plan. He was right. If the Sandman just happened to show up where Ned and I were at, then Tony couldn't get mad at me for fighting him. He couldn't just expect me to stand by and let innocent people be hurt.

"Tell me what you know," I demanded, and he grinned, eagerly pulling screens up on his computer screen.

"Every shop, home, or bank he hits has got a connection to him. I didn't realize it at first until I looked more into this guy's past, but every place he's robbed is connected to people who Marco grew up with. Clearly, he's got some beef with them for some reason," he informed me. "The most recent places are more specifically owned by former teammates from his high school football team. It took me nearly all of break figure this out, you've got no idea. Anyhow, I looked into former teammates, and the only person still left in New York is his former coach. This guy no longer works as a coach, but he does own a sports shop. I'm guessing he'll hit that place up next."

I reviewed all the information he had, not understanding how he'd gotten it all. Had he really gotten this all through hacking? Jeez, if he got caught with this he could be royally screwed. He could go to jail. But, damn, he'd figured it all out. Looking it through, I couldn't find fault with his conclusion.

"He strikes during the day when places are crowded," Ned continued. "He wants to be seen. He wants to make a scene. The videos taken all have him show-boating. He doesn't hide why he's doing this. Revenge. Payback. He's got the means, so he's taking advantage.

"Why haven't the cops gotten him?" I asked.

"He's quick, and he can turn into sand," Ned replied with a shrug.

"But can he turn objects he's holding into sand?" I questioned. "If he's stealing money, he's got to stay solid enough to carry that. Does he have an accomplice?"

"Uh, good question," Ned remarked, looking at his computer with a frown.

"Seeing as he's made of sand, bullets or any weapons don't hurt him, and he's able to move fast," I mused out loud. "He may stash the stuff somewhere before hiding in some gutter. What's his regular human form look like?" Ned pulled up a picture, and I saw a regular looking man. White male, average height, short brown hair, mean face…basically, your average looking dude. Not somebody who'd stand out in a crowd.

"We've got the weekend together, so let's check out the sports shop tomorrow," I said.

"So, what's the alibi gonna be? Let's be honest," Ned joked, "we all know nobody is going to believe I needed anything from there."

"Unless it was for an experiment," I replied cheekily, and his eyebrows rose.

"Physics project," Ned added, and I nodded with him before we did our secret handshake.

The next day came quickly, and with nervous anticipation, Ned and I left his home. I had a backpack with my suit in it. As we drove towards the shop, I began to have second thoughts. Was this the right decision? What the hell was I doing bringing Ned along? I'd force him out of harm's way the second my spider sense goes off, I thought.

What if he doesn't show up today?

We come back another day, then. It was Saturday, so we can come back tomorrow if we need to. Hell, we could come back every day after school if we needed to. This was too good an opportunity to pass up.

We arrived near the sports shop. Thankfully, there were other shops and places to eat around the area, so if we needed to wait, we wouldn't have to awkwardly stand in the small shop for hours.

Marco didn't show up today.

He didn't show up tomorrow or the day after or the day after. Ned and I were growing frustrated, but we were determined to get the bastard. He hadn't appeared anywhere else yet, so we were still certain he was going to strike this place. MJ was haggling me about not hanging out with her, but I didn't want to admit what we were doing, so against my better judgment I invited her along. I'd be able to protect her. I knew she'd get out of the way if I told her to, and she'd be able to drag Ned's excited butt out of the way also.

"What are we doing here?" MJ asked curiously.

"Ned and I want to go to a sports shop here," I told her, and she arched an eyebrow at me.

"A sports shop? Really?" she asked disbelievingly. "Why?"

"To get some supplies for an experiment," I answered, and she seemed only minutely mollified.

"Why here, though?" she pressed. "Do they have something special you couldn't get closer to home?"

I exchanged a panicked look with Ned, who quickly replied, "Special bats."

MJ stopped, turned around, and eyed the both of us suspiciously. She saw through the lie. However, she didn't continue pressing. She just let out a sigh. "I don't know why you're lying, but whatever. I'm just glad to be out of the house. My siblings have been driving me mad about college stuff, like SATs, what I want to major in, and where I want to apply."

"My parents are starting to do the same," Ned said with a long-suffering sigh. "It's so annoying. I mean, we're still juniors, so why do we need to think about this stuff now? Have Tony and Pepper been bugging you, Pete?"

I shook my head, wondering if this was something I should be worrying about as well. I'd ask them later. I honestly hadn't thought at all about college, but I knew both parents wanted me to go to one.

"We should all go to the same one, don't you think?" Ned suggested, eying us both hopefully. "We could talk to Flash about that as well. Maybe we could all dorm together—er, well, at least us guys."

"Sounds fine to me. I don't really feel like leaving New York, but I doubt I could afford to dorm at a school," MJ answered with a shrug. "I figured you don't want to leave either, do you?" she asked me. I smiled at her as I shook my head negatively. "I'll go where you go," I responded lovingly, giving her a peck on the cheek that had her smiling.

The conversation ended when we walked into the store, and I sighed at how we were the only ones in here. We'd been here every day for the past several days, so he eagerly approached us. "Hey guys, nice to see you back. What can I help you with today?"

"Uh, bats," Ned said. "Looking to play some baseball."

The man shook his head bemusedly, saying, "Alright boys, you don't have to tell me what you're really up to, but I know it ain't sports. I'm not complaining, though, as your business has been good for me. So, let's check out some bats," he said happily.

MJ graced Ned and I with hard stares, but asked no questions as we walked after the owner. I knew to expect an interrogation the second we were out of the store. That interrogation never came, though, at least not from her, because we were here only minutes before my spider sense flared. The jingle of the bell at the front door went off, and Flint Marco walked right in, his eyes zeroing in on the owner.

"Hello, Coach, it's been a long time, hasn't it?" the man stated with a mock smile, and I watched the owner's face pale dramatically, his eyes widening in horror.

"Who"—MJ started to ask, but I slapped a hand over her mouth, heart pounding as I slowly walked her and Ned away from the coach. Marco looked at us, and I forced a fearful look onto my face, which wasn't so difficult as I was afraid for my friends. Standing here, I realized it had been stupid to allow Ned and MJ to be with me. Yeah, according to past robberies, he'd never taken hostages, but it was ridiculous to assume he'd let us go. Luck was on our side, though, for the man gestured for us to get out of here. He clearly didn't care about us, and that was all the better.

"Wait!" he called out before we'd gotten out. "Leave your phones," he ordered, his eyes never leaving the coach's. We immediately obeyed, and when the man got out of our way, we bolted.

The second we were a few stores away, MJ wrestled a phone away from someone talking, and immediately dialed the police.

"Get yourself and her out of here," I whispered to Ned before heading into an alleyway.

I heard the breaking of glass and screaming, so I threw off my clothes and yanked on my suit. Multiple screams were heard along with car alarms, and I swung out into the street, spider sense warning me before I ended up with a face full of sand.

Now, you're probably thinking the fight didn't go well, but it was the exact opposite. I kicked ass. The man was fast, but I was faster. My training had paid off, because I was able to avoid the majority of his hits. Yeah, it wasn't perfect, and I ended up with a broken wrist and bruised chest, but the fight ended in victory. You'd think a guy made of sand would be invincible, but brute force took him down. There had been a close call, where the man had gotten his huge sand-fist around me (bruised chest, remember?), but Ned and MJ had come to my rescue, going after the guy with bats full force, distracting him enough so that I gained the upper hand. I broke a fire hydrant, soaking him with water, which made it harder for him to move and shift, and then I threw a car at his murderous head, knocking him unconscious.

People cheered for me, and I felt a huge burst of pride for the fact that I'd done it. I'd beaten this guy all on my own. I hadn't needed Iron Man to come to my rescue. I'd proven myself.

"Peter, Mr. Stark is calling, and I am required to answer," Karen informed me, and I couldn't even sputter in shock before I was confronted with the face of an irate father.

"Peter Benjamin Parker-Stark, get your ass along with that of your two cohorts to the tower this second!" Dad ordered sharply. "SHIELD will take care of your mess, so you have half an hour before I come after you myself!" With those lovely words, he hung up. The pride I'd been feeling dwindled rapidly, my stomach twisting as I swung off into the alley. I texted my friends to drive my car to my tower and that I'd meet them there. I left out the part that my dad wanted to talk with them yet. No need to have them running for the hills.

I arrived at the tower before they did, and settled for waiting for them in the private garage. I changed into regular clothes, stuffing my suit into my backpack. Dad, no doubt, knew I was here, but he didn't force me to come up. My friends arrived a few minutes after me, and that's when I noticed the cut marks and bruises on their faces and arms.

"Are you guys okay?" I asked guiltily, cursing myself for letting them anywhere near the Sand man.

"We're fine!" Ned answered in exhilaration. "Dude, that was coolest thing ever! You totally rocked it!" I gave him a weak smile before turning to MJ, who closed the distance between us and slapped me across the face.

"How dare you, Peter, _how dare you_!" she shrieked, raising her hand as if to slap me again. "You two planned this out! You knew he would be there! Do you have any idea how goddamn stupid that was?!" she yelled, and I graced her with an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, MJ, you're right," I told her in an attempt to defuse her anger, and she shook her head sharply. She looked like she wanted to say more, but decided not to, instead just pursing her lips tightly.

"I'm going home," she declared, making to leave. "Don't call me because I won't answer."

"Wait, you can't go," I said, my heart constricting at the anger in her eyes.

"Why not?" she questioned through gritted teeth.

"My dad says he wants to talk with all three of us," I informed her, and she let out an annoyed sigh.

Ned, on the other hand paled, looking at me nervously. "He knows?!"

"Of course, he knows," I snapped, feeling the increasing anxiety. "He's Tony Stark."

"Crap, we're dead," Ned muttered, and I wanted to argue, but I agreed. My butt was toast.

We got into the elevator, and it took us directly to the common floor. The doors opened and I couldn't stop the relieved sigh that escaped me upon being greeted by Bruce instead of Tony. "Tony wants me to check you all over for any injuries before he kills you," he remarked happily, motioning for us to follow him. Ned made a choking sound and my jaw dropped at his words while MJ just scoffed. We followed Bruce to the main lab where he sat us all down and asked us to show him any injuries we had. I was happy to see my friends had only surface level scratches and a couple bruises that Bruce easily treated. MJ left the second she was tended to, not gracing either Ned or I with a backward glance.

Bruce raised an eyebrow as he watched her go, giving me a sympathetic smile when his eyes turned to mine. "Ned, wait outside please," Bruce ordered gently, and Ned promptly left.

"Shirt and pants off, Peter, I don't trust you to tell me the truth about any injuries," the doctor stated, and I frowned deeply before doing as told, leaving myself in just my boxers. Bruce was the one frowning now as he took in the large bruise on my chest. His eyes then went to my arm, where the wrist was broken, and that also sported a large gash. The older man guided me to the full body x-ray machine, which I normally argued against, but not being in a hurry to get to my dad, I allowed Bruce to do whatever he wanted. It turned out in addition to the broken wrist, I also had a broken rib. I sighed.

"You're awfully quiet, Peter," Bruce remarked as he wrapped up my ribs. "No protests or complaints. One would think you were happy to be here," he remarked, giving me a knowing look. I blushed deeply.

"You know what Dad's going to do to me," I mumbled, playing with a strap on my brace. Bruce flicked my hand before gripping the back of my neck.

"I know Tony is going to come down on you hard, but you have no idea how freaked out he was when he found out you were fighting the Sandman all on your own," he said. "You kicked butt from what I saw, but I think we all know you weren't there by accident, were you?"

"How'd you know?" I asked dully, surprised by the fact that I was surprised. I really shouldn't be. My dad was Tony Stark, probably one of the smartest men in the world. Way too goddamn smart, I thought petulantly. Not fair to have such an all-knowing, all-seeing dad. I should get some leeway.

"We were alerted right before you engaged with Sandman. Your heartrate jumped up unnaturally, which caused Tony to call you. When you didn't answer, he got in contact with Karen. By that point, you were already fighting," Bruce recounted. "I stopped your dad from heading towards you, showing him on the TV that you were doing just fine. You did really well, actually, and your dad was proud."

I looked at him in growing surprise, a flicker of happiness filling me at how my dad was proud of me. "Then, why did he seem so angry when he called me?"

Bruce stepped back, inhaling a deep breath before saying, "Tony knows you, Peter Parker- _Stark_. You ending up somewhere the Sandman shows up is possible, yeah, but _where_ you were…not so much." I opened my mouth to argue, but he silenced me with a single raised eyebrow. "Your tracker, kiddo, shows that you've been in that part of town every day for nearly a week. Your dad's not an idiot."

I groaned loudly, giving Bruce a beseeching look as I complained, "It's not fair, Bruce. I can't ever get away with anything because he's constantly watching my every move. Honestly, I shouldn't even get in trouble for today because he wouldn't have known I was there all week if it wasn't for the tracker. You-you said he was proud of me, so can't he just stay proud? I did well, you said so yourself! Why should I end up with a sore backside when I took down the bad guy and saved people's lives?"

"Maybe because you went behind my back to take down someone you knew you shouldn't have been around. Maybe because you didn't tell me information regarding a mass murderer and burglar. Maybe because you _deliberately_ put yourself in danger _multiple_ times," Dad asserted, arms crossed, eyes hard, and casually leaning against the entrance to the lab. An extremely nervous Ned was standing right next to him, shoulders hunched as if to hide himself from the very irate looking Tony Stark.

Crap.

"His right wrist is broken and there's a cut I needed to stitch. He's got a broken rib, and lots of bruising on his chest as you can see," Bruce told my dad professionally. "There's some light bruising and scratches that are already healing. He'll be right as rain in a couple days tops," he said.

"So, I should wait two days to spank him?" Dad asked, and my faced turned red in mortification. I glared at him, angry at how he was embarrassing me. He glared right back, uncaring of my feelings.

"Yes, waiting the two days would be the best," Bruce replied calmly, as if Dad's question was completely normal. Dad nodded, and he thanked Bruce for tending to our injuries before motioning for me to follow him. Feeling sick and angry, I stiffly put my shirt back on before following my dad up to our floor. I'd tried to catch Ned's eyes several times, even bumping into him a couple times, but he'd kept his eyes firmly on the floor. I wondered if Dad had already talked with him. We both walked out onto my floor like two kids ready to be executed.

"Ned told me something interesting," Dad remarked, gesturing for both of us to sit on the couch. "He's claiming it was all his idea. He found out all the information through _hacking_ , he says, quite a bit of hacking, it would seem," Dad said, pouring himself a cup of coffee. He didn't even drink from it, so I figured he just needed something to do with his hands. "Ned said _he_ approached _you_ about going after the Sandman," Dad continued, his tone conversational as he circled around us like a predator eyeing his prey. I certainly felt like prey. What I didn't like was how much Ned was taking onto his shoulders.

"It's not Ned's fault," I defended, anger spiking when Tony gave a loud, disbelieving snort.

"Peter, just stop," Ned said, giving me a small smile. At least, I think it was meant to be a smile. It came out as more of a grimace.

Dad looked at me with raised eyebrows and an expectant look. "Let's hear your side of the story, Spider man."

"Okay, Ned did give me some information, but it was my idea to stake out that sports shop," I told him. "I figured if I told you the Sandman just showed up where I was at, that you wouldn't get so angry."

"Don't bullshit a bullshitter!" Dad snapped furiously before closing his eyes and taking several steps away from me. He massaged his temples for several moments, and while he calmed himself down, Ned looked to me and said, "Just be honest, Peter, okay? I was the one that screwed up more than you did."

I let out a heavy sigh, not agreeing, but realizing that pissing off my dad anymore wasn't going to make things better. Wanting very much to just punch something, I took in several deep breaths before explaining things from the start. I didn't look at either Ned or Tony as I spoke, guilty for dragging Ned into trouble, and ashamed at how I openly defied one of Tony's first rules for me. As I spoke, Tony remained with his back to us, his arms crossed, and his shoulders taut.

"Sorry, Ned," I whispered to my friend, and he just shrugged before saying, "We're both at fault, Peter."

"Ned's right," my dad stated, finally turning around to look at us both. He was calm, scarily calm as he eyed us both up and down. "You're both at fault, but Ned, I got to say, your actions surprise me the most. What you did was _illegal_! Do you understand that? Not just illegal, but dangerous as well!"

"I knew what I was doing, Tony. I made it so no one could track my IP address or know it was me. I was invisible," Ned defended nervously. "I know it was illegal, but-but are you really telling me you've never hacked into a database for information?"

Dad's eyes flashed, and I wondered if I'd have to jump in between him and Ned. Instead, Dad just argued back, "I was a fucking stupid kid, Ned! Don't ever use _me_ as an example to follow. And, for your information, I never endangered my life for that information, not until I was an adult, at least. By that time, though, I knew how to take care of myself. You, on the other hand, Ned Leeds, are sixteen, and in your infinite wisdom, you chose to give information about a potential murder to Peter, a fellow sixteen-year-old. What you should have done was come to _me_! Do you have any clue all the things that could've gone wrong yesterday? Do you not realize that the shop owner gave your descriptions to the SHIELD agents who interrogated him? What if it had been a fucking police officer who talked to him?! Do you know how suspicious that looks?"

Ned's face was pale and sweaty by this point, and to be honest, so was mine. I hadn't thought of any of this either, and I knew Dad was going to ream me about this after he was done with Ned.

"I just can't believe you two were this _stupid_!" Dad exclaimed in exasperation, pacing back and forth in front of us. "You broke laws, Ned, and you went along with it like it was no big deal, Peter," he continued to berate. He pinched the bridge of his nose before throwing a look to Ned, as if a sudden thought just occurred to him. "You were the one that hacked Peter's suit and disabled all the safety protocols. God, you two are quite the pair."

"Tony, I'm so sorry," Ned apologized. "I didn't think any of this through, and I know you know that, but I need you to know that I'm really, really sorry. I didn't mean to endanger Peter. I've only ever wanted to protect and help him."

"You didn't endanger me, Ned," I told him, and Dad nodded his head, looking older than he should as he thankfully echoed my sentiments.

"You didn't endanger Peter," Dad said, "well, not on your own. My bonehead son endangers himself all on his own." Dad went and sat himself down on the coffee table, and he just looked at us with extreme disappointment that cut me to the core. I wanted to argue. I wanted to defend myself. I wanted to say that I'd won the fight, but right now I knew that wasn't going to make my dad any happier. He obviously knew I'd won the fight, yet he was still pissed.

Dad stood up abruptly, and we both flinched, which he no doubt noticed. "Peter, go to your room," he ordered, and I blinked before shaking my head.

"No, Dad, wait"—

"Room, _now_!" he roared, and we both flinched once again. I stood to my feet, looking between my petrified friend and furious father.

"Are you going to…?" I asked fearfully, and Tony let out a large breath before shaking his head negatively. I relaxed, still not wanting to leave Ned, but feeling better that he at least wasn't going to spank him. "He was trying to help me, Dad, please just"—

Dad didn't even have to speak or look at me to get me to go. All it took was his entire body stiffening, rage coming off in waves. I swallowed any more protests, throwing Ned an apologetic look before fleeing.

 **Tony's POV:**

My muscles relaxed as I watched Peter leave the room. I turned my attention back to his partner in crime, who if anything, I was angrier with than Peter. Despite Peter deliberately disobeying me, I knew the kid could take care of himself. Ned, here, was not a super hero. He was a kid who was trying way too hard to help, to the point he was breaking laws. He was a good hacker, I'd hand him that, but not good enough. I'd had Friday hack into his computer, and he'd left some traces of himself behind on different servers, most specifically, those of the NYPD. I'd gotten Friday to get rid of them for me, but this couldn't happen again.

Looking the blooming hacker over and seeing he was already repentant and scared, I decided the hardball approach wasn't necessary. He still didn't know me well enough not to be intimidated and cowed by me simply stating I was angry and disappointed. Also, I understood why he did this and how he hadn't considered the consequences. He loved Peter like a brother, and he was desperate to be a part of his life. He was desperate to prove himself to Peter and to me. Lastly, I wasn't going to be the one to discipline him. I'd leave that to his parents.

I smoothed my expression, ridding it of all anger and most disappointment. I settled on showing my understanding and compassion as I sat myself down next to him. I internally cringed at the way he tensed, eyeing me warily. "Relax, kiddo, I'm not going to ream you anymore. I get it, I really do, but that doesn't make it right," I lectured lightly, hating how crestfallen the teen looked. "You broke so many laws, and you put yourself in danger. I've had Friday hack into your computer –not sorry about that, by the way—and she's cleaned up all traces of yourself that you left behind." At the kid's outraged look, I added, "There wasn't much, which means you're pretty good. I can help you get better."

His eyes widened in shock and confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I can't condone what you did, but I also know that no matter what I say or how badly you're punished, that you're not going to stop helping Peter," I spoke aloud. "Yeah, you may stop for a while, but sooner or later a case is going to pop up and you're going to do it again. I want you to come to me when that happens, Ned. Promise me that, and I will teach you, and I will allow you to help Peter out on _some_ cases of _my choosing_. Agreed?"

"Yes! Agreed. Agreed. I swear, I won't ever hack again without your permission, and I'll come to you if I ever want to," he rushed to assure me, a glimmer of hope and excitement inside him. "I'm so sorry, Tony, I never meant to cause so much trouble. I just wanted to help."

"I know that," I told him, giving him a sympathetic look. "You still screwed up, though. That information you found should've gone straight to the cops or me. Hell, you never should've had that information. I congratulate you on your detective skills, but you're too young and naïve to be doing this on your own. What if somebody you hacked found out? And, I'm not just talking about the police. How do you think Peter would feel if anything happened to you? How do you think your parents would feel?"

His expression looked stricken. Not surprisingly, the reckless teen hadn't thought of that. A few tears trailed down his face, and I wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulders. I didn't enjoy this part of being a parent at all. I didn't enjoy being the bad guy. I didn't enjoy the fact that I was going to be involving his parents. I had to ask something, first, though.

"I'm going to contact your parents about this, Ned," I informed him, avidly watching his expression. Face paling and nervousness were normal and to be expected.

"Why? What exactly are you going to tell them?" he pressed anxiously.

"I'm going to tell them that you and Peter wanted to play hero. You guys went detective, tracking down information illegally, and you ended up in a dangerous situation," I explained, watching as the kid groaned loudly in dismay. "They've no doubt seen the situation with the Sandman on TV, and they'll no doubt be quite displeased to know their son put himself in such a situation."

"Tony, no, no, no, please," he openly begged, "they'll be pissed and they'll never let me be friends with Peter again."

"They should be pissed," I replied gently, "and they won't ban you from being friends with Peter. You've guys have been friends since you were in kindergarten. Anyways, I'll talk with them and that won't happen, I promise."

He looked only mildly reassured, but mostly nervous and resigned. I patted the teen before standing up, pulling out my phone, and making the call. Suffice to say, Ned's parents weren't happy. They wanted to rant and rave to Ned on the spot, but I didn't give the terrified kid the phone just yet. Best to let the parents calm down a little before laying into him. In all honesty, they didn't seem all that shocked by what those two had done. Furious, but not shocked; and thankfully, they weren't advocating about ending the friendship. The conversation ended there, but not before they told me to inform Ned to expect a good strapping for his reckless, idiotic actions. I couldn't keep from wincing in empathy for the boy, stomach curling in remembrance of my own punishment all those years ago.

"Oh god, what did they say?" Ned asked in nearly a whisper once I'd hung up. "I saw you flinch, Tony, what'd they say?"

"They're mad, but they're not going to ban your friendship with Peter," I informed him.

"Why'd you flinch, though?" the kid pressed, voice cracking with emotion.

I considered saying nothing, but his parents had told me to inform Ned. I didn't fancy dealing with the freak out, though. "Alright, Ned, your parents are really mad, and with good reason, mind you," I felt the need to add, "but they ended the conversation with telling me that you're getting a strapping."

Ned's mouth opened, eyes widening, but all he said was, "Oh, this is really going to suck, isn't it? I've never—I mean, they've threatened, especially after I ran away, but I never thought…have you ever been punished with a belt?" he asked nervously, looking close to bursting into tears.

"Yeah," I answered softly, kneeling in front of the shaking boy. "It'll suck, I'm not going to lie, but you'll live."

Ned sniffed loudly, wiping at his nose with his sweater as he nodded morosely. "I'm going to take you home now. You okay with that?"

"Yeah, okay," he replied thickly, standing up. Placing a hand on his shoulder, I forced the kid to look me in the eyes.

"What you did was really brave and noble, but include me the next time you want to be a hero," I told him. "We're good, just so you know. I'm not mad. You'll be welcome back here when Peter's prison sentence ends."

Ned sniffed again, a couple more tears sliding down his face as he nodded. "M'kay. Thanks, Tony."

I smiled kindly at him before pulling him for a hug. He happily accepted it. Breaking apart, I patted his back before heading to the elevator. "Friday, let Peter know I'm taking Ned home, and that I expect to find him in his room when I get back."

"Yes, sir," she replied, a cool undertone to her voice. Still angry, I thought sadly. I should get her some virtual flowers and chocolate. I had no idea the AI would stay angry for this long. It'd been nearly three weeks since I'd treated her so harshly, and I'd apologized numerous times, more so than I ever would have done with Jarvis.

The ride to Ned's house was silent, Ned too anxious to really carry a conversation. I wasn't quite sure what else to say to him to help ease his anxiety, so I stayed quiet. We arrived to his home, and we'd barely parked the car before Ned's mom was hauling him out of the car, hugging and kissing him repeatedly before berating him for having put himself in so much danger. Ned's father appeared, bringing his son in for a hug while Mrs. Leeds thanked me for having taken care of Ned, and for informing them of what he'd been up to. Mr. Leeds thanked me as well before the two parents led their apologetic kid in to the house. Sighing heavily, I shook my head before getting into my car and driving home. I had my own kid to deal with.

Arriving at the tower, I parked, and then just sat in the car, letting out a sad sigh. Having had some time away from Peter, I'd been able to calm down. Instead of being furious, I was just extremely disappointed. If he'd only come to me, I would have let him take on that idiot Sandman. I knew the kid's skills had improved, and this would have been an excellent opportunity to test his skills. Going behind my back, though…I couldn't put up with it. I couldn't stand it. There needed to be trust between us. _I needed to be able to trust Peter_.

Leaning back in the seat, I took in several deep breaths to help relax myself. Dumb spiderling was always trying to prove himself to me again. He was always trying to show me that he was a real hero, and that he could take on the big guys. I understood that need, but I'd expected that by now he would've approached me about this desire. Why couldn't he have just asked me? Why couldn't he have approached me with all the information to try and convince me to let him do this? Things would've been so much easier then.

Now…now, I had a kid who'd disobeyed a rule of mine for the third time. It'd been over a year since he'd made this same mistake, but he had no excuse. He knew he could talk to me. He knew he could confide in me. He wasn't scared or intimidated by me in any way, so why the hell did he have to be so damn bullheaded? I was going to have to spank Peter, and I was going to bring out the paddle. This was going to be the last time my reckless little spider would make this mistake. I felt sick at the thought, my stomach clenching unpleasantly.

Groaning softly, I sent off a text to Pepper, letting her know what our troublesome child had gotten up to. I let her know I'd call her as soon as I'd finished talking with Peter.

Feeling I'd wasted enough time, I got out of my car and headed for my floor. Friday let me know that Peter had stayed in his room the entire time, not once attempting to leave, and for that I was relieved. He was clearly showing signs of anxiety, but considering he hadn't tried to bolt…well, that was a win. The boy knew he was in a bad way with me, but he'd stayed put.

I approached his room, gave a knock, and then entered before receiving a response. Peter's head lifted from where it'd been buried in one of his pillows. He was seated crossed legged on his bed with his hand wrapped around a pillow, and he looked at me with wary eyes. There was some apology, but I could also see some anger and stubbornness. I withheld a sigh.

I sat down on the bed facing him, and simply said, "Talk me through it."

Peter took in a deep breath and launched into his tale, reiterating what I'd heard from Ned. He again tried to place more blame on himself than Ned, but I didn't try to stop him this time. I simply let him continue speaking. He explained their plan of just waiting for the Sandman to show up, and I gave an internal eyeroll at that. When he explained the fight, he expressed guilt and regret for allowing Ned and MJ to be there, but he relished in recounting his battle.

"You should have seen me, Dad!" he exclaimed. "It was so easy fighting that guy. He'd try and land a hit, and I _easily_ was able to dodge before hitting him back, and every time I did, he'd be thrown back and start screaming in anger and frustration. The training has really paid off, I can tell, and the whole thing was just…wow!" he expressed in excitement, eyes lit up. A part of me felt warmth at his excitement, and pride in his abilities, but I also felt disappointment in his disobedience, and frustration at how he didn't see the danger he'd been in.

"So, the bruises and broken bones came from what?" I asked rhetorically, and his elation died down, a frown marring his face.

"Well, yeah I was injured, but that happens in any battle," he argued defensively. "The point is that I won, Dad! Can't you see that? I didn't need to be rescued. I beat him _on my own_. Nobody was hurt, and-and-and…I just don't see why you're so upset," he grumbled, looking put out now as if I were in the wrong.

A wave of anger coursed through me, and I gritted my teeth, my fits clenching as I fought to keep from verbally lashing out and/or shaking some sense into him. Instead, I went down the mature path and took in several deep and calming breaths. When I felt I had sufficient control over my emotions, I focused my gaze on the impertinent youth before me.

"Why didn't you come to me?" I had to ask, desperately wanting to understand. "Why didn't you just tell me what was going on, and _ask_ me to let you take care of this?"

Peter scoffed as if my words were ridiculous. "As if you'd let me," he griped. "If I told you, you would've ordered me to stay out of it _and_ yelled at me for even looking into the Sandman's situation. You're so overprotective! If you had it your way, I'd probably be stuck dealing with robberies and petty crime for the rest of my life!" he expressed angrily.

My eyes flashed as I looked down at him. In quiet anger I replied, "If you had come to me, I would have allowed you to deal with the Sandman alone. I know your skills have been improving, and this would have been a wonderful opportunity to test that."

The spiderling eyed me with disbelief. "You would have let me take that monster on _alone_? I don't believe you."

"I would have," I repeated firmly. "I would have been standing by as backup for if you needed it, but I would have let you do this alone. While you lack trust in me, I _trust_ you, and I trust your abilities. You're growing into a great hero, but if you keep throwing yourself recklessly into situations like today, you might not live to celebrate your triumph," I warned darkly, a lump forming in my throat at the mere thought of my son being hurt or even killed.

Peter's anger seemed to melt off his face as he took in my words and saw the emotion in my eyes.

"Dad, I…I didn't mean to worry you," he told me, his voice small, but insistent.

"I know that," I responded tiredly. "You never mean to worry anyone, but the fact of the matter is, you do."

"You really would've let me take that guy?" he now asked quietly.

Looking him straight in the eyes, I gave a single nod as I answered, "Yes." His eyes widened, his mouth falling open before he let out a loud groan, burying his face into his pillow.

"Really?" he pressed, his voice a near whine now. I simply nodded, my expression serious, and his expression fell as another groan escaped him and he once more buried his face into his pillow. I gave him a minute to process everything before moving the conversation on.

"When I found out earlier today what you were up to, pal, I freaked out," I admitted, my tone softening. "I was ready to fly off and help you, but Bruce held me off, pointing to the TV that showed you were holding your own. I swear I had a couple near heart attacks, but you're right, you won. I am proud of your abilities and how well you did, but I'm extremely disappointed in how you went about things," I explained sternly. My spiderling's expression lifted at my words of pride but fell once again at my disappointment.

"Complete honesty now," I requested. "Why didn't you two come to me?"

Peter looked at me with apologetic, anxious eyes before answering. "It's like I said before," he confessed dully, "I figured you'd say no, and I wanted to prove to you that I was better than before. It's not like when I went after the Lizard or Doctor Octavius," he argued weakly. "I just—I wanted you to be proud."

I sighed heavily, shaking my head at his admission. "I've always been proud of you," I informed him lovingly. "You don't have to do anything to be deserving of my pride or love."

Peter's face showed increasing guilt and apology with every word I spoke. "I'm sorry, Dad," he spoke thickly. "I'm sorry for disobeying you, and for not trusting you."

My lips were pursed as I stared at him, weighing my next words. "Sorry isn't going to cut it," I ended up declaring firmly, and my little spider grimaced as he looked at me with mournful puppy-dog eyes that always cut me to the core, especially at times like this. Despite my feelings, I hardened my face to show that I wasn't going to back down.

Looking defeated, he muttered, "You're gonna spank me?"

I gave a curt nod before slightly amending his wording to, "I'm going to paddle you."

The little spider's eyes widened once more, a whimper escaping him as he opened his mouth to no doubt argue. I cut off any arguments with a sharp wave of my hand.

"Since you're injured, your punishment will take place in two days," I informed him in a voice that brooked no argument. "Until then, you are confined to your bedroom for everything except school and meal times. Understood?"

Peter just stared at me with a sorrowful expression before he dismally nodded. "I understand," he spoke in barely a whisper. Feeling for my young teen, I slid off the bed and closed the distance between us in order to wrap my arms around him. He latched on to me, burrowing his head against my chest, sniffling loudly in despair. Feeling awful, I just offered him the comfort he needed.

 **Peter's POV:**

I walked through the hallways of my school feeling absolutely jittery with nerves. My stomach was full of butterflies, and I was certain I was going to throw up even though I hadn't eaten anything all day. My two days were up, and Dad had informed me that I would be receiving my paddling upon my arrival home. Not exactly information that helped me have a relaxing, carefree day.

Things had been awful these past two days. I'd arrived at school yesterday to find MJ still livid with me. She refused to even look at me, ignoring all my attempts at apologizing. I felt awful, but if that wasn't bad enough, I'd watched poor Ned struggling to sit comfortably throughout the day. My best friend had informed me that he'd gotten the belt for what had occurred, and I'd been horrified. I very clearly remembered Tony's story about the one time his mom had belted him, and it'd been a horrifying tale. According to Ned, though, while his punishment had been terrible, it wasn't as bad as I was thinking. I apologized profusely to him, but he waved away my words, saying that he was the one at fault since he'd been the ring leader behind our all too brilliant plan.

I informed Ned that I was going to be receiving my punishment today, and he groaned in sympathy, patting my shoulder compassionately. I was grateful to still have him at my side. Well, him and Flash. Our newest friend hadn't missed the way MJ was treating us, so he had nagged us until we'd confessed what we'd done. He agreed that MJ had all the right to be angry with us, but he also assured me that he'd work on getting her to forgive us.

"Look guys, I get it. Honestly, if you'd asked me to join in, I would have," he admitted with a sheepish grin. "Glad you didn't ask, though, because your punishments sound awful. Granted, I've only been punished like that a handful of times by my dad, but my mom has threatened me quite a few times lately, and I don't think she's bluffing." Flash shuddered, looking sick at the mere thought. He quickly shook himself of that concern, though, realizing that he wasn't in trouble.

The end of school came far too soon, and upon walking outside I immediately caught sight of the flashy car of one Tony Stark AKA seriously pissed off dad ready to blister his kid's poor backside. I groaned at the sight and received sympathetic looks from both Ned and Flash. They both wished me luck as I walked towards the car like a condemned man.

Reaching the car, I groaned inwardly this time at seeing it really was Dad behind the wheel. I'd had a last sliver of hope that maybe it was Happy or Pepper, but it seemed the old man wanted to make sure I didn't make any detours on the way home. I sat myself in the front seat, hugging my backpack as though it were a shield. I couldn't even bring myself to look at Dad.

The car started, and we drove out of the crowded parking lot where we were receiving too many stares. I swear I even saw a few people, kids _and_ adults, taking pictures of us. Once we were away from the masses, Dad spoke.

"I'm not angry anymore, pal, so you don't need to look so petrified," he told me gently, and I hesitantly looked at him. He flashed me a kind smile, and I returned it with a timid one of my own.

"I'm not scared of you," I asserted in response to his petrified comment. "I'm scared of the paddle," I confided in a tiny voice that I swore made me sound 8 years old rather than 16. I couldn't bring myself to be embarrassed, though.

Dad's eyes flicked towards mine before back to the road, and I saw the sadness in them. I knew he hated punishing me, but I also knew he wouldn't be changing his mind despite any pleading or begging. For that reason, I kept silent as I knew my pleading only ever made him feel worse.

"You should be scared of it," Dad stated softly. "I don't use it lightly. It's a last measure because I don't want this type of thing to happen again. You get that, right?" he questioned, once more looking my way.

I frowned deeply, brow furrowing at his words. I understood. I really did, but that didn't mean I had to admit it. I felt his eyes on me, but I stubbornly refused to meet them, and so he let out a quiet sigh. The rest of the drive was silent, but not uncomfortable. We arrived home and went straight up to our floor, my heart lifting when the elevator door opened to the sight of my mom.

I immediately rushed towards her, happily accepting her comforting hug. We exchanged nothing more than greetings, her hug conveying more than words could. I would've loved to stay in this embrace, but a loud clearing of Tony's throat brought us both back to the present. I regretfully broke apart, unable to stop from giving Pepper a beseeching look. She smiled in response, caressing my cheek lightly before gently pushing me towards the hallway.

Dad's arm wrapped around me reassuringly as we walked down the hallway. I made to head into my bedroom, but I was pulled in a different direction.

"My room," Dad stated, and my stomach sank, my fate sealed. I understood now that a spanking in his room meant a paddling.

"Bed," Dad then instructed upon entering, and I forlornly made my way to his bed, sitting myself down. I had a feeling we wouldn't be conversing for very long as we'd already discussed what I'd done two days ago.

Dad walked over until he was standing before me, hands on hips as he ordered, "Explain to me why you're here."

I looked down at my lap before looking back up at him. "I'm here for going behind your back to go after an enhanced person, somebody I knew I wasn't supposed to be fighting. I put myself in danger, and I put my friends in danger. I'm sorry," I informed him regretfully.

He nodded his head, his gaze softening briefly before it hardened once more. Determination shone in them as he walked to his dresser, pulling the paddle out of the second drawer. Walking back towards me, he gestured for me to stand, which I did so with shaky legs. My heart pounded as I watched him sit down, setting the paddle down before giving me an expectant look. Tears already stung my eyes as I nervously unbuttoned my jeans. As always, I couldn't help but give my dad one last pleading look, but he didn't even acknowledge it before gently pulling me over his lap. In one embarrassing swoop, he had my boxers and jeans pulled down to my knees.

My breathing rate increased as I waited for the first smack, and it came far too soon for my liking. He easily settled into a steady pace, the heat in my bottom building up faster than I recalled. Quickly I began wriggling uncomfortably as the pain increased. Yelps and then cries escaped my lips before apologies began to spew out. Why was I always so stupid? Why couldn't I just learn to talk to Tony before making such rash decisions? I began to sob as the fire and guilt built. There were a few seconds of blessed pause before I felt the awful sting of the paddle. My cries and pleads increased in volume, my legs kicking out. I felt a few merciless swats to my thighs as Dad chastised me for kicking. I apologized profusely before beginning to sob out all my guilt and sorrow. I finally lay there limply, crying out only when a swat landed on my sit spots. I didn't know when the wretched punishment ended, only noticing it was over when I felt my pants being pulled back up. God, why were they made of such rough material?

The worst over with, I finally received what I'd been longing for: my dad's forgiveness. He pulled me in for a loving hug, and I eagerly accepted it, one arm wrapping around him while the other gripped on to his t-shirt. It was a childish habit I had when I was feeling particularly vulnerable and needy. Burying my head against his chest, his shirt soaked up all my tears as he soothed me with his loving words and comforting gestures. He alternated between rubbing my back and caressing the back of my head. When my cries had been reduced to hiccoughs and stray tears, he placed a kiss to the top of my head, expressing once more how much he loved me.

"Love you too," I responded tearfully, my voice muffled as my face was still pressed against his chest. I could hear his steady heartbeat, and I found it as comforting as his arms, his scent, and his words. Over time, everything about this man had become comforting. He and Pepper were my world now, and I couldn't imagine living without either one of them. Just imagining one of them dying caused me to grip Tony's shirt with both my hands.

Seeming to sense a change in my mood, he placed another kiss on top of my head before asking, "What's wrong, little spider? You know all's forgiven now."

"Don't die, Dad, please. Don't ever leave me," I begged, my heart aching painfully at the thought. "I-I-I could never live without you."

"Hey, hey, hey, pal, where did these morbid thoughts come from?" he asked sadly. "I'm not going anywhere. You and Pepper mean everything to me. You're my life, and I love you to death. I've told you before, kiddo, you're stuck with me."

"Love you," I replied simply, my irrational fear dying down at the conviction behind his tone. He wasn't leaving me. He'd never leave me. I felt such tantamount relief at his words that more tears began to fall down my face once more. My dad's grip tightened, comforting and protective, and I soaked it all in. It took mere minutes before I fell asleep, completely spent from all the stress of the past couple days.

 **A/N: Hope you have enjoyed this chapter! Figured it'd been some time since Peter had gotten into some trouble. Next chapter will be Peter getting sick. So many of you have requested this, so I feel the need to oblige my loyal readers!**


	56. Chapter 56

**A/N: Simple title that pretty much gives away what the chapter is about. As always, thanks for all the lovely reviews, and I hope you continue to enjoy this story!**

 **Chapter 56: Sickly Spider**

 **Peter's POV:**

I was crouched on the edge of a building looking out over the city lights. It was Sunday night, so my curfew was, unfortunately 12AM, and currently it was 11:30 AM. My overly protective and overly attentive, all seeing, all knowing parents were away on Stark business, but even then, if I were out even a minute past 12AM, they would know. It didn't matter that they were in Russia or India, or wherever. Rain or shine, day or night, in a meeting or not in a meeting, they would know the second I'd broken curfew, and an empty Iron Man suit would be sent to fly me home. Yes, it'd happened before… _once_ , okay, maybe twice, but never again.

The loud ring of an alarm system went off about a mile east, and I quickly swung on over, landing silently on the side of a building to assess the situation. A group of three people, two men and one woman were hooting and hollering, bags of jewels slung around their shoulders. I could hear police sirens responding to the alarm, and I stared back down at these thieves, wondering why they weren't even bothering to be quiet after having robbed a place.

Slowly crawling down the side of the building, I noticed all three of them were wearing bulky masks that looked like snakes. Really? Listening to them, I also noticed they were calling each other names like, "Cobra", "Rattler", and "Krait". I guess everybody has their thing. I mean, I was currently crawling on the side of a building in a red and blue jump suit going by the name Spider man. I really couldn't be one to judge.

Noting the time, I realized I had twenty minutes to kick ass and get home. Taking in a breath, I launched two quick web bombs to web up two of the culprits before shooting a web string and hauling to other to the ground.

I hopped down onto the ground, grinning broadly as I said, "Hey guys, really digging the costumes, could you tell me where—hey, hey, hey!" I yelped at suddenly having darts being shot out at me.

"Darts? Who the hell uses darts?!" I screamed, twisting, turning, and jumping to avoid being hit. "What exactly do you think those things will do to me?" I asked curiously, catching one in my hand and looking at it closely.

"We're the snake squad, kid, what do you think they'll do to you?" the female yelled, laughing loudly when some sort of smoke sprayed out from several of the darts that'd been launched at me, including the one in my hand.

"What the hell?" I gasped, dropping the thing before jumping up onto the wall above from the smoke. Panicking as I wasn't sure what was in that smoke, I wasted no more time in banter. Holding my breath, I landed back down on the ground, easily knocking the woman unconscious. I webbed her hands and legs before assuring that the two already stuck to the wall wouldn't be able to harm the cops when they arrived. Satisfied that the situation had been dealt with, I quickly took off for the roof.

When I landed, I quickly fell to the ground, ripped off my mask and started spitting, hoping to get whatever I'd inhaled out. Whatever was in that gas couldn't have been anything good. I didn't feel any different, but it couldn't have just been a harmless gas, right? Or, maybe it was. Maybe that snake woman was just trying to scare me into thinking there was something in this stuff? Or, maybe my enhanced immune system had protected me from whatever effects they were meant to cause.

"Karen, anything strange in my vitals?" I asked my AI.

"I've noticed nothing out of the ordinary, Peter," she responded, although I could hear some concern in her tone.

"You think I'm okay, then? It didn't do anything?" I pressed in worry.

"As of now, I do not, but perhaps you should inform Mr. Hogan or your parents of what occurred," Karen suggested. "I could contact Mr. Stark for you right now, if you would like. It is 2:55PM where he is, so we will not be disturbing him."

"No," I declared, pulling my mask down and beginning to head home. "Don't call him. I don't want to worry anybody. Nothing happened, I'm fine, so let's not cause anybody to freak out."

"I would still advise informing someone just in case something does happen," Karen replied with continued concern, but I rebuffed her again.

"No, Karen, I'm _fine_ ," I stressed firmly. "We're not telling anybody." I didn't need anybody getting worried over nothing, I thought. If we told anybody, even if it was just Happy, they'd want me getting all these checkups, and I would definitely be banned form going out as Spider man. I'd already missed enough time being Spider man from my previous stupid actions. I was not going to risk losing more time over something ridiculous like what happened tonight.

"Incoming call from Mr. Stark," Karen informed me minutes later, and I inwardly panicked, thinking she'd gone behind my back and told him what happened.

"I do believe it's midnight, pal, and you're little spider butt doesn't seem to be home as it should be," Dad greeted casually, and I let out a sigh of relief that this is what he was calling about.

"I know, I know, I know!" I replied apologetically. "I'm almost there, though, Dad, so please don't be mad! I got hung up stopping some jewel robbers, but I'll be home in two minutes tops, I swear!" I waited with bated breath for his response, and immediately relaxed when I heard him chuckling.

"Alright, kiddo, it's fine," Dad remarked kindly. "I can see you're nearly home, but don't make a habit of this. Curfew is 12AM, not 12:05, so watch your timing, understood?"

"Understood," I answered promptly. "Totally understood. No more being late. I'll be the promptest hero around, I swear," I assured him, and he laughed loudly now.

"God, I miss you. Sleep well, and we'll talk more tomorrow, okay?" Dad stated.

"Miss you too, Dad. Night," I said before hanging up. I landed on the roof of the tower, opened the porthole that led to my bedroom, and climbed down into my bedroom.

"You're late, squirt," Happy greeted me from my doorway, and I rolled my eyes as I took my mask off.

"Yeah, yeah," I grumbled, "Dad already called to ream me. It won't happen again, Hap, I promise."

My surrogate uncle just grinned as he walked on in. "So, how'd it go tonight? Anything strange or interesting?"

"It went well," I replied happily. "Nothing strange until the end where there these weird people dressed up in these funny looking snake helmets," I informed him. "They shot at me with darts, can you believe it? Who uses darts?" I asked in amusement.

"Did they hit you?" Happy asked, and I shook my head.

"Nah, I'm too fast for that," I answered with a cocky grin. Happy chuckled before looking at me weirdly.

"What?" I asked in confusion.

Happy just shook his head as he replied, "You've definitely been spending too much time with Tony. That grin was all him. You sure you two aren't related?"

I grinned proudly at being compared to Tony. "Nah, I've seen our DNA," I informed Happy. "We're not related."

Happy just shook his head again as he approached me, reaching a hand out to ruffle my sweaty hair.

"Hey!" I protested. "Why does everybody do that? I'm not a dog."

Happy laughed, messing my hair up even more. I groaned loudly, snapping my teeth at his hand when he tried to do it again.

"Hey, you should probably shower and get some sleep," he stated. "You're all sweaty, and your eyes are red, probably from lack of sleep."

I just nodded my head before heading to my bathroom. Turning the light on, I curiously noted that my eyes did look red. Weird. I rubbed at them, noticing at the same time that my eyes seemed to be itchy. It was probably a side effect of that gas I was hit with. A shower would probably fix that.

A quick shower later, I got into bed and fell asleep nearly the instant my head hit the pillow.

My alarm went off far too early for me, blaring loudly and obnoxiously. Was it normally this loud? I groaned, reaching out a hand to turn it off, and accidentally ended up breaking it…again. Crap. This is why I didn't use my phone as an alarm clock anymore.

Groaning once more, I opened my eyes and sat up. God, I felt so tired, which didn't make sense. I'd stayed up until midnight tons of nights before school, but I'd never been this tired. Hell, I'd stayed out all night, not sleeping at all, and still had never been this exhausted.

I got to my feet and walked to the bathroom, thinking that some water on my face might wake me up more. Looking into the mirror, I frowned at how bad I looked. My eyes were redder than last night, and my face was paler and sweatier. I felt like my skin was too warm, now that I thought about it, noting how my pajamas were stuck to my sweaty skin.

Throwing off my clothes I took a cold shower, enjoying the feel of the cool water on my hot skin. I felt a little better afterwards. At least I wasn't sweaty anymore. Putting on my clothes for the day, I found myself beginning to sweat again. Ugh, what the heck? I still felt tired, and the more I moved, the more I realized that I felt…that I felt _sore_. That didn't make sense at all. I only felt sore after extreme work outs, but I hadn't pushed myself at all last night.

I arrived into the kitchen to see Happy scrolling through his tablet.

"Morning," he greeted cheerfully.

"Morning," I responded dully, and I felt his gaze on me.

"You alright, squirt? You don't look too good. You're not sick are you?" he asked concernedly.

"No!" I immediately retorted. "I can't get sick, Happy."

"Well, you certainly look sick," he remarked, standing up to get a better look at me. He was reaching out a hand towards me, but I avoided it.

"I'm fine, Happy, quit being all motherly," I complained, grabbing a yogurt from the fridge. "I'm heading to school. See you later."

"Peter," Happy called out, but I ignored him, getting into the elevator. I didn't really know why I left like that, but I really didn't feel like talking. I felt weird, and I honestly just wanted to go back to sleep, but I knew I couldn't do that.

Was I sick, though? That didn't make sense at all. I _couldn't_ get sick. Bruce had said so himself. Since the spider bite, I hadn't even had so much as the sniffles.

I certainly felt like I was sick, though. Like the cold or the flu. Ugh, this sucked.

I arrived at school and chose to just stand outside to wait for my friends. While most classmates were running inside because of the cold, I was standing outside without a sweater, loving the feel of the cold on my skin. Even though it felt good, though, I still felt like I was too warm. Fever, maybe?

It was so freaking white out here. Had the sun always been so bright? I squinted my eyes as I looked around, wondering why all of a sudden my eyes were hurting. It was almost like when I'd first gotten my powers, and my senses had been overstimulated.

I closed my eyes, trying to fight off a building headache. Now, it wasn't just my body that hurt, but my head as well.

"Peter!" someone yelled, and I nearly jumped out of my skin from the feel of someone's hand on my shoulder.

"No, don't!" someone else yelled as I made to jump, but the hand on my shoulder and the one gripping my shirt kept me from instinctually jumping onto the wall.

I opened my eyes and looked into the concerned faces of MJ, Ned, and Flash. MJ's hand was on my shoulder, and she was gazing at me with eyes full of concern.

"Hey," I greeted lamely, my voice coming out pathetically.

"What the hell?" Flash asked with a shake of his head. "You nearly jumped on to the freaking wall."

"You look like hell," MJ stated, her eyebrows furrowed as she placed a light hand on my forehead.

"Are you sick? I thought that couldn't happen," Ned commented.

I ignored both Ned and Flash, my eyes locked on to MJ's. She still hadn't quite forgiven me for what had occurred two weeks ago. I'd apologized profusely, bought her flowers, candy, and books, but it wasn't until I showed up at her window one night as Spider man that I finally got her to talk to me. I took her for a swing around the city, and while she cursed me most the time, she eventually admitted to having enjoyed it. Anyways, we'd talked, and she'd admitted to feeling hurt over being lied to, and angry over how little I thought through my actions. She accepted my apology, but our relationship still hadn't gone back to what it was.

Feeling her hand on my shoulder and face, I leaned in to the touch, gazing at her with loving eyes.

"I love you," I spoke suddenly, and her eyes widened, her mouth falling off my head.

"Woah, uh, things just got real awkward here," Flash remarked.

"He's gotta be delirious," Ned muttered.

"No, no I'm not," I argued earnestly, eyes still locked with MJ's. "I love you MJ, I really do, and I'm so, so sorry for putting you in danger and for being an idiot. Please, please forgive me. Please," I begged, leaning towards her to give her a kiss.

"Are you drunk?" MJ finally asked, her hand on my shoulder stopping me form being able to deliver the kiss.

"Course not," I replied indignantly. "Dad would kill me," I said with a laugh, frowning suddenly when I realized what I said wasn't funny.

Another hand was placed on my forehead, and I turned to give Flash a weird look. Why was he touching me?

"I'm not doctor, but your temperature seems higher than it should. Whether you think you can get sick or not, Peter, you're definitely sick. You're running a fever," he stated.

"Let's take him to the nurse's office," MJ ordered, wrapping an arm around me and leading me towards the school.

"I'm not sick," I asserted firmly, giving them all a glare. "I'm totally fine! Just because—just because I tell MJ I love her, doesn't mean I'm drunk or sick. You all suck," I declared, making to walk away, but my legs suddenly seemed to have lost their strength, and I buckled.

"Shit!" Flash yelled as he and the others grabbed hold of me before I completely fell.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," I insisted, feeling suddenly embarrassed. Why had I fallen? "Let's just go to class."

"Peter," Ned, "let's go to the nurse's, or let's call Happy to come get you. Something's wrong."

"I'm not sick!" I yelled, rubbing at my temples to try and assuage the pounding headache I was suddenly feeling. "God, why is it so damn bright out here?!"

"Bright? It's overcast," I heard Flash mumble.

"Peter, listen," MJ spoke firmly, grabbing hold of my head. Her cold hands felt good on my face, and I let out a sigh. "What are you feeling right now? Tell me specifically. Are you hot?"

"Mmhmm," I murmured.

"You said it's bright outside, so your vision is bothering you?" she then asked.

"Yeah, way too bright. Stupid sun," I complained. "Giving me a headache."

"Okay, so you have a headache too," MJ said softly, her hands now gently rubbing the sides of my temple. Oh, that felt good. "What else are you feeling?"

"Tired, really tired. Dunno why, though. Didn't do anything hard yesterday," I said, my eyes closing to keep out the intense light. "Body really hurts too," I added.

"Flu," Flash whispered.

"What do we do?" Ned whispered back.

"I can hear you," I growled, opening my eyes enough to glare. "I'm not sick," I insisted once again. "Can't get sick."

"You certainly sound and look sick," Flash retorted gently.

"Did something happen last night?" Ned questioned curiously. "Did you get injured or shot with something?"

I shook my head rapidly before pausing, recalling those weird snake people and their smoky darts.

"What is it? What happened?" MJ pressed. "What did you remember?"

"Uh, snake people," I grumbled.

"Huh?" Flash responded.

"Robbers with snake helmets," I expanded. "They—they shot me with…with darts."

"You got hit with one of them?" MJ asked in concern.

I shook my head. "Too fast," I asserted with pride, "but there was smoke or gas or something."

"I'm calling Happy," Ned declared.

"I'm calling Tony," MJ stated.

"What? No, don't!" I cried out, slapping MJ's phone out of her hands and taking Ned's. "Don't," I repeated.

"Why not?" Ned asked incredulously. "There was obviously something in that gas last night, and it's negatively affecting you."

"No, it's n—ahh! God, turn it off!" I screamed, covering my ears as the school's bell rang. It thankfully ended after a couple seconds, but I remained huddled with my hands still covering my ears. I fell to the ground one more, this time not being caught by any one. Like a light switch, I found my senses being flooded. Not only were things too bright, but now every sound was too loud. My spider sense was flaring up even though I knew I wasn't in danger. It was only that thought that kept me from lashing out at my friends.

What was happening to me? Why was I falling apart? I felt myself being pulled to my feet, and I tried to fight their holds, but found myself unable to, my strength seemingly sapped from me. I kept my eyes shut and my ears covered as I was guided around. My brain felt foggy, my body was in pain, and everything was too much.

"Guys," I finally spoke, "I think I'm sick."

I said nothing more, just letting myself be half carried, half guided to…to wherever they were taking me to. Unfortunately, I was so out of it, I didn't notice all the people watching us, specifically the students taking pictures and video of me.

Eventually, I felt my friends stop, and I slowly opened my eyes before snapping them shut again with a pained groan.

"Hey there, bud, it's okay," Ned spoke quietly as he patted my back. "We're calling Happy and your parents. They'll take care of you, okay?"

I only whimpered in response, suddenly craving the comfort of my parents. They'd know what was wrong. They'd know what to do. They'd know how to make me feel better.

 **Tony's POV:**

"You know, these shindigs aren't as fun as they used to be," I remarked as I danced slowly with Pepper.

"What did you consider fun about them before?" she asked, raising an inquiring eyebrow at me.

"Well, drinking and womanizing aside," I began with a sheepish look, "I've always enjoyed meeting new people, especially fellow engineers. It's nice talking shop with others who have the same passion as me. Admittedly, I also have fun verbally sparring with the big wigs."

"So, that's what you call it," Pepper remarked, and I smirked.

"I love putting them in their place, especially when they don't realize I'm even insulting them," I continued, grinning wickedly, and she chuckled before replying that she too enjoyed that.

"Anyways," I said with a shrug, "these parties have kind of lost their charm. I'd rather be"—

"Home," Pepper finished, and I nodded back at her.

"This is weird, huh?" I had to ask.

"We certainly sound old, don't we?" she asked back, and we both laughed.

I pulled her in for an embrace as I replied, "We may be old, but we are still the coolest and sexiest looking people around."

Her laugh was louder this time, her arms wrapping around my neck as she pulled me in for a kiss. "Coolest and sexiest _parents_ , you mean," she amended, and I nodded proudly.

The music paused at this point, our host wanting to make a toast. The man had barely begun to speak when my cell phone and watch began to vibrate madly. I tensed, knowing that only an emergency would cause both devices to go off. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Pepper frowning as she was pulling her phone out of her purse. I gently grabbed hold of her elbow and led her out of the large room and into a hallway. The second we were there, I was answering the phone.

"What's going on?" I asked seriously, briskly walking down the hallway in the direction of the exit.

"You need to get home ASAP," Happy stated without greeting, and I promptly began to run, Pepper keeping up even though she had no idea what was going on.

"Peter is sick, and he's only getting worse," Happy explained, and I was taken aback as I knew Peter's immune system should have prevented this. "He arrived home last night, and he seemed fine. Then, this morning, he looked wiped out, but when I tried to confront him, he claimed he was fine and went to school. An hour and a half ago, I got a call from his friends demanding I come pick him up because he was really sick."

We'd arrived outside now, so I switched to communicating through my watch so that Pepper could hear everything.

"Symptoms," I demanded, my heart hammering at what could possibly be wrong with my son. For Happy to have called, sounding this worried, it couldn't be a simple cold.

"Fever, and it's out of control. His temperature keeps rising," Happy informed us, his voice laced with concern. "His senses seem to be out of control as any sort of light hurts his eyes, and everything is too loud for him. His spider sense keeps going off, but thankfully he's still got enough sense not to attack any of us. He's a little out of it, not making much sense anymore, which is probably due to the fever."

"And you didn't notice anything weird last night?" I inquired, not understanding how the kid's health could have deteriorated so quickly. I'd spoken with him hours ago, and he hadn't sounded sick at all.

"No! Or-or, no," Happy answered, and I could hear the guilt in his voice, "he sounded completely fine. I mean, his eyes were a little red, but I thought it was because he was just tired. I'm sorry, Tony, I should have pushed for him to talk to me this morning."

"What's happening right now?" Pepper pressed anxiously. We were at the car now, and I tore out of the parking lot in the direction of our hotel.

"We're preparing him for transport to HQ. The doctors here don't have the resources to figure out what's triggered this sickness, and we don't want to take any chances. We're taking him by helicopter, and Bruce and I are riding with him." Happy responded, and my heart clenched. The situation was sounding more and more grave, and I fought back the feeling of panic.

"Oh my god," Pepper whispered, hands covering her mouth. Her face was white, and I was certain my face looked the same. Coming to a sudden decision, I pulled the car over. Stepping out of the car, I activated the two bracelets on my wrist, and my Iron Man suit began to assemble itself around me. It was nanotechnology, and it spread around my body like liquid metal. This suit was only a prototype, but I knew the flight capabilities were solid. How it would fare in battle, I wasn't sure.

I looked to Pepper, controlling the nanobots so that my helmet didn't cover my head. "You good?" I asked, and she immediately nodded her head.

"Go," she ordered, and I gave her a small smile before blasting off. I knew I'd get home faster in the suit than in my plane, and Pepper was more than happy to let me go ahead of her if it meant one of us being there for Peter.

Happy stayed on the phone with Pepper, so I phoned up Natasha, knowing Bruce was busy taking care of Peter.

"Talk to me," I demanded as soon as she'd picked up.

"We're giving him fluids right now, and he's sleeping," she responded emotionlessly, a fact that let me know she was worried. Her worry only served to make me more concerned, so I pushed my suit to the max, hating myself for ever leaving my kid.

"He's getting worse?" I next asked, struggling to keep my voice calm.

"Not since he was brought home," she replied, and I felt my first moment of relief. "However, compared to how he was just this morning, how fast he deteriorated is, of course, a concern."

"I'm in the suit flying to get there as soon as I can. ETA 4 hours, unfortunately," I told her, frustrated with myself for being so far from my little spider. "Pepper's going to take the plane."

"Good, Peter was calling out for you two earlier," Natasha replied, and I felt even guiltier. I swear to god, I was never going to leave him again. If we had to leave for business, we'd either refuse or take the spiderling with us. Shaking my head of the guilt, I settled for getting more information from her.

"Any idea of how this happened?" I asked.

"Yes, and I'm heading out to gather more intel," she told me, and I could hear the engine of her motorcycle being started. "Happy told me that Peter had a run in with some burglars wearing snake helmets last night, and that they were shooting darts at him. He wasn't hit, _but_ ," she continued, "MJ tells me that Peter told her, Ned, and Flash that the darts expelled a gas, which he inhaled."

I groaned internally. Poison. There had to have been some sort of poison in that gas. It was the only explanation that made sense. The question was, what kind of poison was it?

"I've talked with Karen, and she's leading me to where the confrontation took place. Hopefully, I'll be able to find one of those darts, so we can test it to see what Peter was hit with," she explained.

"Good idea," I managed to say, my throat constricting as my worry only increased. What if she didn't find anything?

"Tony, remember to breathe," Natasha reminded, and I immediately took in a deep breath to calm my racing heart. Panicking wasn't going to help anyone. I needed to keep a level head for myself and for Peter if I wanted to be of any use. He was going to be just fine.

"Keep me updated," I finally said before hanging up.

My next phone call was to MJ to inquire as to what she saw and heard from her own mouth.

"Mr. Stark!" she greeted with a tone of relief, "How is he? What's going on?"

"He's being transferred to the hospital at HQ," I informed her.

"What?!" the young lady screeched. "Why is he—Mr. Stark, what's going on? Is he going to"—

"Michelle," I cut off firmly, "I need you to tell me exactly what happened today." I understood her concern, but time was of the essence. Thankfully, the girl wasn't the hysterical or overly emotional sort, because she immediately calmed herself and began to recount the events of the morning.

"If I didn't know Peter better, I would've said he was drunk, because he started slurring his words, and speaking weirdly," MJ let me know. "We got him to tell us why he thought he was feeling this way, which is when he told us about getting gassed with-with _something_. At first, he didn't want us to contact you, but then it was like a switch went off and he began to freak out. He complained that the sun was too bright even though it was overcast, and when the bell rang, he yelled out as if he were in pain. Ned and Flash basically carried him to the nurse while I contacted Happy," she said, her tone tight with stress and anxiety. "The nurse really didn't know what to do with Peter, so we just stayed with him until Happy arrived."

I sighed heavily, thanking the girl for her help before hanging up, but not after she extracted a promise that I would keep her up to date.

I felt so helpless not being at home. Knowing that Peter was suffering, that he needed me, and I couldn't be there was the worse feeling ever. I felt as though I'd failed him, and that was unforgivable. Rationally, I knew I couldn't always be with him, and that Peter would've been in this same situation regardless of whether I'd been home or not, but still…I should be with him.

The flight home was agonizing. I was constantly kept up to date, and the only good news received was that Natasha had found two darts that had been shot at Peter. Hopefully, Bruce and other scientists would be able to extract what Peter had been hit with, so they could come up with a way of treating him.

The bad news I received was that the doctors were struggling to keep Peter's temperature down. They'd resorted to giving him an ice water bath an hour ago, and it had thankfully worked, but his temperature was still unnaturally high. I'd nearly freaked when they told me his internal temperature was so high it would have already killed a normal human.

The fever was making the poor teen delirious and irritable. He was in and out of consciousness, fighting against the nurses and doctors. Bruce was the only one with any chance of controlling him because he had extra strength due to the Hulk, and because Peter knew him well. It was a precarious situation having Bruce subdue Peter, though, as the Hulk could be triggered with one bad hit from Peter.

I felt my heart slightly unclench as I saw the Avengers complex come into view. Before even landing completely, the suit was already retracting, and after only two steps on the ground, all the nanobots had returned to my bracelets. I sprinted through the entrance and through the hallways, only one guard being idiot enough to try and stop me. With barely a look though, I stopped the obvious rookie in place.

Friday had already alerted the others to my arrival, so when I burst into the medic wing, Happy was there to guide me to my kid's room. Approaching the room, I saw Rhodey, Vision and Natasha standing outside his room, their brows furrowed in concern. I assumed Bruce was inside.

"Hey, Tony, hold up," Rhodes spoke, reaching out to grab hold of my bicep. I shot my friend an incredulous look, but he only tightened his grip. "When you go in there, you need to be calm. The kid is in rough shape, but he's okay." My stomach curled in on itself at his words, fearful as to why he felt the need to say such a thing. I gave him a single nod before walking in to the dark room. I briefly wondered why the lights weren't on before recalling that Peter's senses were in overdrive right now. It also explained why Bruce and a doctor were whispering to each other. I barely spared those two a glance, though, as my eyes zeroed in on Peter.

Oh, kiddo, I thought despondently, my heart sinking at how awful he looked. It was dark, but that didn't hide the sheen of sweat covering my boy's face. His shirt and shorts were soaked from how much he'd been sweating, and when I tentatively put a hand to his forehead, I could feel heat radiating off him. This wasn't right.

I looked around at the machines in the room, noting that in addition to being hooked up to an IV, he was also hooked up to a heart monitor, and by the speed of the beeps, his heart rate was working harder than it should. He looked so damn young and _small_ lying there in clothes that seemed too big. Actually, I realized as I leaned closer, the reason the clothes were too big was because they were _mine_. I sucked in a breath, stiffening as the implications of this hit me. My little spider had needed me. He'd _needed_ me, and since I wasn't here, they put him in my clothes. I wanted to scream in frustration and anger for having failed him, but I held it all in, choosing instead to kneel down so I could better look at him.

I was gently smoothing Peter's hair back when I felt a hand on my shoulder. My eyes flicked up to Bruce, who jerked his head to the side, indicating he wanted to talk to me. I shot Peter a regretful look before following Bruce outside.

"He's in the same state as when Happy called you earlier," Bruce began to explain without preamble. "His temperature is still too high, 104, and it's the spider bite that's keeping him alive. If we had—er, well if _you_ had that same temperature for as long as him, you'd be dead." The scientist took his glasses off and rubbed his face with both hands. He looked both tired and stressed.

"Bloodwork?" I asked, and he nodded his head as he replaced his glasses.

"We've looked at his blood and compared it to the chemicals we found on those darts he was hit with last night," he explained. "That gas is definitely the culprit. Once again, we're lucky Peter is who he is, because the side effects should have taken place immediately. The poison is meant to induce a high fever that can't be treated by normal means like aspirin. I'm not sure if the culprits meant it to be lethal, or if Peter just got hit by a lot of it, but his system is fighting hard."

My blood ran cold, and I stopped breathing, my mind whirling with everything I'd heard. Peter was dying. _My son was dying_. I forced myself to take in deep breaths, knowing that having an anxiety attack would not help Peter.

"What can we do? What can _I_ do?" I asked my friend, desperate to do something.

"We've got several scientists working on looking for or creating an antidote to the poison," he responded me, "but in the case that they can't figure that out, we'll just keep working at bringing his fever down. And…I hate to say this, Tony, but we honestly have to wait to see if Peter's body can fight this on its own."

That answer was not acceptable in any way. "What if he can't fight it?" I demanded. "What if his fever doesn't stay down?" I nearly hissed, my anger at the situation beginning to boil over. This wasn't fair. Life sucked, and it really seemed to delight in tormenting my kid. If only I could take on all his suffering, I would gladly do it. He didn't deserve to have so much pain in his life.

Bruce put both his hands on my shoulders and squeezed, getting me to focus my attention on him. "That's where you come in, Tony," he stated, and I looked at him in confusion.

"You're going to give him a reason for fighting," Bruce explained. "You're going to sit with him, talk to him, and be that great dad I know you are," he declared, giving my chest a pat. There was an air of confidence in his words that filled me with hope. We all knew that promising that everything would be okay wasn't very comforting as we all knew that wasn't always true. Here Bruce was though, telling me that I had the means of helping Peter pull through. Maybe he was just trying to manipulate me so I'd stay out of the way, or maybe he was just trying to make me feel better. Whatever the reason, I chose to let go of my cynicism and believe him.

Nodding back, I fought the urge to rush back to Peter, knowing I needed to call Pepper and let her know what was going on. I really wanted to ask one of the others to do it, but she deserved to hear everything from me.

As I spoke with Pepper, I was proud of the strength she portrayed. I wouldn't have faulted her for being tearful or begging me to tell her Peter would be okay. Instead, she took all my information calmly. Her tone was full of concern, but she maintained control of her emotions, and I was grateful, because right now, her strength was giving me strength. She told me she was around six hours out still, and I assured her I would take care of Peter.

"I'll be with him every minute, Pep, I swear," I declared. "We're doing everything we can, and I'll keep you up to date if anything changes."

"You better," Pepper stated, her voice sounding choked up. "Take care of him and tell him how much I love him.""I will," I promised, "and I love you too."

I hung the phone up, took in a deep breath, and then walked back into the dark, cool room. I pulled a chair right up to his bed, sat down and leaned forward, resting my upper body on his bed. His sleep didn't look restful, and he seemed to be in pain. I took one of his hands in mine and winced when he unconsciously squeezed back tightly.

"Hey, pal, it's me, Tony," I whispered.

"Daaaaaaddd," Peter moaned, turning his body towards me. His eyes flickered open briefly before closing once more. My heart hammered at this small movement, and even though he'd been calling me dad for a while, hearing him call me that right now when he was suffering seemed to hit me harder. I was a dad. I was _his_ dad, and he needed me. He _wanted_ me. I swallowed thickly before speaking again.

"Yeah, it's dad," I spoke, gently placing my free hand on his forehead. "Dad's here, and I'm going to take care of you. You're going to be just fine, you hear me? Just fine."

Peter's eyes flickered opened once more, and I could see the pain in them. "Hurts," he whimpered, and a stray tear leaked out one of his eyes.

I wiped away the tear while asking him what hurt.

He groaned, a hand reaching up to cover his ears before he choked out, "Everything." His eyes opened and closed, narrowing when they flicked towards the hallway where light shone. His senses were still bothering him, I noted, wondering if they were the reason behind the pain, or if they were just adding to it.

I took my sunglasses out of my pocket and gently placed them on the sick teen's face. He jerked, his hand grabbing hold of my wrist as his eyes flew open. I paused, allowing him time to stop me, but when he didn't, I finished putting them on, adjusting them so they fit right.

"Better?" I whispered, and he nodded his head. I could tell the noise from the monitors was getting to him, though, so I hesitated before standing up. I wanted to go get him these ear plugs I'd developed for myself years ago when I needed absolute quiet. There were times I couldn't think or focus because so much was going on around me, so I would put in those ear plugs to shut out the world. I realized that they'd be helpful to the kid with his sensitive hearing.

"No, please!" Peter cried out, holding tightly to my hand. I quickly leaned over until our foreheads were touching.

"Shhh, shhhh," I murmured, "I'm just going to tell Vision something really quick and I'll be right back, okay? I'll be back in two seconds."

He sniffed noisily, looking absolutely miserable, but nodded his head, reluctantly releasing his hold on me. My throat constricted at his expression, but I pushed that away. I'd be right back. The second I stepped out the door, Vision was standing there awaiting my instructions. I quickly filled him in on what I was looking for, and he nodded, promptly flying up and through the ceiling to my lab.

Giving a grim smile to Rhodey, Natasha, and Happy, I turned back around and sat down in my chair, Peter reaching out and grabbing hold of one of my hands. His skin felt so hot against mine, and I concernedly looked up at his vitals to see his temperature was at 104. I had to fight back panic, knowing that Peter had been at this temperature for hours and was okay, even though it was too high.

A bowl with water and a washcloth were sat down on the table next to me and Peter's bed, and I looked up to see a nurse offering me a kind yet sympathetic smile. Dipping the washcloth into the water, she wrung it out before dabbing it over the little spider's forehead and then face, eliciting a small moan from him. Understanding what to do, I took the offered washcloth when she held it out to me, and I began to wipe my boy's face with the cold water. He leaned into my touch, and I felt satisfied that I was able to help him in some way. Every time the cloth got too warm, I re-wet it, before placing it back on his forehead.

Vision arrived, a concerned frown on his face as he offered me the ear plugs. I silently thanked the android before he left. Peter just stared at me, so I demonstrated that the plugs were for his ears. He quickly put them in, letting out a sigh after several seconds.

"Better," he murmured in a near whisper, and I too let out my own sigh of relief.

Two hours passed, and I was pretty sure Peter had fallen asleep. His breathing had evened out, although his brow was still furrowed, which let me know that he was still hurting. He was curled in on himself, grasping onto my arm with both his hands. He continued to sweat, his temperature not dropping in the slightest. He was shivering more and more due to his temperature, and I stopped wetting his forehead as he looked more uncomfortable every time I did it. Ugh. Body temperature too high, but he felt cold.

Bruce suddenly appeared, and at his deep frown, my heart sunk. He came over and leaned against Peter's bed, looking at the teen before looking to me. "We're struggling to come up with an antidote to the poison he's inhaled," he informed me softly. "Or, rather, we're having difficulties coming up with an antidote that will work with Peter. His immune system that's keeping him alive is also making things harder as it's been fighting _off_ the antidotes we've tested on his blood."

I withheld a sigh as I soothingly rubbed my little spider's hands in mine.

"What's going to happen to him if this fever doesn't go down?" I had to ask. "What's the risk of brain damage?"

Bruce's lips pursed, and his eyes were full of concern. He said nothing for several moments, just staring down at Peter before answering me. "I don't know," he admitted. "Peter is unique. He can withstand more than the average human, but he's still human, and if we can't get it down soon, I think, the risk will only increase."

Our conversation was put on hold as the kid began to grow agitated. His shivering had increased, and he was groaning loudly as he shifted around the bed. I leaned forward and spoke soothingly to him, even though I knew he couldn't really hear me. I also rubbed one of his hands in mine while I rubbed the other over his head lightly. He looked so miserable, and I felt so helpless.

The heart monitor suddenly shot up, and I jumped, startled by the loud sound. Bruce cursed before going out to yell for a doctor. My heart seemed to pound as fast as my son's, especially when I saw his temperature beginning to climb. I was the one cursing this time.

"His temperature!" I shouted in panic the second the doctor, nurse and Bruce arrived. Dim lights were turned on as they got to work. I was pulled out of their way by Bruce, but when Peter began to trash and cry out, I attempted to rush back to him. Bruce, however, kept a tight hold on me, keeping me from moving.

"Let them do their job," he told me firmly, and I growled lowly in frustration. The doctor injected something into my kid, and it served to only lower his temperature back to 105, but none of us were happy, so it was decided we'd give him a cold water bath.

"I'll do it," I declared, not really giving any of them an option. "Just tell me what to do."

Not even bothering to argue, the IV and monitors were removed, and I picked up Peter, cradling the gangly teen in my arms. Heading into the bathroom, the doctor turned the water on and ran the bath with lukewarm water. "We'll start with lukewarm as we don't want to shock his system, and slowly add cooler water. We just need to get his temperature down at least another degree or two," he explained, and I nodded my head in understanding.

I stripped him down to his boxers and slowly placed him in the water. He began to struggle, protesting about it being too cold.

"I know it is, pal, but we've got to get your temperature down," I attempted to explain, although I knew he was beyond reason right now.

"Too cool! Too cold!" he cried out, trashing wildly. Bruce, the doctor, and I tried to hold him down, but he continued to resist, pushing us away from him.

"Dad!" he whined. "Stop!"

"I'm sorry, I swear I am, but this is for your own good," I declared as I took off my shirt, jacket, and pants. In nothing but my boxers, I got into the tub with Peter and held the writhing teen in my arms.

"Dad, please, it's too cold," he cried, and I just wrapped him in my arms more securely.

"I know, and I'm sorry, but I'm doing this to help you," I told him softly. "You'll feel better soon, I promise, little spider. Just trust me."

A whimper escaped my son, and the sound tore at my heart, but I didn't relent. Instead, I just whispered soothing words into his ear, holding him tightly as the water was slowly cooled. We took his temperature every couple of minutes, and it took half an hour for it to go down to 103.

"Okay, let's get him out," the doctor said, his tone showing the relief that we all felt. We worked together to lift Peter and dry him off. We got him into dry clothes and placed him onto the bed. He kept an arm latched on to me, and that made it difficult to leave to get myself dried off. Hearing him cry out for me as I quickly toweled off and changed was heart-wrenching, and I rushed to change before running back over to him. I sat myself down, and Peter automatically reached a hand out to grab on to my arm.

"How you feeling?" I asked him, forgetting that he still had the ear plugs in. He seemed to understand what I asked, though, because he just shook his head miserably.

"Cold, and everything hurts," he slurred, his eyes beginning to droop shut. I wondered if he was just tired from the bath or if it was something the doctor gave him. It didn't take long for his breathing to even out as he fell asleep.

My eyes went to the doctor and Bruce questioningly. "His temperature went down a little more. This is a good thing, right?" The two exchanged looks.

"Yes," the doctor spoke slowly. "A lower temperature is good, and I honestly won't be happy until it's at least down to 100. However, we need to figure out why he has a fever. Is the fever in response to an infection, or is it directly linked to the poison? Peter's biology is unique, and right now we just need to count on his immune system to take care of this while we try and figure out an antidote."

"You think you can?" I had to ask, and it was Bruce who answered with a confident, "Yes."

I locked eyes with him, gauging his sincerity, and nodded when I saw he was being genuine with me. I trusted him, and I trusted our scientists. There was no way some street thugs could come up with a poison with no antidote. We just needed more time, and Peter needed to hold on.

 **A/N: Just saw Black Panther, and it was kick ass! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	57. Chapter 57

**A/N: Second chapter of Peter being sick. Things will get worse before they get better. Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! Love you all, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Chapter 57: Sickly Spider II**

 **Tony's POV:**

I jerked awake at the feel of a hand on my head.

"Shh, Tony, it's just me," Pepper soothed as she knelt next to me. She was sitting on the edge of Peter's bed, holding one of his hands while caressing my hair.

"How long you been here?" I asked, sitting up and stretching my stiff muscles. My back cracked, and I cringed at the sound. How long had I been asleep?

"Just arrived," she replied, looking as weary as me. I doubt she slept at all on the plane ride over.

"It's 9:15 AM," she then informed me, and I raised my eyebrows at that. Last time I'd checked the clock it'd been around 4AM. I guess exhaustion had taken over, which allowed me to fall asleep. I really didn't feel well rested, though. My mind had been plagued with nothing but concern for Peter.

"How is he?" I questioned, looking down at the sleeping teen. He seemed to be resting peacefully, and I found myself relaxing some.

"Bruce says he's been sleeping restfully since around 5 this morning," Pepper explained, one of her hands caressing our son's cheek. "His temperature is down to 102, which I'm told is a good thing as it'd been up at 104."

I nodded my head, plopping back down into my seat. I rubbed my face with both hands, doing my best to wipe the sleep from my face. I briefly recounted the events of last night to her, doing the best to describe things as though they hadn't been a big deal. I didn't need her knowing how scared I'd been or was, but of course, she saw through my deceit. She simply raised an eyebrow at me letting me know I hadn't fooled her but said nothing to reproach me.

She lay herself down next to Peter, wrapping an arm around him in a comforting embrace. The spiderling's eyes opened blearily, and he blinked slowly as he took in his surroundings. My sunglasses had fallen off him during the night, but I noticed he didn't seem as bothered by the dim light as he did last night.

"Mom?" he muttered hoarsely, turning his head to get a look at her.

"Yes, honey, I'm right here," Pepper answered lovingly, smoothing his sweaty hair back. "How do you feel?"

"Cold and achy," responded in a pitiful voice.

"How about your senses?" I pressed, and his tired eyes focused me. He looked around the room, seemingly taking stock of his own condition.

"Not so bad," he eventually replied, and I let out a heavy sigh or relief. Everything was good news. He was getting better slowly but surely. Thank god. Even without an antidote, he would pull through.

The doctor from last night, (I'd never actually gotten his name) walked in and smiled at seeing Peter was awake. He checked his vitals, asking him questions and looking him over. Like me, he seemed pleased with Peter's status.

"Well, you're definitely better, Peter, but nowhere near where we'd like you to be. We'll continue working on an antidote, but the fact that you're recovering, albeit slowly, without it is a really good sign," he remarked.

"Mmmm," Peter responded sleepily, and I wasn't sure he really heard or understood everything the doctor had said. Or, maybe he just didn't believe him seeing as he still felt miserable.

"Thanks doc," I stated graciously, looking closely at his nametag this time to see his name was Richard Richards. I smirked, and Doctor Richards just huffed as he noted the source of my amusement.

"My parents had a sense of humor," he spoke drily, and I smiled widely.

"You should try and get him to eat something," Richards suggested, and Pepper and I both nodded. "I'll have the nurse bring some soup."

Pepper and I exchanged looks, our expressions partially relieved and partially worried. Peter was better, but he was still really sick. He could still get worse. Stomach turning, I pushed that thought from my head. The teen was strong. He was pulling through with his own strength, and he would continue to pull through. I had to remain positive for all our sakes.

The nurse walked in with a bowl of soup, and she gave us both kind, sympathetic smiles. "I hear he's on the mend," she said softly as she set the bowl down on a tray. Peter wrinkled his nose at the soup, turning his head away. I realized we had a fight coming our way.

"Come on Peter, sit up and eat a little. You need strength to get better," she told him.

"Remember your metabolism works harder than all of ours. You've got to be starving, right?" I asked rhetorically, helping the kid sit up in the bed.

He made a noise of protest, shaking his head as he mumbled, "Not hungry."

"Just a few bites, honey," Pepper encouraged, giving Peter a pleading look. "For me, please. I'd feel better if you'd drink just a little of this."

I watched Peter's stubbornness fade as Pepper appealed to his better nature. Sighing, he nodded his head, shakily reaching out for the spoon. I had to fight the urge to spoon-feed him, but I knew if I even tried that, he'd immediately refuse.

Pepper and I watched tensely as he slowly managed to drink the soup. He fumbled, and it hurt to see how weak he was. It was so wrong seeing him like this, and I once again wished I could trade places with him.

Thankfully, Peter managed to finish the entire bowl with a little more prompting from Pepper. Afterwards, he fell back asleep, and we maintained our vigil. Nat and Rhodey showed up at one point and forced us to shower, eat and sleep. We protested, but at seeing how beaten down Pepper looked, I realized I probably didn't look any different. A little rest would do us good, and they both promised to alert us if anything changed. It was my trust in them that gave me the strength to walk away, pulling Pepper with me.

I wasn't sure how long we'd been sleeping when a god-awful sound roughly dragged me back to wakefulness. I let out a loud gasp as I awoke, hands covering my ears.

"What the hell, Fri?!" I roared furiously, hand covering my chest as I attempted to calm my racing heart. This had to be the worst wake up call of my life.

"I apologize sir, but you are needed down in the hospital immediately. Peter's condition has worsened," she announced in concern, and my heart went from pounding to freezing as ice shot through my veins.

"No, no, no," Pepper spoke aloud in panic, and we both jumped out of bed and raced to the medic bay on the ground floor. We burst in to the waiting room and rushed to Peter's room, finding three nurses, Doctor Richards, and Bruce inside. Natasha, Rhodey, Happy, and Vision were right outside the room, faces full of worry.

I attempted to move past them into my kid's room, but Vision and Happy blocked my back.

"Let them do their work," Happy declared, and I gave them both a vicious glare. Panic and fear guided my next actions.

"What the hell happened?!" I snarled, looking specifically at Happy. "You were supposed to be watching after him!"

Happy looked taken aback, his face turning white.

"Tony, I, uh,"—he started to stutter, but I grabbed hold of his shirt and slammed him into the wall roughly.

"Tony!" Pepper yelled in shock.

"Hey man, that's enough!" Rhodey declared, grabbing hold of my shoulder, but I shoved him off.

"You were supposed to take care of him, and look at the state he's in. He's dying because you failed! I trusted you with my son, Happy!" I roared harshly. I was planning to lay into him more, but one of my arms was suddenly pinned to my back, an arm wrapping itself around my neck as I was hauled back. I grunted in pain before attempting to fight off Natasha. She was the only one who could handle me so easily. I managed to fight her hold, but she blocked my path, shoving me farther away before speaking.

"Get yourself under control, Tony, and quit acting like a goddamn idiot!" she snapped, gracing me with a disappointed glare. "That is your friend you just attacked, and he was in no way deserving of that!"

"That idiot couldn't keep"—I began to shout, but she cut me off.

"Happy is not responsible for Peter's health!" she interjected furiously, getting right up in my face. "You know who is! Now, get your head on straight or I refuse to allow you to move from this spot."

I returned her challenging look, pissed off that she felt she could order me around. My fists were clenched, and I could feel hot anger coursing through me, but I didn't act on it. I didn't want to fight her. Instead, I closed my eyes and took a step back. I inhaled several deep breaths, willing myself to calm down. I needed to see Peter. I needed to see what was wrong with him.

Opening my eyes, I raised an eyebrow at Natasha. She frowned deeply, clearly unhappy with me, but she stepped aside anyway. I brushed past her and to my kid's room, noting that Happy and Vision were now gone. Rhodey was looking at me with disappointment that I ignored as I walked into Peter's room.

I froze at seeing Pepper holding back tears as she held both Peter's hands in hers. I wanted to ask what happened, but the words were stuck in my throat. Please let him be okay. Please let him be okay.

"He's alive," Bruce announced, appearing at my side with a kind look. He placed a hand on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze, and I just stared at him uncomprehendingly.

"It happened suddenly," he recounted softly. "One second he was fine, and the next his temperature just shot up, and he started having a seizure." I swallowed thickly at hearing that, my eyes landing on my little spider. He was too still and too pale. I turned back to Bruce, my eyes full of fear and question.

" _He's alive_ ," he repeated firmly, and I gave a stiff nod. Bruce's eyes were full of concern before he said his next words in a careful tone.

"He's alive, but he's in a coma right now," he informed me, and I felt suddenly lightheaded, my legs going weak.

"Tony, hey, hey, hey, let's take a seat," Bruce spoke quickly, guiding me into a chair. My throat felt constricted, an I found myself gasping for air. Bruce forced my head between my legs and massaged the back of my neck as he spoke quietly and earnestly to me.

"I need you to take deep breaths for me, Tony, deep breaths," he instructed, and I fought to follow his directions. "We'll figure this out, you hear me? We _will_ figure this out. Happy and Vision have gone to talk with the people who used these darts to see what information they can get out of them."

I looked at him upon hearing that. _Happy_. He was going to talk to the assholes who did this to my son. He was going to get him help.

"That's it, keep breathing. Keep breathing," Bruce murmured, patting my back when I gained control of myself.

"Sorry," I whispered in embarrassment, and he shook his head, gracing me with an understanding smile.

"What can I do to help, Bruce?" I asked, begging him with my eyes to give me something to do.

"Stay with Peter," he ordered. "Talk to him. Tell him to keep fighting." My eyes stung at his words, agony tearing through me at the fact that I needed to tell my boy to fight for his life. To hold on while we tried to save him. We were failing him. _I_ was failing him. I was his dad. Dads were supposed to protect their kids, right?

"Helen Cho is on her way over," Bruce then informed me, and I felt a flicker of hope. Yes, Helen could help. She'd be able to save Peter.

"When will she be here?" I asked.

"Uh, she'll be here," Bruce began, pausing to look down at his watch, "in about twenty minutes. I contacted her last night, and she headed here as soon as she could." I nodded, grateful to the woman for agreeing to come. She owed us nothing.

"Actually, Dr. Banner, Doctor Cho is already here. She's being brought over by Agent Romanoff," Friday announced, and both Bruce and I gave smiles of relief.

It was a minute before she walked in, and when she did, Pepper immediately rushed over and enveloped her in a hug, catching the doctor off guard. She recovered quickly, smiling in understanding as she hugged Pepper back. Letting go, she nodded her head in greeting to me and Bruce before approaching Peter.

Doctor Richards appeared, and quickly introduced himself, showing Helen Peter's charts.

"When's the last time you took a blood sample?" she asked, her brow furrowed as she looked over Peter's information.

"Around midnight yesterday," Richards replied, and with a look from Helen, he immediately made to take another one. As he worked, Helen sat herself down next to Peter, opening his eyes and flashing a penlight into them.

"You say you've come up with an antidote, but that his immune system fights it off?" she questioned, and Bruce answered affirmatively.

"It seems we'll need to compromise his immune system then in order to get the antidote to work," she remarked, and I frowned.

"Won't that make him worse, though?" I pressed, and she nodded her head slowly.

"Initially, yes, but he needs the antidote in order to fight off the poison," she responded. "As soon as we're sure the poison is out, then we'll allow his immune system to restore itself. I'm certain he'll be perfectly fine."

"How are we going to do this, though?" Bruce asked, his arms crossed, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"I have some ideas," she stated. "Take a few more vials, Doctor. I want to test my ideas on his blood before we do it to him."

"Of course," he responded, taking another couple vials from Peter. The three of them left, and I slowly made my way to Peter's other side of the bed. Dimly, I noticed Pepper and I were still in our pajamas, so I asked Natasha if she could get us some clothes. Her expression was blank as she looked back at me, but she nodded, returning within ten minutes.

"Happy and Vision are talking with the jerks who did this to him?" I questioned after Nat threw my clothes at me.

"Yes," she answered, and I raised an eyebrow, curious as to why she didn't go along. She read the question in my face.

"Had I gone, I would have let my emotions get the better of me," she stated, and both eyebrows rose at her admission. I knew she wasn't heartless, but she could usually clamp down on her emotions when needed. This admission of hers was a testament to how much Peter had wormed his way into her heart. Her love for him was so great, she couldn't hide it.

I said nothing more to her, just giving her an understanding look before changing. I noticed with a smile that she'd gotten me the Iron Dad t-shirt Peter had given me for Christmas. A lump formed in my throat as I recalled the note he'd written me. He thought so highly of me. He trusted me to take care of him, and I was failing miserably. I couldn't protect him.

 _Shut up_ , I told myself harshly, shoving those self-pitying thoughts out of my head. Buck up, Stark.

I walked out of the bathroom to see Pepper lying on the bed, Peter in her arms. She looked heartbroken, but she refrained from crying. She simply whispered into Peter's ears loving and reassuring words over and over, letting him know how much we loved him, and that everything was going to be okay.

I sat myself down in one of the chairs, leaning onto Peter's bed. He looked so vulnerable and sick just lying there. If it wasn't for the small movement of his chest, I'd say he almost looked dead with how pale he was. It even looked like he'd lost weight, which seemed impossible, but then I remembered how much he needed to eat on a daily basis.

"He'll be okay, Pep," I stated suddenly, looking at my fiancée with determination. "He's the strongest person I know, and he'll pull through, I swear it."

"Tony," she sighed sadly, "don't placate me. I know this is serious. He's in a coma, and they're currently struggling to find a way to help him." Her eyes were fierce as she stared into mine, and I felt guilty for my words. I'd just wanted to make her feel better, but she was right. She was strong enough for the truth and lies would only hurt worse in the end.

There were several moments of silence before she then told me, "You treated Happy horrendously, do you know that? He didn't deserve to be accused of being at fault for our son's condition. Happy loves Peter like his own nephew and would rather die than hurt him."

I pursed my lips, looking down in shame. Yeah, I knew Happy wasn't deserving of my anger, but he'd been an easy target. I'd left him to babysit Peter, and Peter had gotten sick in his care. It wasn't Happy's fault, though. Happy couldn't have done anything to prevent what happened. It wasn't quite Peter's fault either. The kid couldn't have known what the gas would cause, but he should have informed me or Happy right away of what had occurred.

Nobody could have prevented this, though. Not unless I banned Peter from Spider man, and as much as I'd like to do that at times, I knew it'd crush the kid. He needed Spider man as much as I needed Iron man. Besides, it wasn't the suit that made him a hero. With or without it, he'd be out there risking his life for people. No, the best I could do was prepare him as best I could and give him the most protective suit possible. Speaking of which, it was time for an upgrade. His next suit wouldn't allow a gas to get into his system, and if it did, then I'd be notified immediately.

I sat there, thinking over what upgrades I could make to Peter's suit, listening to his breathing and Pepper's constant chatter. She spoke to the comatose teen about anything and everything, and I felt it helped her to be able to talk to Peter, hoping he was hearing some of what we said.

It was another hour before Natasha informed us that Happy and Vision had returned. They'd headed straight to the research lab with what information they'd gained, and I felt an immense amount of gratefulness to the two. I also felt more guilt about my treatment of Happy. He hadn't been deserving of my anger when in all honesty it was me I was most angry with.

Natasha joined our vigil, and then Rhodey followed shortly afterwards by Happy and Vision, who informed us that they'd managed to get one of the snake perps to talk.

"They were able to tell us what exactly the poison was meant to do, and as we thought, it seems Peter's biology only exacerbated the results," Vision explained. "The man didn't know of a cure for it, but he did insist it wasn't ever meant to kill anyone, and that it would be out of a person's system in a couple of days."

The question of whether Peter had a couple of days went unasked, but I knew it was at the forefront of everyone's mind.

"So, Peter will be okay in a couple days?" Rhodey eventually asked, and Vision replied, "In theory."

Sighs were given around the room, and I buried my face in my hands, gripping my hair tightly.

Vision mentioned also that the man gave them the name of an ingredient for the poison that our scientists hadn't yet identified. "It's alien," Vision stated, and the atmosphere of the room chilled.

"Chitauri?" Natasha asked, and Vision said he didn't know.

"I doubt they're the only aliens out there," I remarked cynically, mind flashing back to the wormhole. "And, I'm sure there are some merits to peoples' claims of alien visitations over the years."

"All the same," Vision stated, "I would have to lean towards the ingredient being of Chitauri origin. They did leave behind quite a number of their tech in this city, and the effects are still being felt."

I ran my hands through my hair, standing up abruptly as I felt the sudden urge to move or to do something. Sitting here just watching Peter lying there was killing me. I felt so damn useless! I needed to become a doctor, I suddenly thought wildly. When all was said and done, and Peter was alright, I was going to study to become a doctor, so I'd be of use to people. I'd never have to sit on the sidelines again when my little spider was sick or injured.

"Tony, I'm so sorry," Happy suddenly declared from right next to me, and I looked at him in surprise, not having noted him approaching me. "I should have been taking better care of Peter. The second I noticed something was wrong, I should've pushed him or called you. I'm so sorry, and if anything happens to him, I swear"—

"I'm sorry," I told him firmly as I cut him off. His mouth remained open as he stared at me with wide, uncertain eyes. "You're not to blame for what happened, Hap, and I'm sorry for what I said and how I treated you." I reached out a hand and gently lay it on his shoulder, squeezing it as I then said, "I know how much you love Peter, and I know you'd never do anything to endanger him. I was wrong to blame you, and I'm really sorry. I was angry with myself, and I just took it out on you like a coward."

Happy's mouth opened and closed a couple times, his eyes shining before he cleared his throat noisily and nodded his head. "Thanks," he managed to choke out, his voice rougher than usual. "You're not to blame either," he then asserted, and I smiled grimly as I nodded my head.

Time passed both too slowly and too quickly, the heart monitor and Pepper's whisperings being the only sounds we heard. No one felt like breaking the silence, and we all found some comfort in the steady rhythm of our spiderling's heartbeat.

A nurse walked in at one point, suggesting we all eat something, but when none of us even spared her a look, she said nothing more and just walked out.

He'll be just fine, I told myself over and over, fighting against my pessimistic thoughts. I wouldn't lose him. I couldn't. I wouldn't be able to support it or handle it or cope if Peter died. My heart would break, and I don't think I'd be able to go on. I wouldn't kill myself, but I don't think I'd ever be able to smile again.

Come on, pal, I begged silently, staring intently at my boy. You can do this. Fight, fight, _fight_! You're the strongest person I know, Peter, and something like this won't take you down. It's just a little hiccup. In a few days you'll be fine, apologizing for worrying us and annoying us as you beg to go outside. In a few days everything would be fine, and this would just be another nightmare.

God, please don't take my kid from me. Please don't let him die. Take me. I've done horrible things in my life and probably deserve to die, but Peter, my kid, didn't deserve this at all. He deserved to live. He deserved to live a long and happy life.

Voices interrupted my thoughts, and everyone's attention went to the doorway where Bruce, Helen, and Richard walked in, their faces full of exhaustion, but hope as well. I immediately stood up, energy coursing through me like that one idiotic day I threw back four energy drinks within the span of 20 minutes. The moment had been nice. The after effects…not so much.

Before any questions could be asked, Helen spoke up. "We have something that's going to wreak havoc on his immune system. I honestly can't say how long it'll last, but it will affect his abilities, no doubt and make him susceptible to pretty much anything, so we're going to set up a quarantine right now. Tony and Pepper, we will allow you to stay, but you'll need to get into protective gear so that Peter won't catch anything."

There was a flurry of movement now, everyone moving to get things ready. Pepper and I exchanged glances, standing there in a state of shock at what was happening.

Quarantine?

Protective gear?

What was this drug going to do to my son?

"Helen, are you sure? Is this the only way?" Pepper asked, her hands wringing in distress.

Helen stopped what she was doing and walked over to Pepper, taking both her hands in her own. "If there were any other way, I wouldn't be doing this. Trust me, Pepper, I promise Peter will be fine. Yes, there is danger, but there will be more danger if he does not receive the antidote."

Pepper's eyes bored into Helen's for several seconds before she composed herself and nodded. I, myself, took in a deep breath, deciding to put my trust in her and Bruce. They wouldn't let Peter die.

 **Peter's POV:**

Hell. That's what this felt like. Hell.

There was pain, never ending pain.

But, it was cold, so, so cold. That didn't sound like the hell I'd read about.

This had to be hell, though. It was the only explanation.

I hurt so badly. My entire body seemed to throb painfully. It was almost like I was on fire, but I was freezing. It was like I was lying in the snow without any clothes on.

I was asleep, I think.

Or, maybe I was dead?

But, then why would I be in hell? Certainly, I hadn't done anything deserving of this…right?

It hurt so much.

I tried screaming, but no sound came out. I tried moving, but I couldn't.

What was wrong with me?

I couldn't make a sound. I couldn't move.

Maybe I really was dead.

I wanted to cry, but I couldn't.

I didn't have a body.

 _I didn't have a body!_

I once again tried screaming, moving, speaking, crying, anything, but nothing happened.

I was dead. I had to be.

Why was I so tired? Dead people didn't feel anything, did they?

I felt myself sinking. It was an odd feeling considering I didn't have a body. I felt heavy, so heavy. I didn't feel so much pain anymore. It wasn't so cold either.

There was nothing. No pain. No cold. No fear. Just nothing…..

…

Fire. That was the first thing I felt. Fire.

Hot. So damn hot.

I was burning.

I could feel the pounding of my heart.

I was alive?

Did dead people have heartbeats?

I had to be alive.

Only living people hurt this badly.

I opened my mouth and screamed. This time sound escaped. I screamed loud. I screamed long. I screamed hard.

My heart raced increased, the fire spreading throughout my every cell, and right when I felt I'd not survive, it stopped, and I once more felt nothing…..

…..

 _"Peter, please wake up," a distant voice begged._

 _"Come on, don't do this," another spoke._

The voices sounded so far away, and I could barely make them out. What did they want?

 _"Come on, pal, keep fighting," I heard a little louder, and I wondered who was speaking, and why they were asking me to fight. What was I supposed to be fighting?_

I found myself suddenly standing in my bedroom—my old bedroom at my apartment in Queens. I looked around with wide eyes at my messy room, taking in the untidy bed, the scattered legos, posters of the Avengers, and an old computer I'd been trying to fix. It was home, and it felt so warm and welcoming.

 _"Please, honey, come back to us. It's not your time yet. Breathe, Peter, breathe," I heard a woman yell from afar, and I frowned in confusion. Who was she? Why was she telling me to breathe? I was breathing, wasn't I?_

"Sweetheart!" I suddenly heard from outside my door. "It's dinner time, so wash up!" Aunt May, I realized, and there was an upwelling of emotion in me. I wanted to rush out and hug her tightly, and that confused me. Why did I miss her so much?

"Peter, come on, son," Uncle Ben called from my doorway, giving me a loving smile. Tears trailed down my face as I stared at him, and I found myself taking a step towards him

"You're alive," I found myself saying, and in a flash I suddenly found myself remembering not just his death, but Aunt May's. Why was I seeing them now? Was this a dream? Or, was I dead?

 _"Please, please, please, please don't die!" a man pleaded desperately, and I realized it was Tony. I turned towards my open window, the direction from which I heard his yelling._

"Peter, are you coming?" Uncle Ben asked, a hand held out to me. Aunt May suddenly appeared in my doorway as well, smiling lovingly as she entwined one of her hands in my uncles.

 _"I love you so much, Peter, so please don't let go. We need you," Pepper declared, her voice absolutely distraught._

My heart ached at her obvious pain, and I turned, taking a step towards my window. She was out there. I had to go comfort her and tell her I was just fine.

"Peter, what's wrong?" Aunt May asked, and I turned to see both her and Uncle Ben looking at me with concern.

"It's Pepper and Tony," I informed them. "They're calling for me. Can't you hear them?"

 _"Peter Benjamin Parker Stark, wake up! You don't have permission to die, you hear me?" Tony roared. "It's not your time yet. You've got a whole life ahead of you and so many people who love you. Open your eyes son, I'm begging you," he spoke, his voice sounding absolutely broken._

 _Dad_ , I thought, my longing for his comforting arms appearing.

"Dad needs me," I declared, looking to my aunt and uncle. "I can't stay," I told them, understanding flowing through me. I was being given a choice. I could go with my aunt and uncle, but that would mean dying. Or, I could hop out that window, and it would lead me back to the land of the living with my parents.

"I love you both so much," I spoke, a sob escaping me as I looked at my aunt and uncle. "I wish I could stay, but I can't. Please understand. My parents need me, and I'm not ready."

Both of them frowned, tears appearing in their eyes before they exchanged glances.

"Of course, we understand," Uncle Ben finally stated, a tear falling down his face.

"Go," Aunt May ordered. "We'll be waiting."

I was openly sobbing now, wanting to envelop them both in hugs, but I was afraid if I got any closer, then I wouldn't be able to leave.

"We love you," Uncle Ben said, and I noticed his voice sounded more far away.

Tears blinding my vision, I turned away from them and ran to my window towards the voices of my parents. I resisted the urge to turn around before jumping out….

…..

I let out a startled shout as my eyes flew open. Gasping for breath, I sat up quickly, and found myself being hugged tightly by both parents. Without thinking, I wrapped my own arms around them both, crying, overwhelmed with emotions of what had happened.

"Peter, Peter, Peter, thank god," Pepper cried as she broke apart to look at my face. Tony seemed struck mute as he held on to my shoulder and looked at me with eyes of utter relief. He was attempting to stem his sobbing, and I watched, completely taken aback by the amount of emotion he was displaying. I'd seen him cry, but I'd never seen him like this.

"Pepper, Tony, please let me look him over," a woman stated, and I looked up in surprise at seeing Helen Cho. Dad's hand dropped from my shoulder and Mom let me go, but she took hold of my hand. Looking around, I noticed my entire family was here. Bruce stood next to Helen and a doctor. Happy stood directly behind Tony with Natasha at his side. Rhodey stood behind Pepper, and Vision stood behind him.

All of them looked at me with the same relief Dad had shown. There were tears in all their eyes, and I realized how much they loved me. I'd been dying, and the thought of my death had reduced some of Earth's mightiest heroes into sobbing messes. I'd never seen any of them show such open vulnerability. Even Natasha looked upset, sitting in a chair, her hands covering most her face as she stared at me. She looked nearly faint, and I felt incredibly guilty as I was the cause of this. My family looked broken spirited, and I was at fault.

Helen approached me, checking my heart beat, temperature, eyes, mouth and throat, ears, and asking me questions on how I felt.

"Fine," I replied automatically, and looks of disbelief were given to me by everyone.

"Honey, please be honest," Mom asked, and I took in her haggard appearance, the rings under her eyes, and tousled hair. I immediately agreed.

"Tell me exactly what you're feeling," Helen requested.

"Tired. Really tired, like I just fought a huge battle," I answered. "Sore too. My throat feels a little raw. I'm really hungry and thirsty too." As I said that, my stomach growled loudly, and I realized that I was starving. I felt famished.

"I'll get you food," a nurse declared, running out of the room.

"Anything else?" Bruce asked, eyeing me up and down. "Hot or cold? Headache? Difficulty breathing? Are your senses overwhelming you?"

I shook my head at each question. "It's just the stuff I told you," I admitted honestly, and I noticed as the atmosphere seemed to relax, several breaths of relief given.

"That's good," Bruce declared, smiling widely at me. "You gave us quite the scare, Peter."

"What happened?" I asked, once more looking at everyone in the room. "How long have I been out?"

"Two days," Dad spoke for the first time, his voice coming out hoarse. He ran a shaky hand through his hair, and from the state of his hair, it certainly looked like he'd done that a lot.

I was surprised that it'd only been two days, while at the same time being surprised that it had been _two days_. "What happened?" I repeated more insistently, needing to know.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Dad asked curiously.

I paused a moment, searching my memories. "I-I remember getting sick and Happy picking me up from school. I, uh, I got worse, and then I remember waking up and being here. I was in a lot of pain," I recalled with a frown. "You showed up," I then stated, flashes of him talking to me going through my head. "And then…and then nothing." I refrained from mentioning the awareness of not being able to move or scream, the burning pain, and the vision of my aunt and uncle. Already, I wasn't sure if that'd even been real or just a dream.

Dad nodded in understanding before explaining the events that I didn't remember. As I listened, I couldn't believe everything that had happened, and how sick I'd actually gotten. Temperatures of 103 and higher? I should've been dead from that alone. Then, there was the seizure, followed by a coma. Coma? Is that when I felt nothing, or when I felt without a body?

Dad then explained what the Bruce, Helen, and Dr. Richards came up with to help me. They'd injected me with something to suppress my immune system, so that the poison's antidote could work. Apparently, when the antidote was administered, that's when I'd begun to scream.

Dad's mouth closed at this point, a haunted look in his eyes as he struggled to speak again. "You just screamed kiddo, and we thought you were dying. We couldn't do anything but pump you full of morphine, hoping that the antidote would work. It was minutes, and then you fell back into a coma," Dad recounted with difficulty. Mom had an arm around me and was rubbing her hand up and down my arm. I felt it was an effort to comfort not just me, but herself as well.

"Your temperature went back to normal, and you no longer seemed in pain, but then…but then your heartrate just stopped," Dad continued, his eyes shaking in bewilderment. "You died."

I looked at him in shock, disbelieving of everything I'd been through. I'd died? I'd actually died. That must've been when I'd seen my aunt and uncle. I didn't know what to think or say, so I gripped my mother's hand as tightly as I could without hurting her, and I grabbed on to Dad's shirt. I needed them to anchor me. I needed to feel them to know that I was okay and that I was still alive. They both seemed more than happy with the physical contact, as they remained close by my side as I ate.

I frowned at not being able to eat as much as I usually did, but Bruce seemed satisfied. I was checked over again by Bruce this time, and he took my blood. He explained to me in more detail the effect the poison had on me, and why it took so long to come up with an antidote. I was shocked that my own immune system would work against me.

While we waited for the results of my blood test, silence reigned all of us just staring at each other, or more specifically, everyone staring at me.

"I'm sorry for worrying you guys," I found myself saying, and I was given several askance looks, loud groans being given from my dad and Rhodey.

"You have absolutely _nothing_ to apologize for, little spider," Dad declared, "You got sick, which you're not responsible for. Yes, you should have told us you'd been gassed, but none of us could've imagined the effect it would have on you. Besides, you asked your friends for help nearly right away. So, please," Dad pleaded, forcing my eyes on him, "please don't apologize for such a ridiculous reason."

Others echoed Dad's statement, and I felt a lump in my throat form at their sincerity. They didn't blame me at all for the suffering I'd put them through.

"We're just happy you're okay, squirt," Happy asserted, looking at me with affection, a look I realized everyone was giving me.

A yawn suddenly escaped me, and I rubbed at my eyes, feeling suddenly drowsy. My eyes felt heavy, and I felt frustrated that I'd barely been awake for an hour. How could I be so exhausted? I fought sleep as I was afraid I would disappear into that nothingness again or that I would fall into another coma.

"Sleep, honey, you need it," Mom insisted softly. "We'll be right here the whole time."

"What if I don't wake up?" I mumbled sleepily, and she cupped my face in her hands as she firmly declared that I would. Unsure if she was placating me or not, I frowned, but at the feel of her soothing hands running through my hair, and feeling Dad's comforting presence, I finally fell asleep.

 **A/N:** **Spat this out pretty quickly, but not sure when the next chapter will be out, so you'll have to contend yourself with this. :)**


	58. Chapter 58

**A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you for ALL OF YOUR REVIEWS! I love you all, and I continue to be in awe of how much you continue to enjoy this fic.**

 **Chapter 58: Recovering Spider**

 **Peter's POV:**

"Come on, pal, follow me," Dad stated abruptly, and I eagerly hopped off my bed to follow him. I honestly didn't care where we were going, just that I was leaving my bedroom. It'd been an entire week since I'd gotten sick, and I'd been on bed rest the entire time. It was driving me mad as I felt after three days I was ready to move around the house, at least. By now, I felt ready to return to school, but not only my parents, but my doctor and Bruce disagreed. They wanted me to spend at least another week at home before going back to school, and another additional week before they'd even consider about letting me out as Spider man. I had a very strong feeling it'd be at least a month before I donned the suit again.

It'd been the longest and most boring week of my life, but I'd done the best I could to refrain from complaining, not forgetting the state my family had been in when I'd awoken. My parents still looked haggard, and I knew it was because they were still worried about me. I couldn't even sneeze without them asking me if I was okay. I would have been annoyed if I didn't see the flash of panic in their eyes.

I'd done my best to adhere to their overprotectiveness, but there'd been one incident where I'd pushed my luck. It was two days ago, and cabin fever had already set in, so I went through my porthole all the way up to the roof. I'd been testing my abilities when Tony and Pepper burst out of the stairwell looking panicked. That panic quickly turned to relief and then anger after they figured out I was okay. Dad had given me five hard swats that had me embarrassingly dancing in place from how much they stung. He warned me that if I pushed myself like this again before given permission, then sick or not, he'd have me over his knees for a real spanking. Message received, I hadn't pushed my luck again.

As it was, I did get tired quicker than usual, and my full strength wasn't back. I still felt I was good enough to be able to wander around, but they were being overcautious. I understood why, I really did, and I was following their rules, but it was so hard. I wasn't someone meant to sit still or on bed rest. I had too much energy, and it was killing me to be confined to my room. I'd refrained from mentioning those particular words, though, knowing my death was still a very sore subject for them. I'd been told repeatedly by my dad that he'd lost at least ten years of his life that day.

Anyways, the reason I was now following my dad to the elevator was a result of me complaining to him, compromising, and downright begging for some freedom today. I nearly vibrated with excitement as the elevator doors closed. Going anywhere would be an adventure after the last week.

"Are we going to my lab?" I asked happily, and Dad shook his head with an indulgent smile.

"Then, where?" I pressed, bouncing from one foot to another. "Where, where, where, where, where, where?" I asked over and over again, but he just laughed as the elevator took us several floors down. Curiosity flooded through me as we arrived on a floor I'd never been on. Shock hit me when the doors opened and we walked out into a giant pool room. A pool? Here? Since when?

I turned to Tony and looked at him questioningly. I knew this pool hadn't been here when we first moved in. The majority of the floor was wasted space with nothing. This pool looked so out of place and like it'd been thrown in on a whim with no real thought to it. It lacked extravagance or anything to make it stand out. It was simply a really big pool. I was completely confused.

"I had this put in a couple months ago," he told me with a casual shrug, and I didn't find that explanation at all satisfying. It didn't tell me _why_. I knew how he felt about pools, so it made no sense whatsoever that this was here.

"Wanna go for a dip?" Dad then asked, and my questions were put on hold as I rapidly nodded my head, the thought of swimming sounding amazing. I was led over to a locker room and given some trunks to put on. I hurriedly changed, eager to get in as much swim time as I could. Jumping into the pool, I let out a whoop of delight when my head broke the surface.

The pool was enormous, Olympic size, I think, and looked like it was meant for exercise rather than play. Again, I found myself wondering why Dad had this built. Maybe Natasha wanted it? I couldn't see Bruce asking for it, and the others didn't live here full time. Mom, perhaps? But, I would've known if she'd had a pool put in…wouldn't I? Maybe Rhodey was using it for therapy for his legs? That still didn't sound right, though, as he no doubt had a professional place to go to, with professional help.

Dad walked out in Iron man trunks, and I stared at him uncomprehendingly. He couldn't be getting in, could he? My question was immediately answered when he sat down and then slid into the water slowly. Mouth agape in shock, I watched in stunned silence as he dunked his head under water, grinning widely when his head broke the surface. Eyes sparkling in mischief, he swam over to me and sported a look of mock confusion upon noticing my surprise.

"What?" he questioned innocently.

"You-you're in the water," I stated in a near whisper.

"I am," he replied.

"You're swimming," I then said somewhat louder.

"Very true," he responded, a grin slowly spreading on his voice.

" _How_?!" I finally got out.

"Pfft. I learned how to swim when I was a little kid. Jarvis was a huge fan, so he taught me as soon as I was able to," he answered.

Growling in frustration, I gave him a look of annoyance. "Dad, come on!" I complained. "Tell me!"

Laughing now, Dad muttered, "Okay, okay," before explaining these astounding events. "After my recent kidnapping," he began more soberly, "I realized I needed to get rid of my weakness for water. Obviously, waterboarding will always suck, but I can't afford for this phobia to get the best of me. I mean, I couldn't even go swimming, y'know. Well, Vision was the first to offer help. He read up on dealing with fears, so he coached me, and was also here to help out if things became too much. After a particularly difficult session, Pepper got involved as she was the only one able to calm me down," he admitted with a good amount of embarrassment. He paused before clearing his throat loudly. "I was getting better, but I realized I was going to need professional help to get any better, so I got a therapist from HQ to come help me out once a week, and, here we are," he finished, a proud grin on his face.

"This is amazing!" I exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me, though?"

"Well, at first it was embarrassment," he informed me honestly, and I frowned in confusion. "If I did this and failed, I would've been ashamed of my weakness. Not to mention, I wouldn't want you to think you'd never be able to overcome a fear because of me. After a while when things started going well, I didn't inform you because I wanted to surprise you."

I nodded in understanding, although I still felt the need to say, "No matter what happens, you'll never be weak to me. You're the strongest man I know."

A small snort escaped him, and he looked at me with a strange expression. After giving him an inquiring look, he told me, "The strongest man I know is you, pal. That's how I knew you'd survive that sickness, and that's how I know you'll endure whatever it is you go through."

My eyes widened once more as I was taken aback by his words. He thought _I_ was stronger than _him_? That was crazy! He just didn't see himself clearly. I never in a million years would've thought that Tony Stark would suffer from low self-esteem, but I guess he was only human. I knew now that he wasn't the person the media portrayed. He was a real person with fears, doubts, and flaws. That only made him a greater man in my eyes, because despite all that, he still persevered and succeeded.

"Let's swim," Dad declared. "We need to get rid of some of that restless energy you have."

"Race you to the end!" I shouted, immediately taking off, and Dad yelled out about unfairness before hurrying after me. I won and Dad grumbled about me cheating, but I knew he wasn't really upset by the look of happiness in his eyes. After swimming several laps around the pool, Dad went and got a volleyball, setting up a net across the pool, and we played a game. We ended up being pretty evenly matched as the aftereffects of my sickness got to me. The laps had tired me out more than I thought they would, and I quickly realized my strength and reflexes were not where they used to be. I guess I wasn't as healed as I thought I was. Dad really didn't know much about the game, but even so, he did well. His training with the Avengers had definitely paid off in terms of his strength, speed, and reflexes. We ended up tied when he finally called quits.

"Okay, little spider, I'm beat, and I can tell you are as well," he announced, breathing heavily, but looking exhilarated. I couldn't help but agree as I felt absolutely exhausted, and knew the second I hit my bed, I was going to pass out. We got out of the pool, showered, and changed, and as we walked out, I gave Tony a heartfelt thank you for doing this.

"I had a blast," I told him with a huge grin.

He grinned back, throwing an arm around my shoulder as we entered the elevator. "Me too," he responded, sporting an identical grin to me. I leaned into his touch tiredly, letting out a sigh of content when he pulled me close and ruffled my hair.

"Sorry," he apologized, "I let you exert yourself a little too much. Pepper is going to ream me."

I snickered, and he shot me a mock glare before rolling his eyes.

Right as we were walking out onto our floor, a question occurred to me. "Why haven't you forced me to attend therapy sessions every week like you have? I thought we agreed that for every session you attended, I would have to attend one as well."

Frowning lightly, Dad answered, "Because forcing you to go won't be beneficial to you. You need to want to talk and want to listen to what the therapist has to say. Until you're ready to do that, forcing you will only be a waste."

I felt a rush of guilt, and correctly reading my expression, Tony quickly spoke again.

"No, no, no, don't start feeling guilty," he insisted firmly. "I completely understand how you feel, okay? At your age, Obi tried to force me to see a therapist, but I was completely against it, so it did absolutely nothing for me. I'm in my 40's now, and only barely decided to be open to talking with a therapist, and that took convincing."

I nodded my head, getting into my bed with a thoughtful look. Should I try and see a therapist again? It had definitely helped him, so maybe they could help me. It would also make Dad and Mom really happy. Mind made up, I looked at Dad and seriously said, "I'd like to give it another shot."

Dad's tone was just as serious as he eyed me and asked, "Seriously? Don't feel obligated just because of what I said."

"I don't," I replied. "I just want to try again."

He continued to eye me for a few seconds before nodding, a small smile on his face. "Okay, I'll get you an appointment set up. Thank you, by the way," he added gratefully, and I looked away, not feeling worthy of his thanks.

"Alright, I think it's time for you to get some rest," he informed me. "Don't need Pepper showing up and seeing you so wiped out."

I chuckled shortly before obediently laying down, Dad pulling the covers over me. He sat himself on the edge of my bed, and he and I just stared at each other. It was a look that managed to express how grateful he was that I was alive, and how much he loved me. Warmth spread through me, and I promptly told him, "I love you, Dad."

I didn't think his eyes could soften even more, but they did, and as he ran a hand through my hair once, he responded, "I love you too, pal. Now, sleep," he ordered, and I noticed his voice sounded rough with emotion. As time went on, I constantly thought of how much he'd changed since I met him, and I continued to be amazed at how he was _still_ changing. This man before me was almost like a different person… _almost_. He was still Tony, though, just better. No, that was the wrong way to think about it. He wasn't better, because he was always great. Now, he was just…he was a dad. He was _my_ dad, and he was awesome at it. I just couldn't believe how lucky I was to have him in my life, and to have him as a father.

I felt an insurmountable amount of love and affection towards the older man suddenly, and so I reached out and grabbed hold of his shirt.

Dad's expression was understanding as he asked, "You want me to stay?"

I felt my cheeks warming at the question. The answer was obviously yes, but I didn't want to admit that. I was sixteen. I shouldn't want or need this…but, I did.

"Er, well, you look tired," I stated in a moment of inspiration. "You should rest also, and my beds big enough if you want to. You don't have to, of course, I'm just saying."

My dad's expression was even more understanding as he smiled kindly and motioned for me to budge over. He knew what I was doing, but he would play along.

"You're right, I am feeling a bit tired. Taking care of a troublesome teenager does that to me," he remarked casually. "My bedrooms too far away, so thanks for the grand offer of allowing me to use yours."

I laughed lightly, elated that he wasn't calling me on my lie, and that he was staying.

He settled himself down, sighing softly when his head hit the pillow. "Close your eyes," he ordered me, and I promptly did as told, fighting back a smile. I let a minute pass by before I peeked open my eyes to see Dad lying on his back, one arm above his head while the other was over his stomach. I noticed he tended to sleep like this a lot. Without even opening his eyes, he once more told me to close my eyes, and I couldn't fight the smile on my face as I did as he said. Yawning widely, I buried my head in my pillow before subtly moving closer to Tony. I peeked open an eye, noting a small grin on his face. Closing my eyes again, it wasn't long before I fell asleep…

…My eyes opened slowly as I heard soft voices speaking. I knew one was Pepper, but the other person was…Amanda? At realizing this, my eyes flew open as I sat up quickly.

"Amanda!" I screamed excitedly before rushing over and hugging her. I was so happy to see her here.

"Son of a bitch," I heard my dad curse quietly as he sat up, rubbing both hands over his face. "You mind not screaming in my ear, kid, the next time you wake up," he complained. I smiled apologetically.

"Anthony," Amanda called out sternly, "you weren't referring to me with those choice words of yours, were you?"

My mind went to Dad's earlier curse, and I smothered a snicker as I saw Dad's eyes widen as he realized what exactly she was getting at. If it'd been me in his shoes, I would have been stammering apologies and explanations, but in Tony Stark fashion, Dad just laughed it off.

"Of course not," he asserted with a charming grin. "I'm the son of the lovely, gorgeous, kind, and very understanding Amanda Armstrong," he remarked as he walked over, enveloping both Amanda and I in a hug once he'd finished speaking.

Smooth, Dad very smooth, I couldn't help but think with mild admiration.

Pulling away slightly, Dad gave his mother a kiss on the cheek before breaking the hug and just smiling innocently. Looking up at Amanda's face I saw her attempting to sport a look of mock irritation, but failing, instead looking upon Tony with affection. I felt happiness for both of them.

"How long are you staying?" I now asked my grandmother, and she looked down at me with concern before answering, "Until I am satisfied you are 100% fine." My eyebrows rose in surprise.

"I would have been here sooner, darling, but _somebody_ failed to notify me of what occurred," she remarked, a slight tinge of anger in her tone as she looked at Tony.

Frowning guiltily, I told her she didn't have to stay. I had no doubt that she had work or better things to do than stay with us.

"Better than spending time with you?" she gasped in over dramatic shock. "There is nowhere I'd rather be than here with my family," she declared firmly, pulling me in for another tight embrace.

"Now," she then stated, smiling brightly at me, "if you're up to it, why don't we have a guitar lesson. It's been a couple weeks since our last one."

Excitement building, I nodded my head in agreement, quickly grabbing hold of my guitar. She grabbed hers, which had been sitting by the door, and we both settled ourselves on my bed.

"Have you been practicing?" she asked, and I sheepishly answered, "Kind of." School, friends, Spider man, and then getting sick had taken my attention away from practicing. Amanda seemed understanding, though, saying we'd make up for lost time in the coming days.

Amanda turned towards my parents at this point. "You two should get some rest," she said. "I'll keep an eye on this trouble maker, I promise you." I made a face at being called a troublemaker, but seeing how exhausted both parents looked, I felt grateful towards her. No matter how many times I'd told them to go sleep or rest, they insisted on being at my side. With Amanda's reassurances, they exchanged a look before walking out. I only hoped they'd really take her advice and go get some real sleep.

Amanda and I practiced for an hour, my lack of recent practice definitely showing. I grew frustrated several times, but Amanda reassured me that I was doing very well for someone who'd only begun to learn to play.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Peter," she lectured kindly. "It's barely been two months since you've begun to play, and you are doing remarkably well. I've been doing this for a lifetime, so please don't compare yourself to me."

I nodded, feeling better as I sensed her sincerity.

We worked mostly on my fingering, getting my fingers used to moving between notes and up and down the guitar without looking at it. My sharp memory and flexible fingers helped, but it was still difficult to do without looking at times.

"Practice, practice, practice," Amanda chimed in musical notes, a soft grin on her face. "The more you do it, the easier it will be. Eventually, muscle memory will take over."

Understanding, I vowed to allow myself at least half an hour a day to practice if not more. I didn't want her to think I wasn't taking this seriously, and I wanted to make her proud.

"Are you enjoying playing?" she then asked curiously. "I don't want you to feel you need to continue if you're not, and I promise you I won't be offended in the slightest if you choose to quit."

Looking askance, I immediately assured her that I was enjoying myself. "Are you kidding me?" I asked in surprise. "I love playing the guitar! I'm just impatient," I admitted sheepishly. "I want to be able to play like you. I do enjoy playing, though, I swear. The sound of a guitar has always been one of my favorites, and it's sort of calming."

Amanda responded with a large grin. "Oh, darling, you're so precious," she remarked, and I blushed.

A knock sounded on my door suddenly, and I said, "Come in."

It was Bruce, and he was holding a bottle of that awful medicine I'd been forced to take once a day. Groaning over dramatically, I threw myself back on the bed.

Bruce chuckled as he approached me. "Come on, iron spider, you know it's to help you feel better."

Sitting back up with a huff, I couldn't fight the small smile at his nickname for me. Bruce looked at me with caring eyes as he held out the medicine cup for me.

"I know it tastes awful, but it really is helping you, even if you don't realize it," he told me, repeating what he said every day.

I knew it was. I'd lost a lot of strength with my sickness, not to mention having my immune system destroyed. This awful goop was something he had concocted to help restore my immune system. I couldn't tell if it was working, but Bruce assured me it was.

I threw back the drink, grimacing in disgust at the taste. I had to resist from gagging, but I didn't stop from giving the scientist a pitiful look.

"Aww, come on, don't look at me like that," he complained. "This really is helping you, I promise."

He now took another vial of my blood as he had been doing every day. This was how he knew I was getting better, apparently. My antibody count was going up every day, and now he was checking to see how long it would take for my immune system to go back to spider man levels. He told me yesterday I was reaching the levels of a healthy young man, but for me, that still wasn't good.

When he finished taking my blood, I fixed Bruce with a look, awaiting my reward for being a good patient. He looked at me with mock confusion, and I glared, a pout beginning to form. He better not have forgotten.

Laughing openly at my expression, he pulled out a wrapped cinnamon roll from his pocket, and my eyes lit up as I quickly snatched it out of his hand. "Thank you!" I shouted happily before tearing into the scrumptious roll. He'd been bringing me one every other day for not giving him any trouble. They were rolls from the bakery Natasha and I went to all the time. Being sick, I, of course hadn't been there, so I relied on the good and gracious Bruce to bring me some.

"A cinnamon roll?" Amanda asked Bruce with a raised eyebrow.

Bruce just nodded his head, looking at me with an indulgent smile. "Your grandson was being quite a difficult patient for me in the beginning, but when I promised to bring him one of these, his attitude promptly changed. Didn't it, iron spider?" he asked in a near coo, a teasing look in his eyes.

Swallowing back a large bite, I argued, "You'd fight too if you had to swallow that crud. It's nasty," I told Amanda, who was looking at me with the same indulgence as Bruce. I just rolled my eyes at this point, deciding to just ignore them and eat my cinnamon roll. Adults just didn't understand.

Bruce and Amanda exchanged a few words before Bruce left. I was licking my fingers, my stomach satisfied for the moment.

"You didn't even save me a bite?" Amanda asked, looking upset.

I blinked owlishly, feeling guilty, but that didn't' last long as she begun to laugh, letting me know she'd been joking.

"What have you been up to this past week?" she questioned curiously. "I know you've cooped been up in your room, so how have you been managing? I imagine it's been difficult."

I groaned as I nodded in agreement. "Yes, it's been awful," I confessed. "I'm healed enough to move around the house _and_ go to school, but they still want me to wait _another_ week before going back, and _another_ _two_ weeks after that before they'll even _consider_ letting me go out as Spider man," I complained a little more dramatically that needed. I was looking for sympathy, though, and loving grandma that she was, she gave me what I sought.

"Ohh, poor thing, I'm sorry to hear that," she spoke, her tone sympathetic.

"I can't take it, Amanda," I continued to gripe. "I need fresh air. I've got cabin fever and I'm going mad. Being here is killing me, but god forbid I tell any of my family that. They're so overprotective of me right now, and I get it, I really do, but it's so _hard_ just sitting here when I'm well enough to do more."

"Have you talked to your parents about this?" she inquired, and I nodded emphatically.

"Of course, I have," I answered with a sigh. "They say just because I think I'm better doesn't mean I am. They keep reminding me of how sick I was and how worried they were, and how upset they'd be if I pushed myself too soon and got worse. I understand, Amanda, I swear I do, but I still wish they'd let up." I frowned, picking at a loose threat on my blanket before muttering my next words. "Two days ago I went up on the roof just to test out my abilities. I wasn't going anywhere, but everybody totally freaked. Dad swatted me, and then he swore if I did something like that again that he'd spank me," I grumbled, my cheeks heating up with some embarrassment. I knew Amanda wouldn't make fun of me, but still, it was embarrassing admitting that I still got spanked.

Amanda sighed sadly in response to my words. "It sounds tough," she remarked, and I was gratified to see she was being genuine with me. "You understand why they're doing this, and they only want what's best for you, but it's suffocating, right?"

"Yes, exactly!" I exclaimed, relieved she understood. "Could…Could you talk to my parents?" I questioned hesitantly, giving her a hopeful look.

"Of course, darling," she replied without a second's thought, giving my chin a tap.

"Really?!" I couldn't help but ask. She hadn't even stopped to think about it.

"I said I would, do you doubt me?" she asked, and I shook my head, a large grin spreading across my face.

"You're the best," I declared, moving forward and hugging her. She laughed lightly, hugging me back.

"Bear in mind, though, that just because I talk to them, it doesn't mean they'll change their mind," she warned me. "Like you, I understand your parents' concern, and at the end of the day, remember that everything they do is because they love you."

"I know," I replied with a heartfelt smile. I'd never doubt that.

"Do try and mind their rules, though, would you?" Amanda pleaded with kind eyes. "I don't like hearing about you in trouble, sweetie, let alone seeing you get in trouble."

"Not my fault," I automatically retorted, amending my statement when she shot me a knowing look. "Okay, well, maybe sometimes, but my parents are strict, and Dad always knows _everything_ that I do. I mean, I got this watch that monitors my vitals and is also a tracker. Friday tells him everything, and Karen, my suit's AI tells him everything. It's not fair," I said with a pout. "Other kids' dads don't know everything they do. I don't get away with _anything_!" I complained hotly, and Amanda responded with a sympathetic look.

"You should talk to your son," I had to say. "Just cuz he has the ability to know my every move doesn't mean he should."

Amanda returned my words with an affectionate smile as she brushed a strand of hair out of my face. "I will talk to him, but I wouldn't hold out hope for any change, Peter. I've heard some of the stunts you've gotten up to, and I feel some closer monitoring is a good thing."

I opened a mouth to protest, but she continued before I could. "Your life is very different from that of your friends and classmates, and you know this. You live with the Avengers. You're the son of Tony Stark, who has more enemies than either one of us would like to admit, and most of them would have no qualms with using you to get to them. Not to mention, as Spider man, you two have enemies who would love to hurt or even kill you."

Well, when you put it that way, I couldn't help but think, it certainly made sense. "I see your point," I finally remarked quietly, but I couldn't hold back a sigh.

"I know it's hard," Amanda told me compassionately, "but it's all done to protect you. You must know by now what your death would mean to this family."

I immediately nodded, my mind flashing to the state my family is when I awoke from my coma. Even now, they looked at me with relief every time they laid eyes on me. I never wanted to be responsible for putting them in this state every again.

"So, what else is going through that brilliant mind of yours?" she now asked, her tone serious and full of concern. She gave my face a soft caress as she looked me in the eyes.

"Nothing," I automatically replied, and she narrowed her eyes minutely.

"The truth, if you would, darling," she stated softly. "I can tell something more than everyone's overprotectiveness has been bothering you. This really concerns me as I'm sure you haven't been completely honest with your parents because you know how worried they've been about you."

"I scared everybody," I told her in a quiet voice. "They're the strongest people I know, and I broke them."

Amanda's expression softens as she shakes her head negatively. "You broke no one," she countered firmly. "As you said yourself, your family is strong, and they will all be just fine. As you heal and get back on your feet, so will they."

"I never wanted to worry anyone, though," I insisted, and she once again shook her head, a sad smile appearing on her face.

"No one ever wants to worry those they love, but that is absolutely impossible," Amanda declared, a knowing look on her face. "It is because we love you that we worry, just as you worry about them now because you love them."

I blinked once, realizing how right she was. I was worrying about them because I loved them, and they were doing the same.

"It's just the way it is, and all you can do is be there for each other," Amanda continued. "Do the best you can to stay safe, and just be your normal self. As I've already said, they will all be just fine. The only person you need to be worrying about now is yourself."

"But I'm fine," I argued, and she gave me a pointed look.

"No, you're not," she asserted. "You're still healing. I may not have been around when you were sick, but you do not look well to me. You've lost weight, you have bags under your eyes, and you look exhausted. You haven't been sleeping well," she surmised, and my shoulders slumped at how much she saw. "Why?" she questioned curiously.

Because of the nightmares, I thought to myself. I couldn't forget the vision or memory or whatever it was of seeing my aunt and uncle. I also couldn't forget the pain, and the feeling of not having a body. I'd wake up multiple times in the night, gasping for breath and running my hands up and down my body to assure myself I was here. My family knew I was suffering from nightmares, but I guess they assumed it was the normal stuff. They hadn't pushed me to talk, but I wasn't sure how much longer that'd last. Looking at Amanda, I bit my bottom lip, wondering if I should tell her.

Sensing my thoughts, she gently cupped my chin in her hand as she said, "You can tell me."

"I-I don't want my parents to know," I blurted, panicked at what they'd think if they heard what I'd experienced.

Amanda frowned, but nodded. "I won't tell them, then. Whatever you say will stay between us, you have my word."

Believing her, I began to speak, slowly at first, and then quickly the more I said. It was like flood gates being opened, because once I started I couldn't stop until I'd told Amanda everything I'd experienced when I'd been unconscious, or at least everything I remembered. I recounted the pain, how I hurt so much and at first couldn't scream or move because I lacked a body. I explained how I thought I was in hell at first, and how I'd then sank into nothingness. I then told her how the next time I regained "consciousness", I felt as if I'd been on fire, and I was finally able to scream and scream. The pain eventually faded away, and once more I'd sank back into nothingness. When I reached this point, I had to stop and gather myself, the emotions of the next memory nearly overwhelming me.

Amanda had remained silent the entire time, her expression both encouraging and concerned. At seeing me struggle, she began to rub soothing circles on my hands with her thumbs.

"Whenever you're ready," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Her comfort and encouragement gave me the strength to continue.

"At one point, I found myself in my room at the apartment I used to live in in Queens," I informed her, my voice quiet, and my eyes averted from hers. Instead, they were fixed on a picture on my nightstand of me and my aunt and uncle. My throat constricted, so I loudly cleared it in order to continue. I had to finish. I had to let someone know what I'd experienced.

"I could hear people calling my name and telling me to fight and breathe, but I was confused, so I couldn't tell who it was or why they were saying that," I recalled, my heart rate beginning to pick up in anxiety. I focused on Amanda's soothing gesture in order to continue. "Another voice called out, louder and clearer, telling me it was time to eat. It was my aunt," I stated emotionally. "And, then my uncle was there in my doorway, holding his hand out to me and telling me to come on."

I paused, fighting back tears as I locked eyes with Amanda. She knew. She understood, I could tell. She didn't interrupt, though, just nodding, once more encouraging me to continue. It was her strength, and the fact that she wasn't crying that allowed me to maintain enough control of my emotions to finish.

"I suddenly remembered that they were dead, and as I once more heard Tony and Pepper calling out to me, I realized what was happening," I told her, slight awe in my voice. "I knew that I was being given a choice. I could go with my aunt and uncle, and I'd die, _or,_ I could go out my window where my parents were calling for me, and I'd live." I was breathing heavily now, and I couldn't stop tears from beginning to fall down my face.

"It hurt so much to see Aunt May and Uncle Ben, and not be able to touch them," I continued, voice thick with emotion now. " _I miss them so much._ I wanted to run to them and hug them and-and-and I couldn't. I was afraid that if I got close to them that I wouldn't be able to leave. I didn't want to die," I declared, needing her to understand that. "I wanted to live and go back with Tony and Pepper—with Dad and Mom. They needed me, and I could hear them begging me to come back; so, I told my aunt and uncle that I couldn't stay." I sniffed noisily, wiping at my runny nose and wet eyes.

"They understood," I recounted with a small, sad smile. "They told me they understood and that they'd see me later. I then turned around and jumped out my window; and, that's when I woke up in the hospital." I fell silent now, more tears cascading down my cheeks. I couldn't stop them anymore, and with a desperate look at Amanda, she promptly opened her arms. I launched myself into them, hugging her tightly, and crying into her shoulder.

I hadn't realized how much I'd been bottling up. How much sadness I felt about seeing my aunt and uncle, and not being able to hug them or talk with them. I cried for them, I cried for myself, and I cried for my family, and everything I'd put them through.

Amanda held me securely in her arms, slowly rocking my side to side as she spoke softly into my ear. "Let it all out, darling, let it out. I've got you." My cries intensified at her words, and I soaked in all the comfort she provided me with. She stopped speaking at one point and settled for just humming a song I'd never heard. It was a soothing, relaxing sound, and ever so slowly I began to calm down. When I finally regained control, I made to break apart, but not before she landed a kiss on my head.

I was still sniffling, and my breaths came out shakily, but I managed to wipe away the last of my tears. My cheeks warmed with embarrassment over how I'd broken down. Looking at my door and then at Friday's camera, I also sincerely hoped no one else knew what happened.

"Friday, did you"—I began to ask, but she answered before I even finished the question.

"No, I did not, Peter," she said in a compassionate tone. "What occurred right now is strictly between you and Ms. Armstrong."

Relieved, I managed a quiet, "Thank you," before focusing my attention on Amanda. I felt nervous now and embarrassed by everything I said and how I acted. Not really surprised, though, I noticed her looking at me with nothing but love and concern, and that all knowing look she always seemed to have, like she knew what I was thinking.

"Please don't be embarrassed," she said. "What you went through was incredibly traumatic, and your reaction is more than understandable. Thank you so much for confiding in me."

I gave a half nod, unsure of what to way in response. I now felt even emotionally exhausted, my body telling me to go to sleep, but I didn't want to.

"Have you told no one else of this?" Amanda now pressed curiously, and I shook my head, to which she hummed in understanding.

"I am so sorry, Peter, for everything you had to go through," she spoke with sincerity. "I can't even begin to imagine how hard it was for you to see your aunt and uncle and make the decision to turn away from them. Granted, I am beyond grateful you did, but it had to have been extremely difficult."

I simply nodded, hastily wiping away at a stray tear. It had been hard. Probably one of the hardest things I'd ever done.

"Do you regret your choice?" she then asked delicately, and I looked at her in surprise before rapidly shaking my head.

"Not at all," I answered earnestly. "I don't want to die," I repeated once more. "I didn't come back just because my parents needed me. I came back because I needed them as well. I'm not ready to die," I told her, needing her to understand. She seemed relieved at my words, her shoulders relaxing, a smile on her face as she brought my head in for a kiss to the forehead.

"You haven't been able to sleep because of these memories?" was the next question asked, and I nodded my head.

"It definitely helps to talk about what happened, but I do feel it would help you even more if you confided in your parents, at least," she stated, quickly adding, "I won't tell them," when she saw me open an argumentative mouth. I closed it at those words, placated, but also contemplative of what she was suggesting.

"It would hurt them," I argued weakly, and she Amanda pursed her lips before giving a half nod.

"Yes, but it would hurt them more to see you suffering and not being able to help," she countered gently.

I chewed on my bottom lip, undecided. I was still leaning towards a big fat no, when the older woman began to speak again.

"Listen, Peter," she began, leaning forward to make sure she had my complete attention. "Anthony is my son, and while we spent most our life apart, I never stopped loving him." I gave a slow nod, believing her, but also not quite sure why she was telling me this. "When I found out that my son was Tony Stark, I immediately sought out as much information about him as I could. I'd missed so many years, and I desperately wanted to know everything. What I found, though, wasn't all good." I nodded once more, having an inkling now of what she was getting at.

"Anthony's life has not been an easy one. Much of what I saw in articles, pictures, and videos caused me pain," she explained, and I could see that pain in her eyes. "Seeing him suffer and seeing all the wrong ways he went about dealing with his pain, hurt me horribly. Despite the hurt I feel, though, I don't regret knowing. In fact, I know there are still things that I am not aware of, and even knowing that those things will cause me more pain, I'd still rather know than not. I want to know everything about my son. He may be a grown man, a genius, a _super hero_ , but he is still my son. I'd rather know what he has suffered through so that I can help him rather than stand by and watch him suffer without knowing why."

I listened to what she said with rapt attention, not knowing she'd felt this way. Hearing her reasoning, though, I understood. I understood because I know I'd feel the same way, or I did feel the same way in regards to the people I cared about.

"Maybe," I finally said, my voice cracking. "I just—I don't…I don't think I can," I stated, looking at my grandma with slight desperation. I wanted her help. I _needed_ her help. I couldn't do this alone.

"Whenever you're ready, I'll be there," Amanda assured me, taking both hands in hers and giving them a kiss. "Worry not, darling. I know you're strong enough to tell them yourself, but I'll be there nonetheless." I let out a breath and leaned into her, her arms automatically wrapping around me.

"You should get some sleep, Peter, you look exhausted," she stated, but I adamantly shook my head.

"Nuh uh," I declared stubbornly, and she gave a light chuckle, smoothing my hair back.

"Very well, you obstinate child, then you might as well make yourself useful and help me with dinner," she said, getting herself off the bed, and pulling me with her. "Hopefully, your parents had enough sense to rest as I told them to, and they'll no doubt be hungry when they wake up."

I nodded, happy to be doing something for them, even if it was just cooking them a meal.

 **A/N: Peter is healing, but still isn't quite there. His body will heal definitely sooner than his mind will. His healing will continue next chapter! PLEASE REVIEW!**


	59. Chapter 59

**A/N: Love, love, love the reviews! Some of you may find the pace of the story slow going, but I can't just rush past the recovery phase, and I'm a glutton for Peter and Tony angst. This chapter deals basically with Tony.**

 **Some people keep asking for the other Avengers to come back, and for Cap to punish Peter. Well, the Avengers will come back eventually, but not sure about Cap disciplining Peter. If it happens, it won't be for a while.**

 **I'll try and include more Pepper and Peter moments in the future. As a huge Tony and Peter fan, I realize I've been neglecting mother/son moments.**

 **Chapter 59: Pain of a Father**

 **Tony's POV:**

I left Amanda with Peter, trusting her to take care of the spiderling. I knew there was something he was hiding, but I hadn't been able to bring myself to push. He wasn't sleeping well. He had nightmares, and I was pretty sure they weren't the usual. It had to be about his sickness, but what exactly? He'd been unconscious or in a coma for the majority of it, but…well, maybe Amanda would be able to get him to talk.

"How is he?" Pepper asked concernedly, and I gave her a half smile.

"Cabin fever is killing him, so I took him swimming today," I informed her, and she raised both eyebrows, a small smile gracing her lips.

"And?" she pressed, clearly wanting to know his reaction.

"He was completely blown away," I answered smugly, and she laughed as she shook her head.

"We had a blast," I then continued, recounting what we'd gotten up to. More seriously, I then added, "His strength isn't back, and he's still getting tired quicker than he should."

Pepper frowned, sighing sadly as she sat down on our bed. I lay down next to her, reaching a hand out to caress the back of her hand.

"He's getting better though," I stated, "slowly but surely. Bruce says his antibody count increases every day."

Pepper nodded before saying, "We need to let him wander around now. That'll probably help with his strength, and he really is well enough to be out and about. Our over protectiveness is no doubt stifling."

I grimaced while nodding in agreement. "I know, but I can't help but want to keep him close. What happened…I'll never forget seeing him like that. We nearly lost him, Pep, and I'm terrified to let him out of my sight."

Maneuvering herself so that we were now face to face, Pepper's expression was empathetic. "I know. I have nightmares nearly every night of him not waking up." She paused, her eyes shining with unshed tears. I leaned forward to nuzzle my face against hers.

"We have to let him live, though," she declared firmly. "Cooping him up like this will only cause him to be resentful. He's a bright boy, and he understands why we're like this, but it's not right to keep him confined so much."

"I know, I know," I sighed heavily, rubbing my face.

"We should take advantage of Amanda being with Peter and get some sleep," Pepper told me, and I nodded absentmindedly, having no intention of actually sleeping. I'd slept an hour already, and that was enough for me. There were things that I needed to take care of, and with my mother babysitting Peter, I had the time. I wasn't going to tell Pepper, though, because she'd fight me. Instead, I lay down next to her, intent on waiting until she fell asleep before getting up.

It didn't take long for her breaths to even out signifying she was asleep. She was exhausted from all the worrying and nightmares, and she needed this. Hopefully, she'd be able to sleep restfully right now. Getting up and silently walking out, I asked Friday to let me know if Pepper had a nightmare. I also told her that if anyone asked for me, I was asleep in my room. The AI didn't sound approving, but she complied nonetheless.

As I walked out of my room, I quietly crept by Peter's, smiling softly when I heard sounds of the guitar. Peter sounded frustrated, but Amanda spoke calmly and encouragingly to him. I was so glad she was here, I thought, as I headed to the elevator.

Friday informed me no one was on the common floor, so I went there and headed to my lab, dimming the glass so that no one could see inside. With a wave of my hand several screens appeared, some with schematics for upgrades to Peter's new suit, others displaying the news, and a couple showing articles and news clips regarding the day Peter got sick at school. I disregarded anything to do with SI, Avengers business, and the Accords at the moment. I knew I'd regret it, but my priority at the moment was Peter.

Focusing my attention on the videos taken of Peter, I felt nothing but anger and frustration. Unfortunately, as Peter's friends had helped him to the nurse's office through the hallway, several of his nosy classmates had filmed the scene, and it painted Peter in a negative light. He looked and sounded drunk, garbled words escaping him. Thankfully, they were unintelligible, but the damage was done. The videos and pictures started on social media before quickly spreading to tabloids and then finally magazines, newspapers, and the news.

Most of them claimed that Peter had allegedly shown up to school drunk, acting oddly and saying weird things. Once media picked up on this, exaggerations from those seeking the limelight began, and stories of Peter yelling out obscenities or acting crazy began to arise. The fact that Peter hadn't been back to school in a week and a half hadn't helped at all, instead, only adding fuel to the fire.

The school had been questioned, and they had refused to give comment. I was grateful, but again, the silence only made things worse, opening the doors to speculation. Thankfully, as the days went on, the media started focusing on me, bringing up the many, many, _many_ instances of my embarrassing drunken antics. I pinched the bridge of my nose as I watched me make a fool of myself for the umpteenth time. At the time and up until recently, if I was honest with myself, I hadn't felt that regretful or embarrassed by my antics. I just didn't care.

Now, though, now things were different. As I'd thought so often during the past year and a half, I wished to god that my past sins wouldn't hurt Peter. I regretted everything now. I felt shame and embarrassment now, especially considering how _long_ it took me to get my head out of my ass. It took a goddamn kidnapping and torture before I stopped drowning my issues in alcohol, women, and sometimes drugs.

As I focused now on news regarding Peter, I cursed at how people were blowing everything out of proportion. They had it all wrong, and it was hurting Peter's image. Yes, it bothered me that I was being seen as a bad influence, but I didn't want anyone to think Peter was going down the same destructive path as me. I had to do something about this.

But what could I do?

Sighing heavily, I addressed Friday. "Record what I'm about to say and send it to every goddamn news agency and media shithead whose written this crap about Peter." She agreed, and I took in a breath, organizing my thoughts before beginning to speak.

"My name is Tony Stark," I began. "You know who I am, and you know what I've done. I've made a lot of bad choices, most of them being largely publicized. Judge me all you like, but _do not_ _ever_ presume to assume my son, Peter, is me. There have been recent videos that have arisen regarding my son and based on his behavior it's been assumed he's drunk. I'm contacting you to inform you otherwise. My son was very ill as that video was being taken. He had a high fever, and out of sheer stubbornness, he felt he was well enough for school. Shortly after arriving, though, he realized his health was only deteriorating, so his friends helped him get to the nurse's office. The reason he hasn't been back at school is because his fever reached over 100 degrees. My son almost _died_. So, I'd greatly appreciate it if you'd quit spreading awful, unfounded rumors about him, and focus on real news rather than speculation. Slander his name again, and rest assured I will make you pay for it. Good day."

"Send it," I then ordered Friday, feeling an upwelling of anger towards anyone seeking to hurt my kid, even if it was just his reputation. Peter was so sensitive, and he hated being in the limelight. Having people think he was going to school drunk would hurt him and knowing that I was being blamed would hurt him even more. Hopefully, my message would get the media to calm down. Honestly, I figured they would probably print and broadcast what I said rather than retracting their statements. I just hoped that focus would shift to just me rather than Peter.

God, my poor kid. He died, and he was slowly recovering, but _still_ , how could his near death not affect him? He couldn't sleep…That had to be it. _Something_ happened. Something none of us knew. But what?

Ugh, he didn't need to deal with crap like this. He shouldn't have to.

Sitting in a chair, I buried my head in my hands. Not for the first time I thought about banning him from spider man, and not for the first time I banished that thought. It would break him, and I couldn't stomach that thought. I'd have to settle for making him as protected as I could.

I turned back to the new suit I'd made for Peter. It was basically the one I'd been planning on giving him when I asked him to be an Avenger, except with even more safety protocols and updates. It was stronger material, so he'd be more protected, but I still wasn't satisfied. I was tempted to just make him an iron man suit, but that'd take away from his abilities. Padded armor like Steve wore didn't sound logical either. My mind whirled, always coming back to the same thought: Black Panther.

T'Challa's suit was one of a kind. Made of vibranium, the hardest metal on earth. It was flexible, though, and allowed T'Challa all the movement he needed. I'd seen the man jumping around with ease, and I figured a suit like his would be perfect for Peter.

But…would T'Challa agree? Would he give me some vibranium to fortify Peter's suit? The king and I got along just fine, but this was different. Asking him for vibranium would be like someone asking me for an arc reactor. Did we have that much trust in each other. I didn't know, but I would ask nonetheless. He could say no, and that would be that. Or, he could say yes, and my son would obtain one of the most protective suits available to mankind. I'd beg and grovel if I had to. For my kid, I'd do anything to keep him safe.

Speaking of safe, I now turned to the watch I'd given Peter months ago as a means to keep a closer eye on him. I wanted to know why I hadn't been informed of the drastic changes in Peter's vitals when he was sick. Peter assured me he'd been wearing it, and Karen confirmed that, so that had to mean the watch had been damaged at some point. Looking it over closely, I could see no damage, so I slowly began to take it apart. Once the cover had been removed, I immediately spotted the cause. There were scratch and burn marks all over the inside, and the damage had resulted in more than just his vitals not being able to be read. After testing it, I realized the only thing still functioning was the tracker. Everything else had been tampered with.

Brow furrowed in confusion, I looked the watch over, not understanding how there could be such substantial damage on the inside, but not the outside. Putting the watch back together, I inspected it more closely, an unfortunate thought crossing my mind. There it is. Small scratch marks that I'd initially brushed aside as normal wear. With magnifying glasses on, though, I could tell now that my boy or a certain friend of his had decided to mess with the watch.

Frown deepening, I let out a harsh sigh as I tossed the ruined watch onto a random table. Dammit kid. How long ago had he done this? How had I not known?

Growling in frustration, I rubbed both hands over my face, attempting to ease some of my frustration. Looking back at the watch, I grabbed it and pocketed it. I was going to have a _talk_ with Peter about this.

Still feeling frustrated, I pulled up a new screen and began designing a new device for Peter, one that wouldn't be tampered with so easily…and one that wouldn't come off unless I wanted it to. I wasn't taking any more chances with the kid. Who knows how many times he could've just left the watch somewhere. I'd trusted him, but he'd gone and destroyed my one means of keeping tabs on him when he wasn't in the suit.

As I worked, I forced my find to focus on the moment, wanting all my concentration to be on what I was making and not on anything else. Not my exhaustion, my fear, my anger, or anything. I lost track of time, and barely heard Friday informing me that I was being called to dinner. I hesitated briefly before declining.

"Tell them I'm busy," I told Friday, not feeling in the mood for socializing. I was also angry with Peter about the watch and didn't want to confront him when feeling this way. He was sick and recovering and stressing him wasn't going to help.

"Ms. Potts would like to know if you'd like some food brought down to you," Friday remarked, and I blew out an irritated breath, annoyed with the interruptions.

"Fri, tell them I'll feed myself, and ask that they please leave me alone for right now. Tell them I'm sorry, but that I really need to concentrate on what I'm doing," I ordered, pausing before adding that she not let anyone in, not having forgotten Amanda walking in on my embarrassing moment of self-loathing back in December. Granted, she'd helped me loads, but it still wasn't something I'd ever wanted her to witness.

I focused back on my work, finishing up the schematics for Peter's new watch. I inputted measurements and dimensions before ordering Friday to begin construction. As the watch was being made, I worked on the programming, including everything the last watch had such as a tracker, heart monitor, and phone capabilities. I incorporated Karen once more as well, but she and I had a discussion on when her loyalty to Peter should be put aside.

"Future reference, Karen," I ordered icily, "if Peter is injured in _any_ way, or if you ever feel his health at risk such as when he'd been gassed, then _you contact me_ regardless of Peter's orders."

"I understand, sir," Karen replied repentantly, "I apologize for my failure in protecting Peter. I recommended he contact you, but he refused."

"Which is why I'm ordering you to ignore him in such instances," I told her firmly. "I designed you to protect Peter, and that means protecting him from himself."

"Again, I understand, sir, but I feel the need to inform you that Peter will be very unhappy with you and me when he learns of this," Karen commented, sounding upset. "Peter will not trust me if he knows I am forced to report his every move to you."

I frowned, glaring at the screen before me. "I don't care what Pete feels as long as he's safe," I shot back. "If he wants to continue endangering his life, then he'll have to put up with my methods of protection. So, are we clear on what your expectations are?" I questioned the AI sternly.

"Yes, sir," she responded obediently, and I nodded curtly, ignoring her forlorn tone with some difficulty. I didn't want to be a controlling ass, but I couldn't afford for something like this to happen again. It'd been too close. _Too damn close_. Peter had almost died because of a poison some low-level criminals had obtained. If I'd known that had happened I would've had the stubborn spiderling checked out right away, and that could've possibly prevented things from getting as bad as they had.

My mind drifted to the bastards that had put my son in this position. Some sort of alien technology had been in that poison. Chitauri, probably? I filed away that this would have to be dealt with. Another thing on my never ending 'to do' list. It would be priority, though. I would make whoever created that fucking poison regret being born.

Yawning widely, I stood up and stretched my muscles, wincing at how stiff my lower back felt. Getting old sucked. A whirring sound occurred to my left, and I smiled fondly at seeing Dummy holding a cup of coffee out for me. Looking behind the bot, I suppressed a laugh at seeing the mess he'd made as I took the offered cup. Butterfingers and U were already trying to clean it up, and I just rolled my eyes.

"Thanks, Dummy," I told my first bot graciously. He made sounds of happiness before rushing off to help his siblings clean up his mess.

Lifting the cup to drink, I grimaced at the taste. This was Bruce's blend, I thought unhappily. The man liked his coffee so damn bitter. I entertained the thought of making another cup before shrugging and downing the bitter drink. How Bruce could enjoy this was beyond me, but whatever. It had caffeine, so I wasn't going to let it go to waste.

Taking in a deep breath, I next set upon working on my new iron man suit. It was definitely flight capable, but nowhere near battle worthy. I needed to incorporate an arc reactor somehow. Installing one in my chest was out, and constantly walking around with one attached to my chest sounded awful.

Hmmm, I could always make the arc reactor smaller. A miniaturized miniature arc reactor, I thought in mild amusement. Instead of having just thin metal bracelets, I could have bracelets with arc reactors along with ones strapped around my ankles. A necklace, maybe?

Thoughts whirling through my head, I cleared all screens from in front of me except one that was set to monitor the news for anything about Peter or me.

"Pull up all schematics on the arc reactor," I commanded, and nine different screens appeared. Looking through them, I focused first on my first design post Afghanistan, pulling up a manipulatable 3-D holographic model. I let out a low whistle at seeing how primitive this looked compared to my most recent model. And to think this thing had been in my chest. I shook my head before doing the same examination with the other eight models.

Upon finishing, I pulled up a new screen and began to come up with some schematics on how this new arc reactor would be built. It'd been hard making it the size it was now. Making it even smaller seemed nigh impossible. Nigh impossible, not completely impossible.

"Mr. Stark?" Friday called out, and I hummed in response.

"Ms. Potts would like to know if you plan on sleeping tonight," she told me, and I stopped what I was doing, blinking bleary eyes as I asked her what time it was.

"2:45 AM, sir," was the response I received, and I rubbed at my eyes, not having realized it was so late. I wanted to keep working, but I knew Pepper would only be upset if I didn't come up, and I didn't want that.

"Tell her I'm headed up right now," I instructed Friday as I tiredly made my way out of my lab and to the elevator. I was on my floor in under a minute, and when I exited, the lights were turned on enough so that I could find my way to my bedroom. As I opened my door they turned off. Walking into my room, the lights were already on, and Pepper was sitting in bed looking at me with a frown.

"Sorry, Pep," I apologized with a sheepish smile. "Got carried away working on updates to my suit," I explained, and she sighed before shaking her head. There was a smile on her face now as she looked at me with fond exasperation. She knew exactly how engrossed I could get in my work, and how I'd completely forget to eat or sleep if left unchecked.

"Well, shower quickly and come get some sleep," she said. "Just because Amanda is here doesn't mean you can just lose yourself in work. Peter needs you well and alert," she expressed, and I nodded my head in understanding.

I showered quickly, although the hot water on my stiff muscles did feel good. Changing into pajamas, I got into bed, rolling over and wrapping an arm around Pepper. Her eyes were closed and she was almost asleep, so she only smiled in response, a noise of content escaping her. I kissed her on the head, holding her close as sleep overcame her. I watched her sleep and smiled at seeing it was peaceful. I held her close for a little while before gently releasing my hold and getting up.

I quietly walked out of my room for the second time that day and went to Peter's room. Silently, I opened the door, smiling widely when I saw not just Peter, but Amanda as well sleeping peacefully. My body seemed to relax at that, and I was once more grateful to my mother for coming over. Peter adored her, and she clearly felt the same towards him. She'd be a wonderful distraction and help to him.

Closing the door as silently as I'd opened it, I headed back out to the living room settling myself down on the couch. I pulled out my tablet and continued to work on schematics for the new arc reactor. At the same time, I also worked on reinforcing the current reactor for not just Rhodey, but my current suit. The nano-tech suit was awesome, but in combat, my previous model was still the go to.

I worked until light filtered in through the window, which is when I decided to return to my room and change into day clothes, ready to pretend I'd had a full night's sleep. Once in the kitchen, I brewed my favorite coffee and chowed down on some cold leftover ham from the previous night. Stomach satisfied, I headed back down to my lab, but not before warning Friday not to tell anyone I hadn't slept. Unlike prior to Peter's adoption, I now couldn't get away with sleepless nights without everyone getting all over me. It was like becoming a dad stripped me of the right to be so careless with my wellbeing. I got it, but it was grating at times.

I could fully empathize with my son's frustrations with my overprotectiveness and many rules. May had been a wonderful and loving aunt, but she hadn't known how to deal with Peter's super hero antics, so the spiderling had essentially been free to do as he wished. Not so with me. If anything, I'd only instilled more restrictions on him since I adopted him. A part of me felt bad, but a larger part of me felt justified as the young hero had a tendency to get in over his head. He attracted trouble like a magnet.

Once in the lab, I decided to run diagnostics on Peter's new suit, checking for any errors in the added technology. While the tests and simulations were running, I finished up with creating my little spider's new watch. It wouldn't be so easily tampered with like the old one, and the only way to get it off would be with my fingerprint. Peter would no doubt fight me on this, but his safety was paramount. This watch could be the difference between life and death for the teen, so I wouldn't take no for an answer.

 **Amanda's POV:**

I awoke suddenly, wide awake as I did most days. A glance at Peter's clock told me it was 6 AM, the same time I naturally woke up every day. It really didn't matter what time I fell asleep at as my body would always wake me up at 6 AM now. I missed the days where I could sleep in, but my body wouldn't allow it anymore. Lying in bed for too long caused my muscles to stiffen, and if I didn't get up, I'd find myself being sore the entire day.

I heard a voice murmuring unintelligibly, and I looked to my left to see Peter curled up under the covers, his arms wrapped around one of his pillows. I smiled softly, resisting the urge to reach out a hand to run through his silky hair for fear of waking him.

I got up out of bed, wincing when my bones creaked more than I'd like. Hearing a sigh, I hoped I hadn't awoken Peter, but when I looked back I saw that he'd only buried his head into the pillow in his arms. I smiled again, remembering that the pillow belonged to Tony. I'd only found out because when I'd gone to fall asleep, I'd grabbed it, caught off guard by the sudden anxious look on Peter's face. He'd been biting his bottom lip, seemingly indecisive. After gently prodding him about what was bothering him, he asked shyly if he could have that pillow. Mildly confused, I agreed, figuring he must have a favorite pillow, which was why I was surprised when he quietly admitted that the pillow was Tony's.

"You stole it?" I'd asked in amusement, finding the thought highly adorable.

Peter blushed, hiding most his face in the pillow before replying, "It smells like him."

I'll admit, I wanted to outright coo at how cute he was, but at his red face, I'd allowed the teen to save face and had just nodded in understanding.

Giving Peter one last look, I left his room and went to mine, showering, dressing, and then heading into the kitchen. I immediately noticed the dirty coffee pot, and empty Tupperware sitting in the sink.

Anthony, I mused silently, wondering briefly if this was a late-night snack or early morning meal.

"Friday, did Anthony sleep last night?" I asked curiously, and she responded that he had. Early morning meal, then. How early, though?

"When did he get up?" I then asked, and she responded that he'd awoken at 5AM. Well, that was early, but at least he'd gone to sleep last night. And, it looks like he'd eaten, which was good to know. When he hadn't come to dinner last night I'd been worried, but Pepper had assured me that this was normal.

"When he gets caught up in his work, he tends to forget such necessities like eating and sleeping," she'd remarked, sounding far too used to this to be concerned. I could definitely relate, but that didn't mean I liked the thought of him missing meals or losing sleep. From the brief look I'd gotten of him upon arriving, he hadn't looked too well.

"Amanda, please don't worry," Pepper soothed, placing a hand on mine. "I'll make sure he gets to sleep tonight whether he wants to or not."

Satisfied, I'd just nodded.

Taking some eggs and bacon from the fridge, I set about making enough breakfast for everyone. Even if they didn't get up soon, they'd at least be able to re-heat it.

As I ate, my mind went over the discussion I'd had with Peter yesterday and the revelations he'd confided in me. The poor boy. I couldn't begin to imagine the trauma he'd experienced from getting that sick, let alone finding himself face to face with his deceased aunt and uncle. I'd seen the pain in Peter's eyes as he recounted his memories. Real or imagined, they were true to the boy, and that was all that mattered.

Life had dealt Peter a very hard hand, and I couldn't help but feel anger towards whatever deity existed for allowing this. I understood that life was far from fair, but the amount of suffering doled out to this sixteen-year old was too much for anyone to have to go through. I could only imagine what would've happened had my son not befriended Peter when he had.

My thoughts now turned towards Anthony, and mother's intuition told me he too was suffering. I assumed he had to be in his lab right now working on something. Apparently, he lived there, and I figured his lab was like my record studio. I spent more time there than at home. I enjoyed it, and it was somewhere I could go to forget.

A sudden question came to mind, and I addressed Friday once more. "How many hours did my son sleep last night?" I pressed, and there was a longer pause than there had ever been when awaiting a response from the AI. It wasn't a difficult question, so when she eventually answered that he'd slept 2 ½ hours, I frowned.

"Are you telling me the truth?" I inquired.

"Yes, ma'am," Friday responded promptly. Hmmm.

"If Tony told you to lie for him, would you be allowed to disobey even if it was for his own good?" I asked, and again, there was a longer pause than usual.

"No, ma'am, I would not," she answered. "Mr. Stark is my creator, and I am programmed to obey him no matter what."

Yes, I had figured as much. Now, let's get around that rule. "Did my son specifically order you to tell us he slept last night?" I inquired shrewdly.

Another long pause before a hesitant, "Yes, ma'am," was given. I figured as much. I frowned thoughtfully before another question occurred to me.

"One more question, dear," I called out, "did Anthony order you to do this yesterday as well?"

"Yes, ma'am," Friday answered for the third time, and I nodded my head, unsurprised. Sneaky boy.

"Thank you, Friday," I finally said as I got up to wash my dishes.

Pepper came out at this point, dressed in a stylish business suit, heels hitting the floor in purposeful moves. "Good morning, Amanda," she greeted cheerfully, and I returned the greeting, glad to see she looked better than when I'd first seen her yesterday when she picked me up. It was because of her that I was here. She'd been the one to call me last week regarding Peter's sickness. I'd been rightly appalled and upset at not having been informed earlier, and so I'd come as soon as I could. According to Pepper, my son hadn't called me because he hadn't wanted me to be concerned. Yes, he and I were going to have a chat on keeping things from me.

"I take it Tony is in the lab?" she asked me as she prepared herself a coffee.

I nodded, and as she took a sip, I decided to inform her of what I suspected. "I have reason to believe Anthony hasn't been sleeping," I stated, telling her of my conversation with Friday.

Pepper frowned as she took another drink from her cup. "I'm not surprised," she remarked eventually, sounding only mildly upset.

"This is normal for him?" I inquired, having expected more of a reaction.

Setting her cup down, she nodded her head while giving me a thin smile. "For as long as I've known Tony, he's never been good at taking care of himself," she spoke. "His well being has never mattered to him, especially when he's focused in his lab, whether for work or just because. Before the Avengers, Rhodey, Happy, and I made sure that he ate and slept enough to function. Once the Avengers moved in, they mostly took up the reins, managing better than we did before. It was no doubt due to the fact that he was living with these people 24/7."

I pursed my lips, displeased yet really not surprised by the news. Self-destructive tendencies ran in my family, but I also had a feeling Tony may have learned his tendencies from Howard Stark and possibly, Maria Stark.

"How has he been since you adopted Peter?" I questioned, hoping he wasn't allowing Peter to see such poor habits. The teen was old enough to know better, but still…

"No," Pepper immediately replied with a more genuine smile. "Since meeting Peter, Tony has worked consistently on bettering himself, especially once we adopted him. He's struggled, but he's done well at making sure he eats and sleeps regularly so as to be a good influence for Peter." I had figured as much.

"What happened with Peter terrified him," Pepper continued, her own terror from the moment showing on her face. "When Tony gets really scared or upset he reverts to his old habits. If I were to garner a guess, he is no doubt trying to come up with more methods of protecting Peter while also keeping busy so as to not focus on what almost happened."

Our conversation was cut off when the elevator doors opened, Happy walking out. He threw me a smile before focusing on Pepper. "You ready to go?" he asked, and Pepper's eyes immediately flicked to the time. Sighing irritably, she nodded her head.

"Yes, sorry Happy, I lost track of time," Pepper said hurriedly, quickly refilling her cup before grabbing her keys. Looking at me, she sported a pleading look that I quickly understood.

"I'll take care of your boys," I reassured her, and she threw me a grateful look before leaving with Happy.

I got myself up and headed towards Peter's room. I'll check in on him and see how he's doing, and then I'll go put my grown son to bed. I shook my head in amusement at the thought.

Arriving at Peter's door, I knocked lightly, grinning when I heard a mumbled, "Come in."

"Good morning, darling," I said upon entering, and Peter yawned loudly while at the same time giving me a garbled greeting in return.

"How are you feeling today?" I asked.

"I'm great," he replied, sporting a happy grin. "My friends are coming over today! I haven't seen them since I got sick, and I know they've been super worried. MJ's going to be bringing Anthony back as well. She's been watching him since I got sick since I haven't been able to look after him, and well, my parents have been a little busy."

I smiled back, feeling happy at how excited he looked. I asked him to tell me about his friends, and he gladly began telling me about Ned, MJ, and Flash. Ned had been his friend since kindergarten, and he was like a brother to Peter. He'd known MJ since 4th grade, but they didn't really become friends until last year. Now, they were dating, and I couldn't help but tease the teen when he got a goofy grin on his face. Blushing, he rushed to explain his complicated relationship with Flash that started with the other teen bullying him before slowly turning into friendship over the past year.

"When did it officially turn into a friendship?" I inquired curiously, fascinated at how he could be so forgiving as to not just put the bullying behind him, but to become good friends with that boy.

"Uh, it was Halloween," he began, shifting nervously, his eyes now on his lap. I said nothing, just giving him time to recount the disastrous events of his Halloween school dance that ended with him and his friends hospitalized for having taken LSD. Eyes wide, I listened to him describe the effects he went through, and how scared he'd been.

"Flash saved us," Peter confessed with some shame. "I went in like an idiot with no plan, and he kept things calm. After going through something like that together," he remarked, "it just bonds you. Nothing in the past really mattered anymore, y'know? Not to mention, he figured out I was Spider man that night," he added sheepishly, and my eyes widened in surprise once more.

"It's all cool," he rushed to say. "He's been awesome about it, and he hasn't told anybody. Dad kinda threatened him and has been keeping tabs to see if he's told anybody. He doesn't need to do that, I've told him, but Dads overprotective. Flash is trustworthy."

I just nodded, the entire story being absolutely astounding.

"When will they be arriving?" I asked after a few moments of silence.

He glanced quickly at the time, his eyes widening as he promptly jumped out of the bed. "In twenty minutes!" he shouted grabbing random clothes and rushing into his bathroom. I laughed, shaking my head at his panic.

"Friday, can you let my dad know?" he shouted. "I'm pretty sure he forgot, and I don't need him freaking out or anything."

"Already done," Friday announced, and I couldn't help but jump at the suddenness of her voice. I still wasn't used to the AI's voice being _everywhere_.

"Thank you, Friday!" Peter yelled, and I heard the shower turn on.

"Peter, Mr. Stark would like me to inform you that you are to stay on this floor," Friday added, and I heard a loud, exasperated groan from the bathroom

"Fine!" he shouted in annoyance, and I smothered a laugh as I walked out.

Knowing he was fine, I set about heading to Tony's lab. One down, one to go.

Arriving on the common floor, I walked to his lab, frowning at the dimmed windows that didn't allow me to see inside. My frown only deepened when I realized I wasn't allowed entry.

"Friday," I addressed, "kindly let my son know I would like to speak with him."

"Mr. Stark says to come back later," Friday informed me, and I gave the door an unimpressed look.

"Tell him I would like to speak with him now rather than later," I responded, and nearly a minute passed by before I received his response.

"He would like to know what you want to talk about," Friday said, and I huffed.

"His sleeping habits," I informed her, and this time it was only ten seconds before Friday spoke again.

"He wants to know what you mean," the AI spoke, and I rolled my eyes now at the ridiculousness of having a conversation through Friday.

Pounding on the door, I channeled my mother's voice as I sternly yelled, "Anthony Edward Stark, you open the door _this_ _instant_! We are having this conversation face to face whether you want to or not!"

I had to fight back a satisfied smirk when the door promptly opened. Walking in, I maintained my stern expression as my eyes roved over the lab. It was a chaotic mess. Over ten holographic screens were spread all over, and random tools were scattered on different surfaces, chairs, and the floor. Iron Man parts were lying everywhere and there were several empty mugs that had no doubt been filled with coffee. His robots were wandering about picking things up, and I raised an eyebrow at seeing one of them wearing a dunce cap. Really, Tony?

Now, where is that headstrong boy of mine?

"What do you want?" Tony asked gruffly. "I'm busy."

My eyes found him in the only empty space in the lab, and he was wearing one o his Iron Man suits.

"Expecting a fight?" I questioned casually, and he frowned minutely as he glanced down at himself. A heavy sigh escaped him before the suit began to retract, but not in the way I expected. It was like tiny robots were crawling all over him, all headed towards his wrists. I couldn't help the amazement that appeared on my face at the technology.

"You created that?" I had to ask in astonishment.

The guarded expression on his face morphed into pride as he nodded his head. "Yup," was his response as he took off the bracelets and set them on a work table. "Work in progress," he added before walking over to stand before me with crossed arms and raised eyebrow.

I looked him over, immediately noting the dark rings under his eyes and the loss of weight. He looked worse than Peter, and that was saying something considering the teen had nearly died. My brief irritation with him quickly morphed into concern.

"You look terrible, Anthony," I informed him sadly, and his defensive stature relaxed, his lips quirking as he replied with a sarcastic, "Thanks."

"I know you didn't sleep last night nor earlier when I was with Peter," I stated, not wanting to beat around the bush. "I wouldn't be making a big deal of this if you didn't look like death warmed over." He was opening his mouth, but I held up a stalling hand. "Your son looks better than you. Pepper looks better than you, and she is going through the same stress as you. What's going on?"

Anthony sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked to the floor. "Amanda, I'm fine." I went to speak, but this time he was the one holding up a hand to keep me quiet.

"Yeah, I haven't slept much, but I've been stressed and busy," he explained, looking me straight on. "My kid died. Do you get that? He _died_. I…," he paused, pursing his lips and looking away with a pained expression.

I watched him walk over to on of his tables with an aching heart. He grabbed a random tool and began tinkering with it before speaking again. "I'm fixing things," he declared quietly, no longer looking at me. "I'm making Peter a better, safer suit, and I'm making him a new watch so I can keep better tabs on him. He deliberately broke his last one, which is why I wasn't informed the second his temperature spiked," he explained angrily, tossing away the tool in his hands carelessly.

He walked over to another table and just leaned on it, gripping it tightly. He pointed to one of the floating screens, and as I looked at it, he continued speaking.

"Some of Peter's classmates got footage of him from the day he got sick, and the media has been having a field day with it," he informed me in both weariness and righteous anger. "They're assuming he showed up to school drunk, and of course, it's my fault because everybody knows who I am and how I was, and obviously I've not changed in the goddamn slightest," he hissed with a bowed head.

His bitterness hurt me more than anything else. How much people continued to judge him so harshly, assuming they knew who he was. How quickly they vilified him despite all the good he'd done. Looking at the screen, it was constantly flipping through news stations, articles, and posts all dealing with the footage of Peter. Right now, the focus was on a statement Anthony had apparently given them claiming that Peter had been sick. Some of them believed him, while most did not. I closed my eyes briefly at that.

"I don't care what they think of me," my son whispered dejectedly, "but when my stupid mistakes reflect badly on Peter…I can't handle that. It _infuriates_ me. It _kills_ me."

I turned around, wanting to just walk over and pull Anthony into my arms, but I could sense it wasn't the time. Admittedly, I didn't buy what he'd just told me. His words sounded like a lie he'd repeated to himself so many times that he now believed it. He _did_ care what the media thought of him. He cared so much that he'd done everything he could to convince himself otherwise.

"It's not your fault what Peter is going through," I had to say, even though I knew he wouldn't believe me, at least not now. As expected, he just scoffed, shaking his head as he began to wander around the lab. Withholding a sigh, I decided I'd revisit his guilt later.

"What more have you been attempting to _fix_?" I probed.

"My suit," he answered with a distracted wave of his hand. I looked around the lab at the scattered parts. "I've been working on getting my new suit battle worthy, but I haven't been able to figure it out. I need an arc reactor, but I don't fee like installing another arc reactor in my chest. Been there, done that. I've got to figure out how to give it a power source," he remarked, talking more to himself now than me. He was holding a circular glowing object in his hand, staring at it with analytical eyes.

I was confused. What was an arc reactor? What did he mean about having one installed in his _chest_? Curiosity getting the best of me, I asked my son both questions, noting as he immediately stiffened, his expression going completely blank. I blinked, caught off guard by the rapid change in comportment. Just as quickly as the mask appeared, though, it disappeared to be replaced with weariness once more along with trepidation. I was now even more confused.

Tony swallowed, one of his hands beginning to tap at the middle of his chest absentmindedly. He looked down at the glowing thing in his hand with an unreadable look before sighing heavily and slowly walking towards me.

I had a strong feeling I was about to find out where the scar in his chest originated from, and I knew it was going to hurt. I recalled my conversation with Peter yesterday on how I'd rather know about my son's past no matter how much pain it cost me. I stood by that, so I took in a deep breath, steeling myself when Anthony stopped two feet away from me. He held out the strange item to me, and I hesitantly reached out to take it.

"This is an arc reactor. My dad and a Russian scientist designed it back in the day, but I built the first one back in the 90's to power my factories. It was as large as this lab," Anthony explained, and I glanced around the lab before looking down at the tiny device in my hand.

"It's a power source," I stated, and he gave a single nod. I said nothing more, knowing that he wasn't finished speaking. I waited patiently for him to continue.

"When I was kidnapped in Afghanistan, I was badly injured," he recounted emotionlessly, his hand once more going up towards his chest. He stared down at his hand before focusing on me once more. "A bomb, one of mine, went off by me, and I got hit with a lot of shrapnel. A…doctor," he spoke in a near whisper, "was able to get most of the shrapnel out, but not all. To keep me alive a little longer, he installed an electromagnet hooked up to a car battery in my chest to keep the shrapnel from getting into my heart. You see, the shrapnel had gotten into my atrial septum, so…well, you get it."

I couldn't even bring myself to nod at his assumption, but yes, I did _get it_. My son had a device installed into _his chest_ , a device that'd been hooked up to a goddamn _car battery_ , and this device had been the only thing keeping him alive. I had to force myself to keep breathing steadily.

Anthony reached out, gently taking the circular device out of my hand before continuing to speak. "The car battery was a pain to carry around, literally and figuratively," he described, his eyes focused entirely on the glowing item. "Using parts from Stark weapons, I made this, a miniaturized arc reactor, and had the doctor I was imprisoned with install it in me. It would last longer than the car battery _and_ it would help power my escape plan, the first Iron Man suit."

His lip quirked as he finished speaking, and without realizing it I found myself reaching out to take the arc reactor back into my hands.

"That's an older model," he stated, and I felt sick. This _thing_ had been in his chest. Suddenly, it didn't seem so small. In fact, it seemed huge. How had it fit? How had it been installed? I highly doubted he'd been in a proper medical facility when these horrific surgeries had taken place. Had he even been given anesthesia?

My eyes flashed to my son's, eyes that were identical to mine. I searched them, attempting to gauge what he what he was thinking or feeling after having told me all this. His face was blank, but his eyes were the window to his soul. His habit of constantly wearing sunglasses, even inside made even more sense to me. I had figured it was an odd quirk of his, but he was well aware of how much emotion his eyes gave away. He wore sunglasses to hide all that.

Looking to his eyes, I saw grief, pain, and shame.

"You had this inside of you?" I managed to choke out, my voice coming out oddly strangled.

Anthony gave a single, slow nod.

" _How_?" I pressed. "How did this fit?" I was no doctor, but I knew enough about the human body to realize that his body shouldn't have been able to contain something of this size easily.

Pursing his lips, Anthony sighed before addressing Friday. "Pull up my x-rays from right before my surgery," he ordered with some trepidation, and a holographic screen immediately popped up in front of me.

Oh. _Oh_. No, this couldn't be. This wasn't right. My eyes flicked from Tony's to the screen and back again.

He seemed to understand my silent question or plead for he grimaced before saying, "It's real. Two of my ribs were removed, and a bit of my lungs as well so it could fit. I, uh, should probably see a cardiologist. I can only imagine how bad a shape my hearts in," he mumbled, grimacing once again as if suddenly remembering who he'd just said that too.

I looked back down at the arc reactor, and suddenly felt like I was holding my son's heart in my hands. I had to remind myself that this was no longer inside of him and that he was fine, but I was reeling. Everything I had heard was coursing through my mind, and I was absolutely horrified. My heart beat rapidly, and I felt as though it were shattering as I comprehended more and more what exactly Anthony, _my son_ , had suffered. And I knew this wasn't the end of it. I knew there was more.

Anthony said nothing as I gathered my thoughts, attempting with much difficulty to keep myself from falling apart into a sobbing mess. He didn't need to see me in hysterics. He shouldn't be forced to comfort _me_ when it was he who had suffered through all this agony and mistreatment. I felt so guilty about what he'd been through even though I logically knew it wasn't my fault. If only I'd kept him, though. If only I hadn't given him up for adoption, the he would've been safe.

But, would he still be the man you see before you? The super hero? The kind-hearted, giving, self-sacrificing man? I honestly didn't know.

Closing my eyes briefly, I couldn't stop a few tears from trailing down my face. I walked over to a table, set down the precious arc reactor, and then walked over to my boy. He eyed me with wariness and exhaustion, and I brought my hands up to either side of his face, gently lowered his head and placed a kiss to his forehead.

"You brave boy," I whispered fiercely, unable to stop tears from spilling down my face. "You brave, brave _man_ ," I amended, placing another kiss to his forehead before stepping back a little so that I could look into his eyes.

I wanted to apologize, but I knew he wouldn't accept it, and I knew what happened wasn't my fault. I wanted to hug him tightly and never let go, but I wasn't sure he'd appreciate that. He was the one that had suffered through this, and he no doubt didn't need me to coddle him like some child. He was a grown man.

Tony's eyes were apologetic now, and I quickly wiped at my face, forcing myself to get under control. I would not turn into some weak-willed woman who cried over things that couldn't be changed.

"You're correct," I abruptly declared, and he blinked in confusion. "You need to see a cardiologist as soon as possible," I clarified. "The amount of damage your heart has sustained…How long did you have that-that arc reactor in your chest?"

"About five years," he answered gently, as if to lesson the blow to me. I scoffed internally, irritated with myself for making him feel as if he needed to coddle _me_. Gritting my teeth in agony at the thought that he'd suffered with that bloody object inside of him for _five years_ , I looked him fully in the face with a determined and stern look.

"Before I go home, I want you to tell me you have an appointment set up with a cardiologist," I ordered, my toon holding no room for argument. Seeming to sense that, or perhaps too tired to argue, Anthony just nodded as he mumbled a quiet, "Okay."

"Can I see?" I suddenly asked, and this time my question caused no confusion. He knew what I was talking about, and after a second of indecisiveness he lifted his shirt. I held up a hand, pausing, before looking my son in the face. He gave a nod, and I lightly felt the scarred tissue on his chest.

I knew even before right now that he'd had to have suffered quite a trauma to end up with scars like these, but I never would have imagined the real reason behind them. I never would've been able to picture the horrors he'd had to have endured, and the cowardly part of me wished I still didn't know. I pushed that part of me away, reminding myself that knowing would only mean I could better help my son when he needed me to.

I traced the scars on his chest, my throat growing tight as I imagined the pain he must have suffered through. With both hands, I then went down towards his ribs, feeling right away where the two missing ones should have been. Eyes filling up once more, I closed them as I dropped my hands. I took several deep and calming breaths before I opened them once more.

Anthony watched me with concerned curiosity, his shirt covering his torso once more. There were so many more questions I suddenly wanted to ask, like how bad the surgery had been, and if it'd hurt him to just have it in. I swallowed them back, though, reminding myself why I was here. I wasn't here to interrogate my son, but to convince him to sleep. I berated myself mentally, knowing that pushing him to talk about this would probably make sleep more difficult for him. There was no way he could've walked away from this sort of trauma without nightmares.

I wanted to speak, to say _something_ , but my heart hurt so terribly. I needed him in my arms. I needed to hold him.

"Can I hug you?" I asked, my voice cracking with emotion.

"Y-yeah, of course," he immediately responded, looking surprised that I was even asking. "You're my mom, you don't need to ask," he said with a small smile.

The words had barely left his mouth before I had my arms wrapped tightly around him. He froze for only a second before his own arms encircled me, and he lay his head down on my shoulder. I caressed the back of his head with on of my hands, but otherwise said nothing, just content to have him in my arms.

My boy. My baby boy. Grown man, though he was, with a teenage child of his own, I still couldn't stop from thinking of him as my boy. My child. My son. I felt a fierce protectiveness for him arise, stronger than ever, and I vowed to do my damndest to make sure nothing ever hurt my child again. It was the promise of a mother, and one I knew I wouldn't always be able to keep, but I knew that every time I failed, I would be there to pick him up.

I held him in my arms for minutes, neither one of us speaking. I would've been content to stay like this, but I knew I needed to get Anthony to sleep. I could already feel his breaths evening out, and I felt mild amusement and more affection at the thought that if I allowed enough time, he would no doubt fall asleep like this.

With difficulty, I broke apart from my son, frowning when he jerked mildly. He really had been falling asleep.

"Sleep," I ordered firmly, gently guiding him towards the door.

"No, I"—he began to argue, but I cut him off.

" _Now_ ," I added sternly, my expression morphing into one I recalled my mother gracing me with quite often during my teenage years. Tony blinked, looking a bit lost on what to do or say. I had a very strong feeling he wasn't used to not getting his way. I doubted there were more than a couple people in the whole word who would dare stand up to him and tell him no.

"Amanda," he whined (although, I'm sure he'd deny that), "I don't need to sleep. I've got work to do," he asserted, grandly gesturing towards the lab around him. "Not to mention, I've been ignoring SI shit, and-and-hey!" he squawked when I ignored his excuses and continued walking him towards the exit.

He tugged his arm, and I immediately released my hold, having no desire to physically force him to leave.

"I'm not going to sleep," he insisted, and I couldn't help but smile at his tone and expression. With mussed up hair, exhaustion clear on his face, and a defiant expression, he looked every inch like a child refusing to go to bed. I could very easily imagine him as a child now arguing with his parents about his bedtime. A pang hit me as I thought of how many years I had missed, but I quickly ignored those thoughts.

"Anthony, be reasonable," I argued, deciding to appear to his common sense. "You haven't had a decent night's sleep in days, probably more. You're clearly exhausted, you're not eating, and all that will lead to you making yourself sick. Is that really what you want right now? Not to mention how lack of sleep and food will cause you to make mistakes in your work. Could you imagine making a mistake with one of your projects because you're half asleep?" I inquired, keeping myself from specifically mentioning Peter's suit.

It seemed he understood my meaning, though, because he looked taken aback and then ashamed as he glanced around his cluttered lab. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before giving a jerky nod.

"Yeah, okay, sleep sounds good," he admitted, and I felt relief as I gave him a smile. I allowed him to lead the way, and we said nothing more as we took the elevator to his floor.

Upon exiting the elevator, we were greeted to raucous laughter and yelling as Peter and his three friends played some sort of video game. Anthony (the dog) was barking loudly, running all over the place excitedly. He was the first to notice our appearance, letting out a high-pitched bark before sprinting towards my son.

"Woah, woah, woah, hey!" Tony yelled as he was tackled by the ecstatic dog. The dog's entire body was shaking with pure happiness as he licked Tony's face over and over.

"Ugh, come on Anthony, get off! Yuck! Yeah, I missed you too, you smelly mongrel," he grumbled, petting the dog as he stood himself up.

"Hi, Dad!" Peter greeted happily, a huge grin on his face.

"Hello, Tony!" a plump boy yelled cheerfully, waving his hand. That must be Ned, I surmised. He was comfortable enough with my son to address him by his first name, so they'd clearly known each other for a while.

"Hi, Mr. Stark," a curly haired girl said, giving a small wave, and I realized this was MJ, Peter's girlfriend. This meant the last teen had to be Flash.

"Hello, Mr. Stark," the blonde youth called out, his tone and posture nervous.

"Hey, guys," my son greeted with an easy grin, his eyes brightening and his posture straightening. Nearly all signs of weariness were gone from him. He really was a good actor.

I followed him over to the kids, wondering how I'd be introduced. A friend of the family, I supposed?

"Listen up, rugrats," Anthony called, clapping his hands twice to get their full and undivided attention. Peter and Ned exchanged looks before rolling their eyes while MJ and Flash listened attentively. It was clear which two teens knew Tony better, I thought in amusement.

"I'm going to introduce you to this lovely lady beside me, and I need your words that what I'm about to tell you will be kept secret," he stated, and I threw the man a confused look. "A secret as secret as Peter's secret that obviously isn't so secret anymore, but you get my drift," he added, and I was the one rolling my eyes now.

Peter's three friends exchanged bewildered looks before giving their word that they wouldn't share what he was about to tell them.

"Excellent," he replied with a grin. He pointed at me then, and with his usual lack of tact said, "This is my biological mother, Amanda Armstrong. Any questions?"

Mouths fell open, even Peter's at what and how he dropped this bombshell on them. I pinched the bridge of my nose, fighting the urge to smack my son upside the head. I did give him an unimpressed look before taking over, briefly explaining to the teens that Tony had been adopted by the Starks shortly after being born, and that we had only recently re-connected. Questions exploded from the youths, who clearly wanted more detail, and I couldn't help but give my far-too-amused son a hard stare.

He immediately schooled his expression, gestured that he was leaving, and then gave me a wink before disappearing down the hall. I should've been angry, but really, I just shook my head in fond exasperation. At least he was going to get some sleep.

Withholding a sigh, I turned back to the curious teens, readying myself to answer their questions.

 **A/N: Please review! Gonna be focusing on both Peter and Tony next chapter, and then I think I'll move on to a new topic. Any Avenger ideas?**


	60. Chapter 60

**A/N: WHO SAW THE NEW AVENGER INFINITY WAR TRAILER?! Already bought my tickets! I'm so freaking excited!**

 **Chapter 60: Almost Healed**

 **Peter's POV:**

Dad gave his mother a devilish grin as he walked away, and I laughed at the askance look she wore, as if wondering how he could leave her to deal with my friends' questions all alone. Dad disappeared down the hallway, and I wondered where he was going.

My attention was quickly diverted to Amanda, who was trying to answer my friend's, or more specifically, Ned's questions. After having met most the Avengers and forging a particularly close relationship with Tony Stark, very few people could now intimidate my oldest friend. The same couldn't be said about MJ and Flash. MJ's eyes were alight with curiosity and fascination, and she asked occasional questions, but Flash just listened in rapt silence. Aside from shaking her hand as he introduced himself, he let us do all the talking.

They interrogated Amanda for nearly an hour, and I was surprised at how honest she was being with them. She admitted to being a SHIELD agent and how she met Tony's biological father. When it came to her reason for quitting, and thus, giving Tony up, she amended her story.

"Weeks before Tony's birth," she recounted in a more subdued manner, "Jude was murdered in front of me. I was so traumatized by the event I ended up in the hospital until shortly after Tony was born."

The mood of the room was somber now, no one moving or saying a word as we allowed Amanda time to gather herself. She looked upset, and I suddenly felt bad for all the questions my friends had been asking. She didn't need to be remembering this. I wanted to tell her she didn't have to say anything else, but before I could, she continued speaking once more.

"While in the hospital, I quit SHIELD," she informed us. "Jude had been my world, and when he was murdered, it was like my entire world had come crashing down. I blamed SHIELD for his death."

She paused for several moments, her eyes looking distant. I was sure she was recalling the real memories, but I had a feeling her mind was also racing to come up with some suitable reason for having given her son up for adoption.

Looking at my friends, the question of why was unspoken, but clear as day.

"I know you're wondering why I gave up my son for adoption," she stated, eyeing us all with a knowing look, "but I'm afraid I can't give you a reason you'd find suitable. One would think that after losing my husband, that having his son would've been a joyous gift…but it wasn't. I was a broken woman, and I felt like a failure. The thought of being a single mother terrified me, so I begged Peggy Carter, a founder of SHIELD, to find my newborn child a home."

I locked eyes with Amanda, and I gave her a loving, encouraging look. This had to have been incredibly difficult for her. She smiled back at me before focusing on my friends with an expectant look, awaiting their questions or reactions. I did the same.

All their eyes were wide with shock, and MJ was the first to compose herself. She was excellent at hiding her emotions. I could only imagine how much better she'd get if she continued to get together with Natasha. Those two, I found out recently, got together every other week or so for dinner.

"Did you know the Starks adopted him?" MJ questioned, and I was relieved to hear no judgment in her voice. Whether she thought badly of Amanda or not, I didn't know, but she was at least hiding it if she did.

"I did not," Amanda answered, and I was the one to ask a question this time, curiosity getting the best of me.

"If you'd known, would you have allowed it?" I inquired, squirming uncomfortably when her brown eyes flashed to mine. They were just like Dad's, I noticed for the first time.

"In all honesty, probably not," she replied after a few moments. "I never would have wanted Tony exposed to SHIELD, and admittedly, I wasn't a big fan of Howard Stark."

"Why?" Flash questioned. I wasn't surprised it was him, seeing as he knew the least about Tony. Anyone who did any research on my dad would soon realize Dad's relationship with Howard hadn't been the best.

"Howard Stark was a good man," she began diplomatically. "He was a hero, but…he wasn't a…" she trailed off uncertainly, probably trying to come up with a way to nicely describe Howard Stark. "He wasn't a nurturer," she settled on. "He was a business man, and his job came above everything else in his life. He married while I was working for SHIELD, but I'd seen the way he could be with women. I'd seen his drinking habit along with his temper; well, I'd heard stories of his temper, worsened by his increasing alcoholism. I'd never met his wife, Maria, but I knew I wouldn't have wanted him as a role model to my son."

"Understandable," MJ immediately responded, looking very much like she meant what she said. Ned and Flash looked like they had no idea what to say, so they just nodded.

The conversation became less tense when Ned asked her what she'd been up to most her life, and my friends became fascinated with her life as a singer, none of them having heard of her. Amanda pretended to be offended, which then led to her getting her guitar out and singing some songs for us.

"Well," she declared after a few songs, "I think it's time I left you lot on your own. You no doubt have loads to talk about with Peter, and you don't need an old lady getting in your way."

We protested that she wasn't being a bother, but she waved our words away before smiling kindly. "No, no, no, I must be off," she stated. "I have some work calls to make, so I'll leave you all be."

My friends bid her farewell, thanking her for talking with us and playing music, before she walked away.

"What do you think?" I asked the second she was out of ear shot.

"She's amazing," MJ stated with slight awe. "Everything she's been through…I can't imagine."

"She seems cool to me," Ned remarked. "Can't believe she's Tony's mom, though. So crazy to think about," he said with a bewildered shake of his head that Flash seemed to echo.

"I don't really get why she gave Mr. Stark up," Flash commented with a frown. "How could someone give up their own son?"

"There's more to the story than she told you," I immediately responded, jumping to her defense. Flash raised an eyebrow before nodding.

"I kinda figured that," he admitted before then asking, "How'd your dad take it when he found this all out?"

"Badly," I replied before launching into what happened. My friends' reactions were both surprised and not.

"His reactions are understandable," MJ spoke, "but it's still hard to imagine Mr. Stark acting like that."

I was going to respond that it was because she didn't know him well, but then again, I'd been surprised by his actions as well; so, instead, I said, "He's only human."

The conversation changed at this point, moving on to school. MJ and Ned had been kind enough to bring me homework that I could work on while Flash had scoffed.

"Dude, you're sick, so why are you wanting to do homework?" he asked incredulously.

"I'll just have to do it when I get back," I informed him, and he just rolled his eyes.

"I wouldn't," he said. "If I'd been as sick as you, I'd take advantage of that to _not_ have to make anything up."

"Unlike you, Flash," MJ spoke with a pointed look, "Peter actually wants to learn something."

"Whatever," the blonde retorted, still not understanding.

"What's school been like?" I inquired before those two could get into it. They were starting to argue like cats and dogs as of late, and I really didn't feel like listening to that.

Silence greeted my words, and I frowned at seeing how they'd all tensed, suddenly avoiding my eyes. Uh oh.

"Guys, what aren't you telling me?" I asked slowly, already bracing myself for bad news.

"Nothing," Ned replied unconvincingly. "It's stupid stuff, and I'm sure it'll blow over before you get back, so need for you to know."

"Ned, you suck at lying," I remarked before eyeing both MJ and Flash. The two exchanged looks before MJ scooted closer to me, taking one of my hands in hers. Double uh oh.

"Peter," she began delicately, and my heart began to thump rapidly, her careful, too-kind tone putting me on edge.

"Do you remember the day you got sick at school?" she asked, and I just raised an eyebrow, unable to keep from sarcastically responding, "No, doesn't ring a bell."

She glared, huffing before taking in a deep breath. "Okay, well, when we were helping you get to the nurse's office, some _idiots_ took pictures…and video," she explained, and I stiffened as I waited to hear the rest. She bit her bottom lip, looking very much like she didn't want to continue.

"Flash," I called, giving him a hard look. "Tell me," I demanded, feeling he would give it to me straight. He didn't disappoint.

"The pictures and video were posted online, and kids were claiming you were drunk," he told me. "It didn't become a big deal until last week when some tabloids got hold of them, and suddenly everybody and anybody was watching it. Everybody is saying you came to school drunk, and that you haven't been to school because you got suspended, ran away from school or got sick from drinking or drugs."

Eyes widening, my mouth fell open in shock, not have anticipated this at all. "What?" I questioned, dumbfounded by what they'd said.

Each of them sported sympathetic, apologetic expressions as they looked at me. Flash even looked guilty, his cheeks turning pink. Locking eyes with him, we both knew that if we hadn't become friends, he would've been one of those taking video, no doubt.

"When it made it to TV, the dumbasses at school started making shit up," Flash continued irritably. "They claimed you'd been shouting stuff and running around like an psycho—it's all bullshit, but…I mean, you know how kids at school are. Anything for their two minutes of fame."

I nodded numbly, heart racing as I contemplated what returning to school would be like. I suddenly wasn't so eager to get better.

"The media has also been taking stabs at Tony," Ned told me, "saying that he's a bad influence on you, and that you're obviously trying to follow in his footsteps."

"Show me," I suddenly stated, holding out a hand for one of their phones before remembering whose house I was in.

"Friday, pull up most viewed videos regarding me from the day I got sick at school," I ordered firmly, leaving no room for the AI to think she could change my mind. The screen on the television switched to a Youtube video, and I watched myself being dragged through the hallways of my school. Kids voices were heard in the background speculating what was wrong with me before deciding I must be drunk. The next video shown was from a newscast, talking about an embarrassing video of me before showing the worst parts from kids' videos. Short interviews were then shown of a couple classmates making up stories about me before going back to the news cast man, who discussed various reasons why I must be doing this. This caused a slew of videos about Tony's drunken youth to appear, and comparisons were made between he and I. Discussions were had on whether he was a good role model, and what else I was getting up to.

I was about to tell Friday to shut it off when another news station began broadcasting that they'd been contacted by Tony Stark, who claimed the video was not of me being drunk, but of being sick, and that they should stop comparing me with him. I felt grateful to Dad for trying to defend me, but also angry that he hadn't told me about this.

"Turn it off," I ordered hollowly, and the TV shut off.

"This will blow over," Ned assured me. "I mean, it already is, isn't it guys?" he questioned MJ and Flash, and by their expressions, I knew it _wasn't_ blowing over.

"Neds right to a certain extent, though," MJ decided to say. "Something else will eventually pop up, and people will forget this."

"What's the big deal if they think you drank, anyways?" Flash asked curiously.

"I'm not you, Flash!" I snapped heatedly, and he immediately held up defensive hands, looking taken aback by my anger.

"Okay, I know that, but it's just…why do you care so much?" he pressed hesitantly, looking both concerned and confused.

"I don't drink," I insisted, and all three immediately assured me that they knew that.

"Who cares what they think, though," Flash argued. "They're wrong. You know that, we know that, and your family knows that, so who cares what anybody else thinks?"

I looked into his confused eyes and realized he really didn't understand. In his mind, what happened was an annoyance and nothing more. To me, though, it was so much more. I didn't know why I cared so much. I mean, I didn't use to care that people thought of me as a nerd or a loner, but this I did care about. Why, though?

"He cares because he doesn't like being the center of attention," Ned argued on my behalf, and Flash gave a half nod.

"I get that, but…don't chew my head off, okay," he stated, looking mostly at MJ, "but you're a Stark now. You're the son of one of the most famous people in the world. You're always going to be the center of attention. I'm not trying to be a jerk or depress you or anything," he rushed to add when he saw me looking angry, "but that's just the way it is. You're gonna have to learn to deal with it."

I gritted my teeth, wanting to snap at him, but he was right. Dad had said so himself. The public would always care too much about what I did now, and that was something I'd have to come to terms with.

Didn't mean I had to like it, a snide part of me thought darkly.

Flash sighed when I said nothing. "I'm sorry, Peter, I'm just trying to help. I don't mean to come off like an insensitive prick."

I took in a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds before exhaling slowly. "It's fine, man, I know you're just trying to help. I just don't like people knowing so much about me. It's bad enough that everybody in the world knows my sob story, but I don't want them judging me every time I-I-I mess up or something. And it's so messed up that they automatically think the worst of me because of who Tony used to be. Don't they see he's not the same guy anymore? He's changed so much, and now because of me, they're badmouthing him for being a bad influence and bad guardian. What if they want to take me away form him?" I exclaimed, becoming more and more distressed with every word I spoke.

"Hey, hey, hey, Peter, calm down," MJ ordered, putting her hands on my shoulders. "Take some deep breaths and try and relax. Getting worked up isn't going to help your health."

"And, nobodys going to take you away from Tony, dude," Ned reassured me with a pat on the arm. "Nobody in your family would stand for it."

I followed MJ's instructions, taking in several deep breaths as I took in Ned's words. He was right. Nobody would be able to take me away from Tony and Pepper.

But still, my actions were causing problems for my dad. I should've said something to him the night I got gassed, but I'd been too stubborn and stupid. Everything that happened was my fault. I was the idiotic one that allowed myself to get hit with that gas because I'd been cocky.

"Peter," MJ sighed as she wrapped her arms around my neck, "don't do this to yourself. I can already see all the negative thoughts going through that head of yours, so stop. Stop blaming yourself and stop thinking you're a horrible person."

I gave her a weak smile as I leaned my head towards hers.

"You couldn't have known what would happen when you inhaled that gas, and none of us could've anticipated what the Neanderthals at school were going to do or think," she spoke. I nodded my head, wanting to believe I was free of blame, but knowing that couldn't be true.

"You're so damn stubborn, Peter," MJ remarked with an exasperated shake of her head.

"When do you think you're coming back to school?" Ned questioned, and I told them probably after another week.

"I'll do something stupid before then to take the heat off you," Flash declared with a smirk, and I looked at him in confusion.

"Like what?" MJ asked, giving him the same look as me.

"I dunno. Blow something up. Go streeking through the school. Maybe I'll just show up drunk and put on a show, so attention will shift to me rather than you," he stated flippantly, and I let out a laugh, thinking he had to be kidding. When he responded with just a raised eyebrow, I realized he was being honest with me.

"I can't believe—Flash, don't do anything like that. Do you know how much trouble you'd get in?" I pressed, incredulous that he was actually being real with me.

He shrugged. "I wouldn't do anything to get kicked out but if it'll help you out, then I'd do it," he told me.

I just stared at him, not being able to comprehend that he'd do something like that for me. The longer I stared, the more uncomfortable he began to look.

"Look, Parker, I owe you, okay, so quit looking at me like that," he said. "I was a dick to you for so many years, yet here we are. You're one of my best friends now. I know your secret, and-and-and, I just…friends help each other…right?" he tagged on at the end, now looking uncertain of himself, not to mention embarrassed.

"Right," I responded with a smile that caused him to relax.

"Don't do anything, though," I had to say. "I'd feel guilty if you got in trouble because of me. I'll be just fine, but thanks for the offer."

Flash shrugged once more and Ned looked at him with newfound respect while MJ just seemed exasperated by us all.

"Boys," she muttered with a roll of her eyes.

We responded with proud grins.

MJ just shook her head before giving me an inquiring look as she said, "Didn't you tell us your dad put in a pool here? An indoor pool?"

I nodded my head happily.

"Let's go swimming then!" Flash announced, standing to his feet.

"Er, well, my dad said I have to stay on this floor," I told them with some embarrassment.

"Let's just ask him," Ned suggested. "I'm sure he'll say yes."

I wasn't so sure, but I decided to ask anyway. "Fri, you mind asking Dad if we can use the pool, please? Tell him we'll be real careful."

It took only a few seconds for his response. "Mr. Stark says you can, but to be back in two hours, at which point your friends will need to go home."

"Yes!" I shouted excitedly, jumping to my feet and pulling both Ned and MJ up. We raced to the elevator intent on making the most of the next two hours.

 **Tony's POV:**

"Keep an eye on them Friday," I ordered as I powered through push-ups.

"Well, only because you told me to, sir, otherwise I would've ignored them entirely," Friday responded sarcastically, and I chuckled lightly.

I rolled over to my back, letting out a loud breath. I stared at the ceiling, wondering if it'd been long enough for me to leave without getting busted by my mother for not sleeping. I couldn't help but snort at that ridiculous thought.

I'd tried to sleep, I really had, but I'd been hit with old nightmares. I'd been back in Afghanistan in that godforsaken cave. Instead of Yinsen being there, though, it'd been Peter. Peter, scared and injured. Peter, brave and noble, who had rushed to buy me time and ended up dead instead of Yinsen.

I took in a shaky breath and rubbed both hands over my face. I was tired, so damn tired, but I was afraid to sleep. Nightmare after nightmare. So much fucked up shit had happened in my life that I recently couldn't go a night without having one.

God, I sounded like a child. Scared to fall asleep because of nightmares.

I checked the time, noting it'd been about two hours since I'd attempted to nap. I doubted Amanda would be satisfied with only two hours, but hopefully it'd help her relax some. She seemed really worried about me, and she shouldn't be. We needed her to help with Peter, not me.

I sat up and glared at my bed as though it was the bed's fault I couldn't sleep. For good measure, in case it was, I gave it a kick. Stupid bed.

My mind flashed to my nightmare before flashing to Amanda's reactions to me telling her about the arc reactor. She'd looked so horrified and broken hearted. She'd held herself together as best she could, though, and she'd done it for me. Seeing her so hurt over something that happened to me had been painful. It was why I never wanted to tell her about the crap I'd been through. I didn't want to cause her pain. It'd been stupid of me not to take into account the pain I'd bring her by coming back into her life.

I really wanted a drink. Like, really, really bad.

I was super glad I'd gotten rid of all the alcohol in the building. I used to only have some in my lab, but after December, I'd gotten rid of it all. Unfortunately, that didn't rid the temptation. It made it easier to avoid, but I had a strong urge to go find a bar or-or…crap, that'd be so stupid.

I'm already in the news for being a bad influence on Peter. Now, imagine how worse that'd get if I got caught in a bar at this point.

Sigh. It'd help me sleep, though. I guess I could try sleeping pills.

No, sleeping pills would keep me asleep, but it wouldn't stop the nightmares.

A drinking binge…a huge drinking binge could render me unconscious. Was it sad that drinking myself into oblivion sounded like a good idea? It was definitely pathetic.

Pathetic and sad, but so damn enticing.

I swallowed, groaning deeply at these thoughts.

Weak, weak, weak!

I kicked my bed again and it made a loud screech as it moved. I huffed when I noticed the scratch marks on my wooden floor. I reached out and pulled the bed back in to place, effectively covering the marks. Hopefully, Pepper wouldn't notice them.

I stood up, running both hands through my hair. I felt antsy. I needed to find something to occupy myself or I may just end up finding the nearest liquor or grocery store. I couldn't afford to make a mistake like that. People were depending on me. Peter and Pepper needed me. The Avengers needed me, those here with me and those still considered fugitives. I couldn't let them down with old, cowardly habits.

"Hey, Fri," I addressed hesitantly, pausing momentarily as I wondered if this was the best decision.

"Yes, Mr. Stark?" she responded.

I let out a sigh, grumbling to myself before asking, "Where's Amanda?"

"In her bedroom composing music," she replied, and I let out another sigh, still pondering the benefits of seeking her out.

She was a former alcoholic like me, except she'd been in recovery much longer than me. She'd understand the struggles. She wouldn't judge me. In fact, she'd probably be proud… _but_ , she'd be concerned. She'd be worried, and that's what I didn't want. I hadn't sought out this relationship to be a burden to her.

Then again, I hadn't given much thought to _what_ I'd wanted when I'd gone to her. I'd just wanted to meet her. I'd wanted to understand why. I'd wanted to know if she cared, and she did. She'd proven that to me over and over. She _wanted_ to help me. Hell, she'd _convinced_ me to go to sleep because she was worried.

Ugh, why do I overthink things? I sound like a coward. Time to put on my big boy pants.

I walked out my room and down the hallway, covering the short distance between Amanda's room and mine in seconds. The door was open, and I could hear the soft melody of the keyboard playing.

Taking in a few breaths, I stood in the doorway and knocked quietly on her door. She looked over, eyebrows rising in surprise before furrowing in concern. I stuffed my hands in my pockets, attempting to look casual, but she easily saw through that.

Standing here, I suddenly had no idea what to say. I couldn't bring myself to admit why I was here, so I attempted to come up with something to say.

She seemed to be struggling with what to say as well, but she found her voice sooner than I.

"I'm composing a new song for one of my clients, and a second opinion would be nice," she remarked, and I nodded my head. She gestured towards her bed, and I smiled softly as I made my way over. She could have gestured for me to take a seat at her couch, but she'd chosen her bed instead. Clearly, she knew I hadn't slept.

I sat myself on her bed, lifted my legs, wrapped my arms around them, and rested my chin on my knees. With a twirl of my hand I let her know she could start playing. She obliged.

She played slowly, pausing several times when she didn't like what she'd heard. She made notes on a paper before going back and playing the same parts a little differently. I could hear her humming to herself, and I smiled softly as she began to gain more confidence in what she was playing. When she had a solid thirty seconds of music, she looked at me inquiringly.

I smiled as I commented, "That sounds beautiful. Don't know how you do it."

She gave a quiet snort, smiling back as she replied, "I feel the same way when I watch you work. Everything you've built…everything you've _created_ is astounding. The way you come up with all those amazing ideas is the same way I come up with my music."

I gave a nod of acknowledgment.

She began to replay the same portion of music, adding in some lyrics in now. I closed my eyes as I heard her playing and singing. Her voice was beautiful, just like my mom's…Maria's. With my eyes closed, I could almost imagine myself as a kid listening to my adoptive mother play. I could almost see her sitting at her piano like she did every evening after dinner, her hair and makeup perfect. The scent of strawberries from both her shampoo and her perfume. She always smelled like that. These memories used to bring me pain, but right now I felt comforted. I missed her, but the familiar pain I'd felt over the many years was muted.

I opened my eyes, focusing back on my birth mother. She was definitely more talented than Maria, but their expressions of joy and contentment were the same. Seeing her so happy and relaxed made me feel happy and relaxed.

The music continued, and I found my eyes closing once more. I focused on the music entirely, the melody of the keyboard and her quiet, soothing voice as she sang. I didn't think about anything but the music, and the memories of Maria it conjured. Her laugh. Her smile. Her hugs. She didn't give them often, but when she did, they meant something. I remembered her teaching me to play the piano, to dance, to cook, to dress right, and to speak right. She'd been an unrelenting task master, and most times I'd resented her for pushing me so hard; but, she'd paid attention to me. She'd shown me she cared.

My eyes felt so heavy, and when I felt a hand on my shoulder pushing me back, I didn't even try to fight. My head hit a pillow, and I was out like a light.

When I awoke, it was to artificial light, letting me know it was night outside. _That_ meant I'd actually fallen asleep for hours. Hours of sleep with no nightmares.

I slowly sat myself up, blearily looking around the room before my eyes settled on my family. They were sitting at the couches, and Peter was playing something on the guitar for Pepper and Amanda. I smiled softly at the sight, especially at the look of pride on Peter's face when Pepper and Amanda clapped for him.

Yawning widely, I glanced at the clock to see it 6:30. My stomach grumbled loudly, and that caused the room's occupants to turn their eyes to me.

"Hello, sleeping beauty," Pepper greeted, standing up and walking over to me. Looping her arms around me, she leaned down for a kiss.

"You look better," she whispered, and I quirked a smile back at her while also giving her an apologetic look. She simply sighed as she ran a hand through my hair.

"You okay, Dad?" I heard Peter ask, and I looked around Pepper to see him sporting a concerned expression.

"Sure, little spider," I responded with a grin. "How about you? Have a good time with your friends?"

Eyes lighting up, he immediately began recounting everything he'd done with them, grinning widely as he described their swimming exploits.

"That explains why you look so tired," I remarked, and raising an eyebrow back at me, he shot back, "It doesn't explain why you look so tired. Rumor has it you haven't been sleeping."

"Rumor?" I retorted drily, eyes focusing on Amanda now, who stared back unapologetically.

"Nightmares," I settled on telling the kid, deciding honesty was the best policy at this moment. He was smart and had probably already figured that out. Still, though, I didn't like the way his eyes turned not only worried, but guilty. Sometimes he and I were too far alike.

He and I stared into each other's eyes, and I saw resolve enter them. He looked to my mother, and she gave him an encouraging nod as she took his hand.

"I have nightmares too," he stated abruptly, and Pepper and I both nodded before she went over and sat next to him. Peter was now sandwiched between the two women, so I remained where I was, seated on the bed.

"I remember some stuff from when I was unconscious or, er, in a coma," he continued, looking between us before looking down at his lap. I gripped my jeans tightly, already nervous about what he was going to say.

"At first, all I could feel was pain," he described, and I gritted my teeth. "I wanted to scream, but I couldn't. Then, I felt nothing. The next time I became aware, I felt like I was on fire, and when I screamed, I could hear myself that time."

I remembered that time very clearly. His screams of agony had torn right through me, and it was something that still echoed in my mind, not just in nightmares, but when I was awake as well. My little spider was just a kid. He never should have been in enough pain to have triggered screams like that.

Peter was breathing heavily now, and his breaths were shaky. Pepper rubbed his back as he sniffed and wiped at his face.

"The pain went away again, and then next time I came to, I found myself back in my room in Queens," he recounted in a quiet voice.

I stiffened, looking at him in surprised confusion. Amanda's expression was full of sympathy and sadness, so I braced myself for something worse than just hearing him in pain.

Peter opened and closed his mouth several times, seeming to not be able to continue, so he shot Amanda a desperate look.

"You can do this, darling," she encouraged confidently, squeezing his hand tightly.

I got off the bed and walked over until I was kneeling before my boy.

"What'd you see, pal?" I asked.

"My aunt and uncle," he finally told us, his voice thick with emotion, tears welling up into his eyes.

I reeled back, stunned by what he'd said.

"Aunt May was calling me to dinner," he spoke hurriedly now, "and then Uncle Ben was at my door, holding his hand out to me. Aunt May appeared, and they were both there, calling me over. I wanted so badly to run over and hug them, but…but I heard you both," he informed us, staring at me first before looking to Pepper. "I heard you calling my name and begging me to stay alive and come back to you. I-I-I wanted to go to my aunt and uncle, but I wanted to go to you guys too." He stopped speaking, shut his eyes tightly and grit his teeth. Reaching out, I massaged the back of his neck.

He opened his eyes and stared straight at me. "In the end," he said, "I decided I wanted to live. You still needed me and I needed you, so I told them I couldn't stay. They both smiled and told me they understood, and that they'd be waiting for me. I then jumped out my window, and that's when I woke up," he finished saying, tears now falling down his face.

"I miss them so much," he confessed brokenly, "but I wasn't ready. I wanted to live, and I wanted to be with you guys." He spoke pleadingly as though willing us to understand his decision.

I shook my head, wanting him to stop trying to justify his actions, but it was Pepper pulling him into a crushing hug that effectively silenced him. He clung to her, and while he was crying, he wasn't sobbing. He seemed emotionally spent, but also relieved to have gotten this off his chest. Leaning forward, I enveloped my two favorite people in the world in a crushing hug of my own. As Pepper kissed his head, I smoothed back his hair, and we both murmured loving, reassuring words until he calmed completely.

I released my hug, looked at Amanda, and said a quiet, "Thank you" to her for having given Peter the strength to tell us this. She just nodded back in understanding before reaching out to ruffle my hair.

Looking back to my kiddo, I saw he looked absolutely exhausted. Poor little spider.

"Let's get you to bed," Pepper suggested, pulling the boy to his feet. He protested only slightly as he was then led out of the room and down the hallway.

 **Peter's POV:**

For the second night in a row I got a full night's sleep. No nightmares or anything. It seemed that telling my parents what'd happened had been a huge help…as always. I shouldn't have tried keeping it to myself for so long, but I'd wanted to protect them.

I should've known better than to keep things like this from them, though. It never helped, and they always found out. _And_ , they always helped make things better.

After Mom led me to my room last night, she and I had talked until I fell asleep. We'd talked in more detail about what I'd experienced and then we talked about my aunt and uncle. She'd listened attentively, and it'd felt good to talk about them after so long. I realized last night that I'd never really talked about them to my parents. They'd met May, so they knew some, but they'd never met Ben, and I'd never really talked about him.

"Would you like to visit their graves?" Mom had asked shortly before I fell asleep.

I had thought the question over, wondering if seeing their graves would be helpful to me or not. In the end, I decided to say yes as I hadn't been to either of my aunt or uncle's grave since May's funeral.

Should I feel guilty about that? Should I be visiting them more often? I'd thought of asking Pepper these questions, but I couldn't bring myself to, afraid of the answer.

I shook my head, bringing myself back to the present.

Sitting myself up, I felt stronger than I had since I'd gotten sick. I didn't feel any soreness or like I hadn't slept long enough. I had the sudden urge to go out on patrol, but I knew how that'd go over with my parents. Maybe I could convince them to send me to school at least…crap.

Thinking about school suddenly jogged my memory on what the latest scandal regarding me was. God, how could I go back to school just to have to deal with that? No way. In fact, never going back to school was sounding better and better. Maybe I could be homeschooled?

I let out a loud huff before getting out of my bed. My stomach was growling, and I figured I should eat before contemplating such life-changing ideas.

Not bothering with changing out of pajamas, I walked out of my room and into the kitchen, smiling at the sight of my family. Dad was flipping pancakes, and from the bit of batter in his hair, I could tell not all his flips had been successful. He was attempting to do more elaborate flips, and I couldn't help but be impressed when he flipped one up, turned around two and a half times, and it landed in the pan neatly without him looking. He puffed his chest out at Pepper and Amanda, who both graced him with indulgent looks as they clapped.

I let out a loud laugh, which garnered their attention.

"Did you see that?" Dad asked proudly, and I nodded my head as I replied, "That was pretty cool."

"Good morning, honey," Mom greeted, coming over and giving me a hug and kiss to the cheek.

"Morning, Mom. Morning, Amanda," I greeted afterwards, being pulled into a hug by Amanda.

"Hungry?" Mom asked, and I nodded my head.

"Starved," I declared as I sat myself next to my mom.

"That's good," she replied in amusement, "because Tony here has made an unfathomable number of pancakes."

"I needed to practice my flips," Tony asserted, nose in the air as he placed a large plate of pancakes in front of me; and when I say large, _I mean large_. There had to be at least twenty fluffy pancakes. I wasn't complaining, though.

Grinning widely, lathered the pancakes with butter and syrup before happily digging in.

"At least _somebody_ appreciates my cooking," I heard Dad state, and both women giggled, _yes_ , giggled. I listened in amusement as they teased him about being sensitive and he grumbled about them picking on him. The three bantered back and forth as I devoured my meal like a starving man.

When finished, I let out a loud sigh of content as I pushed the plate away. Three pairs of eyes looked at me with some surprise.

"I see your appetite is returning," Mom remarked with a growing smile, and I graced them with a sheepish smile as I patted my stomach.

"Your father and I have been talking," Mom began more seriously, "and with how well you've been recovering, we think it's time you headed back to school."

"Really?" I asked in surprise, remembering that they'd originally told me I wouldn't be going back until next week at the earliest.

"Yup," Dad answered with an easy grin. "We know you've been feeling cooped up, so why not? If you're up for it, you can start tomorrow. I already called, and your principal is fine with it. He says your teachers know and understand that you've been sick, and they'll allow leeway on your assignments. You've got a lot to make up, but I'm sure you'll do just fine."

If I'd been told this even just yesterday, I would've been ecstatic, but now, after knowing what was going on, I didn't want to be anywhere near my classmates.

"I don't want to go," I blurted out, and my parents looked at me in surprised confusion. Glances were exchanged before Dad spoke.

"Uh, why not?" he asked in bewilderment. "Just two days ago you were begging to go back, so what changed?"

"The media thinking I showed up drunk before disappearing on some drunken binge," I retorted, unable to stop from narrowing my eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Dad sighed sadly, looking down at the counter before back at me. "How'd you find out?" he questioned, and I felt a spark of irritation.

"My _friends_ told me yesterday, which again brings me back to the question, why didn't _you_ tell me?" I shot back, and Dad frowned.

"Peter," Mom spoke up soothingly, "we didn't want you stressing about something you couldn't control."

"Would you at least have told me before I went back?" I pressed, needing to know.

"Of course," Mom stated, and I believed her. Whatever anger I had vanished. None of this was their fault.

"Can I just have a few more days?" I decided to ask, and Mom's expression turned sympathetic as she reached out to grip my hand.

"Kiddo," Dad called gently, and I looked at him, "a few more days isn't going to change anything." My mouth fell open, and I just stared at him. I'd expected a little more reassuring and comfort, to be honest.

Holding his hands up, the man ignored the glares both Pepper and Amanda were giving him.

"I'm sorry," he quickly stated to me, and I could tell he was being genuine. "I don't mean to be a downer, but you've got the name Stark tagged on to your first name, and that paints a huge ass sign over you that says LOOK AT ME. For the rest of your life people are going to be watching you. They're going to be watching and waiting for you to succeed so they can talk about how they were there; and they're going to be watching and waiting for you to fail so they can talk about how they were there for that too. People are stupid and cruel at any age, and-and-and…shit," he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Look, I understand, pal, I _really_ do," he continued, leaning on the counter and giving my hand a light tap. "I understand what it's like to have people who don't know you at all judging you and assuming shit because of who-who your father is or some goddamned picture or video they saw. It sucks, I get it, but hiding won't make it go away. I know you hate attention. I know you hate how much people care about everything you do because of who I am, and I'll always be sorry for that, but sooner or later you're going to have to learn how to deal."

He paused, his eyes searching my face for some idea of what I must be thinking. Honestly, I didn't know what to think, so I had no idea what to say. Dad let out a soft sigh, looking pained before he began to speak once more.

"You don't have to deal alone," he told me reassuringly. "We'll always be here to help you, but don't let stupid teenagers scare you away from a place you normally love. You've got friends there who know the real you, so do your best to ignore those shitheads who'll try and bag on you for what they think you did. Go to school tomorrow. Give me _one_ day, Pete, one day, and if you can't take it, then you stay home as long as you need to, okay?"

He held out his hand for me to shake, and I reluctantly reached my own hand out. We shook hands, and he offered me a proud smile.

"Sorry," he stated softly afterwards, "I don't mean to come off as heartless."

"You're not," I choked out with a shake of my head. "You're just being honest, and I'm sure I'll be thankful someday," I said, giving him a soft smile to take the sting out of my words.

He let out a short laugh, before gracing me with an empathetic look. Thinking over his words, I knew that he really did understand what I was going through. It hurt him, and he blamed himself even though he really wasn't at fault. He'd had to deal with things on his own, and he'd learned how to cope. I wasn't alone, though.

"It's not your fault," I had to say. "The media and stuff like that," I expanded. "Not your fault….and, if you can deal with it all, then so can I."

"That's my boy," Dad said, coming around the counter to bring me in for a tight hug. I buried my head into his chest, taking in a deep breath. My anxiety was already shooting up, but I shoved it away. I was Spider man, a freaking super hero. I'd faced life and death situations with less anxiety than I had now. I needed to suck it up. Besides, I wasn't just Spider man, but I was a Stark too, and Starks were no cowards. I wouldn't let my dad down.

"Alright, little spider," Dad remarked with sudden sternness after we broke apart, "I've got a bone to pick with you that we might as well get into now." I didn't have time to even be confused before he held up my watch in front of my face.

"It's been tampered with," he stated, and my eyes widened.

"R-really?" I asked, internally cringing at the crack in my voice that pretty much gave away my guilt. Amanda closing her eyes, Mom sighing heavily, and Dad's gaze darkening only confirmed that I'd screwed up.

Dad's arms were crossed as he then ordered me to explain.

I opened my mouth to give an explanation, but as my mind raced, I couldn't come up with a legitimate reason that would make all this okay. Dad was super overprotective, and there was simply no excuse he'd accept, so I decided not to even bother. I was clearly busted, so lying to him would only make things worse.

"I didn't exactly plan on messing with it," I admitted, my eyes lowering down to the floor. "At first, I just wanted to see how much damage it could handle without busting, but then…then I…it was after the incident with Sandman, and I was angry, and I know it was stupid, and I regretted it after I did it, but I couldn't bring myself to tell you cuz—because I _knew_ you'd tan my hide and I hate that, but I guess it doesn't matter anymore because now you're going to do it anyway, and I'm really, really, really sorry, Dad, but I just"—

My long-winded rambling was cut short by him holding up a silencing hand. I bit my bottom lip as I stared at him with nervous eyes.

Dad's lips were pursed and his eyes stern as he looked at me. He took in a deep breath before letting out a harsh sigh.

"Okay, here's what's going to happen," he declared, and my stomach filled with butterflies as I waited for my sentence. "You can thank those two stubborn women behind you because I'm giving you a free pass."

My mouth fell open as I stared at him in disbelief.

"Don't gape, don't ask questions, just accept it and listen. Are you listening?" he asked, looking for confirmation. I rapidly nodded my head, unable to believe I was getting through this without a sore rear.

He pulled out another watch from his pocket, and it looked identical to my first one. "We're going to try this again, and you're not going to mess with this watch at all, are you?"

"No way," I answered promptly.

"Because if you do," he continued icily, getting into my face, "your butt is toast, and your mom and grandma aren't going to be able to save you, _do you understand_?"

"Yeah, I understand," I assured him, eagerly nodding my head up and down. "I'll wear it all the time, and I won't mess with it at all, I promise."

He stared me dead in the eye for several tense moments before handing the new watch over to me. I shakily took it and put it on before looking back at him warily.

His eyes softened, and he ruffled my hair before stepping away. Gesturing to my mom and grandma with his head, he said, "You should also thank them for ending up with _that_ watch rather than the new one I made you. The new one wouldn't have come off unless I wanted it to, and it had several more monitors."

I turned to look at mom and Amanda, and promptly threw my arms around both women. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I exclaimed in both happiness and relief. Not only had they saved me from a whooping, but also kept me from having to wear a permanent tracker. "You guys are the best mom and grandma ever!"

Both women hugged me back, laughing lightly at my exuberance.

"You had better keep your promise, Peter," Mom warned, "or I won't stand up for you again."

"Agreed," Amanda added, eyeing me sternly.

I blushed before reassuring them that I wouldn't break my promise.

"Oh, I got one more question for you, little spider," Dad announced, and my heart fluttered anxiously as I looked at him. What now?

"What plans have you come up with to celebrate your first Valentine's Day with young Michelle?" he inquired with a mischievous smirk.

"What? When is it?" I asked in shock.

"In two days," he replied, his grin only growing.

Uh oh.

 **A/N: So, ending probably gives away that I'll be doing a fluffy piece on Valentine's day next chapter. Figured our guys needed some happy down time.**

 **Please review!**


	61. Chapter 61

**A/N: Sorry for the longer wait between chapters. I had to put my dog down last week, so I didn't feel up to writing much.**

 **Thank you for all the amazing reviews! You guys keep me writing!**

 **WARNING: This chapter will have discussions of sex. It's not detailed or specific, but it is mentioned and alluded to, so you've been warned.**

 **Chapter 61: Valentine's Day**

 **Peter's POV:**

"So, Peter, where were you really?" Audrey asked, and I had to stop myself from either letting a yell out or banging my head on my desk. It was only the first day back, but already I was tired of all the questions. I was in English, the last period of the day right now, and Audrey sat right behind me. She was leaning forward, her face inches from mine.

"I was really sick," I answered with forced patience.

"Uh huh," she responded disbelievingly, giving me a knowing smile. "Come on, just tell me. It's not like you're going to get in trouble. I mean, your dad is _Tony Stark_."

I stiffened at the insinuation, fist clenching as I took in a deep breath.

Calm. Be calm. Losing your temper isn't going to help anything.

"I swear I was sick," I insisted, fighting hard to keep from glaring at the girl. "I had a super high fever"—

"Look Stark," another kid, Mark interrupted, "My moms a doctor at the largest and best hospital in New York. She's knows doctors _everywhere_ , and she told me that you weren't at any hospital in the city. If you were really that sick, then where were you?" he asked with a smirk, certain he'd caught me in a lie.

"I was at the Avenger's headquarters," I snapped, somewhat alarmed at the trouble that his mother, a woman I'd never met, went through to figure out if I'd really been sick.

Both Mark and Audrey's eyebrows rose in surprise, and I noticed that we now had the attention of half the class. A glance at the teacher showed that she was occupied with a phone call, so not aware of the interrogation I was suffering through.

Looking over to the other side of the room, my eyes locked with Ned, who was looking at me in both concern and sympathy.

"Why'd they take you _there_?" Mark pressed, eyes lighting up in curiosity. "You catch some alien disease? Or, were you injured in some Avengers business? Somebody kidnap you?"

"What?" I retorted in nervous surprise. "It wasn't alien, and it had nothing to do with Avengers business. My dads just super overprotective, and he felt that HQ had the best doctors and facilities," I explained, which honestly, wasn't a lie.

"I got so bad, he even flew in a doctor from South Korea to help me out," I continued, noting as more and more people were listening.

"You were that sick?" another girl, Amanda pressed in concern, and I nodded my head. Looking from one face to the next, I was relieved to see about two-thirds of them seemed to believe me, the other third still believing I was lying.

"I'm not buying it," Mark remarked, giving me an unimpressed look.

"Why would he lie about something like this?" Amanda retorted in my defense.

"For attention, of course," Mark answered, and Amanda scoffed as I rolled my eyes.

"If you knew Peter at all, you'd know he hates being the center of attention," she argued firmly, and I felt a rush of gratitude towards her. We weren't friends, but she and I had always been on friendly terms.

The interrogation, thankfully, ended at this point as our teacher finally got off the phone and noticed the majority of her class wasn't working. Displeased, she had us work silently the rest of the period, which was fine with me.

The bell couldn't ring fast enough, but when it did, I was out of my seat and in the hallway in a flash before I realized I was supposed to wait for Ned. As we both headed towards the exit I tried my best to ignore the stares and whispering. Stupid enhanced hearing.

Word was already spreading about what was talked about, and arguments ensuing about whether or not I was lying. I was pleasantly surprised that more students seemed to believe me than not. Hopefully, the trend would continue, and this drama would die out sooner rather than later.

Upon exiting the school, I felt much of my irritation melt at seeing MJ waiting for us. She raised an eyebrow at me inquiringly, and I just shrugged, giving her a small smile to let her know I was alright.

Flash ran on over and slung an arm around me.

"So, how'd it go today?" he asked.

"Not bad," I admitted. "It's annoying, but not as bad as I thought it'd be."

He nodded, shooting me a small smile. "The offer still stands, Pete," he stated. "If you want me to, I'll blow this crap from their minds."

"Why do you look so excited at that prospect, Flash?" MJ drawled, and Flash just responded with a wink and a cocky grin. Eyeing the blonde, I found myself oddly reminded of Tony.

"I appreciate the offer, dude," I told him, "but I don't want you getting in trouble. I'll be fine."

He shrugged, looking doubtful, but he didn't say anything else on the matter. "Well, I'll catch you all later," he declared. "Tomorrow is Valentine's day, and I need a date."  
"You haven't asked anyone yet?" Ned questioned in disbelief.

Flash shook his head negatively, looking unconcerned. "Nah, I'm gonna go ask out Vicky," he stated before turning and heading back into the school.

I watched him go, unable to understand how all this was so easy to him. My stomach was already filling with butterflies, and I already had a girlfriend. Speaking of which, that girlfriend was now looking at me with a curious look. Not one to beat around the bush, she outright asked, "Do you have anything planned? It's fine if you don't. I know you've been sick, and really, Valentine's day is just another commercial holiday mean to make money."

Somehow, I knew she was being serious with me, and that she really wouldn't be bothered if we didn't do anything, but I would feel bad. I wanted to do something special.

"Do you wanna come over to my place tomorrow, and I'll make something?" I asked nervously. "I don't really want to go out since I'm kinda avoiding the media, and Pepper taught me how to make this really good shrimp pasta dish that I'm sure you'd love. It'll be just us," I rushed to add. "My parents said they'd give us some privacy…er, not that I'm expecting us to do anything like-like-like, uh"—

MJ grabbed hold of my shirt and pulled me in for a quick kiss that shut me up. Breaking apart, she smiled and said dinner sounded great. Letting out a breath of relief, I smiled back, letting her know that she could come home with me tomorrow or that I'd pick her up.

"I'll let you know tomorrow," she stated before walking away as her sister had arrived to pick her up.

Ned shot me a smirk, elbowing me as he said, "Your mouths hanging open, bro."

I promptly shut it, giving him a mild glare as he snickered.

"Your face is so red," he teased, and I could feel my face heating up even more.

My savior arrived in the shape of Pepper pulling up, and I gave my best friend a shove as I ran to the car and got in.

"Hi, Mom," I greeted happily, and she shot me a look of concern.

"Your face is red, are you alright?" she asked, and I, once again, felt my face heating up more as I stammered out that I was totally fine.

"I swear," I insisted, "it's just stupid stuff, don't worry about it."

She frowned now, her look more curious than concerned as she let it go.

"How'd school go?" she instead questioned, and I let out a breath of relief as I hadn't wanted to admit I'd been blushing because I'd been kissed by my girlfriend.

"It was…annoying," I admitted tiredly, "but not as bad as I thought it'd be."

Mom's look was sympathetic as she looked at me and reached a hand out to smooth my hair back.

"More people are starting to believe that I really was just sick rather than out drinking or stuff like that," I informed her, and she nodded before asking if I was planning on going back tomorrow.

"Yeah," I instantly answered. "I can handle it, Mom. Like I said, it's annoying, but honestly, this isn't as hard as when the world found out I'd been adopted by Tony."

"I'm sorry you have to deal with this, honey, but I'm glad it's not as bad you thought it'd be. I'm also proud of you," she stated, and my heart warmed at that. "I know this isn't easy for you, but you're persevering just as I knew you would."

We arrived home, and as usual, I was accosted by Anthony the second I exited the elevator. When I saw Amanda in the kitchen, awaiting with a snack for me, I smiled widely, rushing over and giving her a hug. I was glad she was still here.

"You're the best grandma in the whole world," I gushed before starting in on the snack she'd made me. Glancing at Amanda, I suddenly noticed that she seemed overcome with emotion, her eyes shining brightly as she looked at me in slight awe. I realized she must've been truly touched by my words.

"You…you're such a sweet boy," she eventually choked out, taking my head in her hands and giving me a kiss.

She then cleared her throat, bringing herself back under control before asking me about my day. I told her about my annoying classmates before remembering some exciting news. I turned to Mom, who had been listening in and informed her of a trip that was being planned for sophomores and juniors to visit Oxford University in England.

"It's optional," I told her, "but I'd like to go just to get an idea of what it's like. I don't really know what I'd like to major in, but this would be a good idea, wouldn't it?" I felt the need to ask.

"It sounds amazing, Peter," Mom responded, and I was glad to see she was being honest. "I feel terrible that we haven't been preparing you to figure all this out as we should have. We should've started researching colleges ages ago, and you need to take the SAT"—

"The school is actually paying for all juniors to take it next month," I told her, and she let out a breath of relief, still looking apologetic.

"It's fine, don't be sorry," I asserted. "It's not exactly like you've had time with all that's been going on."

"We've had plenty of time," she argued firmly, "we just didn't think about what being a junior meant. Applications go out next fall, and we haven't done anything to help you decide on a major or school. We'll definitely be rectifying that, and this trip is an excellent idea. When is it?"

"Er, well, it's kind of in two weeks," I replied sheepishly. At her look of surprise, I admitted that I'd been told about the trip several months ago but had forgotten about it. Mom eyed me sternly for a few moments before just shaking her head in exasperation.

"Well, I suppose the important thing is you remembered now," she remarked drily. "I assume there's still time to sign up?"

"Yeah, the deadline's on Friday. I've got the paperwork for you to fill out, and it's got the costs," I spoke as I began to rummage through my backpack, pulling up a slightly crumpled paper. I attempted to smooth it out some before handing it over to Pepper. She once more shot me a stern look before beginning to look it over.

"It says you'll be gone for an entire school week," she murmured. "Why Oxford?" she then asked.

"Midtown has a sister school in England, and it's a feeder for Oxford kind of like we're a feeder school to Columbia University," I recited, somewhat embarrassed that I'd only learned this information today. "We'll be staying on campus in the dorms, and we'll get to sit in on some college classes. They'll also have some college kids giving us tours and talking to us about what their college life is like. Flash is going, and we're planning on bunking together" I added, thinking she'd feel better knowing I had a friend going. I was sad that neither Ned nor MJ could go, but neither one of their families could afford the trip. It wasn't cheap.

"Oxford is only an hour and twenty minutes from London," Amanda spoke up. "If you chose that school, we'd definitely get to see each other more." I nodded rapidly, smiling at the thought.

"Like I said," Pepper said, "it sounds like an excellent idea. I'll need to talk with Tony about this, but I'm sure he won't have a problem. I have to admit, I'm not sure I'd like you going to a college so far away, but that's only because I'd miss you too much," she confessed. "We'll definitely need to take you around colleges in the area, and Tony will insist on taking you to MIT. Prepare yourself," she told me with a smile, "because he's going to do everything he can to convince you to go there."

I laughed, thinking she was joking, but at her expression, I realized she was completely serious. Huh.

"Don't worry, though," she then stated, "he'll get over it if you don't choose MIT. He'll be supportive of whatever college you choose."

"Now," Mom began seriously, setting aside my paper. "A more important question. What did MJ say about tomorrow?"

I let out a laugh before saying happily, "She said yes."

Both women squealed, clapping their hands in excitement. Mom began to coach me once more on how to cook the shrimp and pasta dish while also giving me tips on how to be the perfect gentleman. I had to keep from rolling my eyes as she began to plan what I should wear.

I balked when she suggested a suit, immediately shooting that idea down. "Come on, Mom, it's just a dinner, and we'll be here. I don't need to dress up."

"Are you saying you don't want to look nice for your girlfriend?" she inquired, arching an eyebrow, and I sighed as I shook my head.

"Well, then you'll be dressing up, mister," she asserted as if that settled the manner. "If not a suit, then at least a button up shirt with slacks."

I groaned dramatically, wanting to argue, but knowing it was fruitless.

"I'm not sure if Tony will be home, but Amanda and I will be town in the Commons if you need us," she continued. "We'll give you until 8 before we return," and I just nodded in understanding. I was glad they weren't going to be hovering around as it would've been really awkward.

"Do you know when Dad will be back?" I questioned curiously. He'd left last night on a mission but hadn't told us what it was about. He only said that it was local, as if that meant it'd be less dangerous. The fact that Bruce went along meant it was definitely dangerous, local or not. Bruce being there meant that they might need the Hulk.

"I don't," Mom replied, looking concerned, and I said nothing more.

"He'll be fine," Amanda spoke reassuringly, and we just nodded, vowing to remain positive.

Looking at my mother, it struck me suddenly that this must be what she feels like every time I go out. Guiltily, I hoped I didn't make her this concerned, but I doubted it.

"Well," Mom now said in an upbeat voice, "I think it's time you get to your homework, Peter. I'm sure you have a lot to make up, so get to it."

I sighed heavily, but dutifully grabbed my backpack and headed to my room.

Getting through my homework was thankfully only tedious instead of difficult. Ned had texted and emailed me assignments, so I'd been able to keep up on my own easily enough. Even though I'd been absent for nearly two weeks, I was certain I'd be completely caught up in another day or two.

Dinner came and went, Pepper and Amanda unable to keep from nagging me about my date with MJ. Honestly, I didn't think it was such a big deal as she was just coming here for me to cook something. With the way they were trying to prep me, you'd have thought I was taking her to a fancy restaurant. I hadn't been that nervous about her coming over, but after talking with them, I couldn't get the butterflies out of my stomach.

I really wanted to go out on patrol. It'd been _ages_ , and I was certain it'd distract me from overthinking tomorrow's date. I mean, it wasn't even really a date. She was just coming over to hang out. It's not like we were going to do anything…but what if _she_ wanted to do something? I sat up straight in my chair, heart hammering at the thought.

No. Stupid thought, Peter.

MJ wasn't like that. We'd probably kiss and stuff, but nothing else.

Besides, Friday would be watching and that thought alone was a turn off.

My phone rang suddenly, and I grinned as it was a video call from Tony.

"Hey, Dad," I greeted cheerfully. "How's avenging going?"

"Hey, little spider," he greeted back, and I frowned lightly at seeing his rubbing the back of his neck anxiously.

"What's wrong?" I immediately asked in concern, and Dad shook his head, waving his hands as he replied, "No, no, nothing's wrong. Avenging is fine. Everything's going as planned, so don't worry."

My frowned deepened now. "Then, why are you nervous?" I questioned curiously.

Dad's response was a nervous laugh before he then rubbed both hands over his face. "God, Pepper, why are you doing this to me?" he muttered, my sensitive hearing picking it up. What did Mom do to him?

I watched Tony take several deep breaths before looking at me with a charming grin. It was the kind of grin that was mean to hide what he was really feeling. "I hear you've got a date with MJ tomorrow," he remarked, and I raised an eyebrow before nodding slowly. Why would this conversation make him nervous?

"Yeah, she's coming over and I'm making her dinner," I told him after he'd remained silent for an awkward amount of time. "Mom and Grandma have been haggling me about it, giving me all sorts of advice on how to act, and even on what to wear. You'd think I was proposing or something," I complained, and Dad's responding laugh was genuine. Huh. Maybe he wasn't nervous about talking to me? Maybe it was something else?

That question was answered when an uncomfortable look adorned my dad's face.

"So, talking about you and MJ, Pepper kinda wanted me to talk to you about"—

"Oh god, no!" I interjected loudly, finally understanding what he was getting at. "No, no, no, stop right there," I ordered, not believing he was wanting to have _that_ talk with me.

"Peter," he stated with a sigh, "I know it's an uncomfortable topic to talk about with me, but this is a serious matter."

Oh my god, this was ridiculous. He couldn't be serious! He wanted to give me the sex talk?! "Dad, please don't say any more," I begged. "Look, I already know everything I need to. They taught us this back in junior high, and-and-and, y'know kids at school talk, and then there's TV and the internet"—

"You watch porn?" he asked in surprise, and I was certain my face was beat red as I rapidly shook my head.

"NO!" I yelled, covering my face with my hands as I said, "That's not what I meant. I'm just saying, you don't have to do this. I-I know about… _that_."

Dad still looked uncomfortable, but also determined, and I suddenly wished he wasn't so dedicated to being a good dad. "How can I know that you know if you can't even say the word?" he asked with a grimace. "And, anyways, I doubt your friends know everything, especially knowing _your_ friends, and TV and internet aren't real life."

I wanted to die. Right here and right now, I really wanted to die.

"Did your uncle Ben ever talk to you about sex?" he questioned curiously, and I could feel as my face heated up even more. He actually said it. He said the word, and dear god, I never wanted to hear _him_ say the word for as long as I lived.

God, this day could _not_ get any worse? Was this embarrass Peter day?

"He didn't," I answered, my voice high pitched with how distressed I was by this topic, "but I swear to whatever god or deity out there that I know whatever it is you want to say."

Dad seemed to contemplate my words, clearing his throat awkwardly before hesitantly asking, "Does this mean you and MJ have already"—

"Aaarrrghhh!" I roared, barely stopping from banging my head on my desk. "No, Dad, we haven't!" I retorted with a glare. "She and I have never—I mean, we haven't even talked about it, and it's just-it's just not gonna happen," I declared firmly, hoping this would end the worst conversation of my life.

The small smile that I received in response, though, let me know that while I was growing more and more uncomfortable, Dad seemed to be gaining confidence.

"Never say never, pal," he replied with a knowing look. "Sometimes things can get a little carried away when you're in the moment, and you're uh, _emotions_ overcome your common sense," he explained, and I just stared at him in opened mouth horror, disbelieving that he was really doing this to me. I thought child abuse was illegal.

"That's not gonna happen," I repeated in a near whisper.

"But if it does," he continued, "you've got to be prepared. I'm way too young to be a grandfather, so"—

"Protection!" I hissed, twirling my hand rapidly for him to get this over with.

"Do you have any condoms?" he inquired, and I just buried my head in my hands while shaking my head negatively. When would this torture end?

"Well, uh, I'm not saying I condone anything because I think you're too young," Dad stated hurriedly, "but in case things…get out of hand from now until I get home, I do have a box of condoms in the second drawer of the dresser on my side of the bed, so…"

I couldn't even bring myself to respond. I couldn't even look at him. I didn't need to know this. I hadn't wanted to know this, because the implications of him having condoms meant that he and Mom—no, don't think about that!

"TMI, Dad," I eventually managed to say in a pitiful voice. "I'll never go into your room again. _Never_."

Dad laughed loudly, and I couldn't keep from glaring heatedly at him.

"So happy you're enjoying this," I growled sarcastically. "I am forever scarred, do you get that?"

"Sorry," he responded, and my glare lessened minutely when I sensed his honesty. "I know this is an embarrassing topic, but I just want you to be safe and careful."

"I know this," I groaned, but he _still_ didn't stop talking.

"You get the mechanics," he countered, "but there's more to it than that. For one, you're not an average human, Peter, so you're going to have to remember to control your strength."

I covered my ears at this point. I got that he was helping, and yeah, this wasn't stuff I'd thought about, but I did _not_ want to be having this conversation. Unfortunately, my enhanced hearing allowed me to still hear him as he continued to speak. He mentioned that I'd probably have increased stamina, but that my partner wouldn't, and he talked about how I needed to be gentle with women, especially if it was their first time.

By the time he finished, I was mortified. I figured my face would be a permanent shade of red.

"Okay, okay, I'm done, I swear," Dad finally stated, and I looked at him in accusation and misery. How could you do this to me, I wanted to scream, but I seemed to have lost my voice.

"Come on, kiddo, don't' look at me like that," Dad sighed, "this is stuff you needed to know, and I'm sorry you're so embarrassed, but I'd rather you be prepared. Even though I would've probably been just as embarrassed as you or worse, I wish I'd had someone who'd told me this kind of stuff when I was your age. I mean, my first times were…let's not talk about them," he muttered, actually blushing.

I let out my own sigh now, unable to stay angry with him when he pulled out _that_ card. We were both orphaned at the same age, but unlike me, he'd had nobody to take care of him. Still, though…

"Can we just agree to never mention this conversation again?" I pleaded, and he smiled while nodding.

"Sure thing, but just know that if you ever do want to talk"—he began to say, and I cut him off before he could finish.

"Yeah, got it. I can talk to you," I interrupted. "Now, I have officially suffered enough torture for a life time. In apology for making me suffer so much, I think I should be allowed to go out on patrol."

Dad's responding laugh was loud, and he stared at me with too much affection and amusement before shaking his head negatively. "Sorry, but no," he said, and before I could argue, he asked, "How'd your day go? Kids give you a hard time?" There was genuine concern in his tone, so again, I couldn't bring myself to stay angry as I reluctantly recounted the day's events.

We conversed for twenty more minutes before Dad had to go. By that time, my embarrassment had vanished, and I was certain my face had returned to its normal, pale color. Tossing my phone on my desk, I threw myself onto my bed with a huff. I couldn't believe Tony had actually given me the sex talk. Tony Stark. The very well known _former_ playboy. Former or not, I'm sure he knew more about sex than I would ever want to know. Yeah, I would most definitely never be going to him for advice. That's what friends were for. And the internet.

Reaching over to my phone, I decided I needed someone to commiserate with, so I called Ned and told him what had just happened. After he got over his horror and then laughter, he finally graced me with a sympathetic look.

"Sorry, man," he remarked as he wiped a tear of laughter from his eye, "it's just, I can't imagine _Tony Stark_ giving anybody the sex talk. God, it sounds awful, though."

"It was!" I proclaimed, gripping my hair in exasperation. "It was the most embarrassing conversation I've ever had in my entire life! I would've gladly taken a paddling instead of enduring that talk."

Ned grinned widely before sobering as he said, "I totally get you, dude. I felt the same way when my dad tried to talk to me a couple years ago."

"Tried?" I pressed, and he nodded with a smirk.

"Yeah, _tried_ ," he repeated. "It turns out he was more embarrassed by the topic than I was, so he barely managed to tell me anything before declaring I knew enough."

"Lucky," I grumbled, wishing the same thing had happened to me. "He was nervous at first, but the more he got talking, the _easier_ he seemed to find it, and I swear he would've kept going if I hadn't begged him to stop."

"That sucks," Ned said with a grimace before shaking his head in disbelief.

"Still can't believe he told you where he keeps his condoms, though," Ned the said with a small laugh, and I glared.

"Don't remind me," I complained, rubbing my face furiously as if the mere idea could be wiped from my mind by doing so.

Our conversation, thankfully, moved on to easier topics, and we conversed until Pepper knocked on my door to let me know it was bed time. I withheld a grumble as I bid my best friend goodbye.

As I settled myself in bed, Mom came over and leaned over to give me a kiss goodnight.

"Goodnight, honey," she told me lovingly, and I responded in kind.

Morning came quickly, but the school day passed slowly, much too slowly. Classmates continued to question me, but only the ones that were certain I'd been up to no good. My temper flared several times throughout the day, and I fought hard to keep from snapping at any of them or breaking something in anger.

My friends, as usual, were my godsend. They worked wonders at keeping people away, or at giving me encouraging and sympathetic looks when they were unable to help. I managed to make it through the day, and pulled MJ in for a tight hug, twirling her around I was so ecstatic to be out of school. She laughed before letting me know her sister would be dropping her off at the tower at 4:30. That would allow me time to start cooking.

Amanda was the one to pick me up today, and while at first delighted, I was quickly disappointed when she told me she'd be flying out tomorrow morning.

"You're doing better, and I've got a young singer who's beginning to panic as her first concert is coming up," she informed me apologetically, and I fought to keep from pouting.

"I understand," I told her in a neutral tone, and she looked at me mournfully.

"I'm sorry, Peter, I know we were planning on visiting some museums this weekend, but I just"—

"I get it," I interrupted sharply, crossing my arms and looking out the window. I knew I was acting petulantly, but I was hurt that she was leaving so soon. We'd barely had any time together, and she said she'd come for me. I mean, I guess I was better, but she had promised me this weekend would be for us.

She was an important person with an important job, I thought to myself bitterly, just like every other adult in your life.

"Darling, please look at me," Amanda requested as we arrived home, but I couldn't bring myself to.

"Sorry, but I've got to get ready for MJ," I stated, rushing out of the elevator the second the doors opened and towards my room.

"Peter," I heard Amanda call, but I ignored her. I felt guilty at the hurt I heard in her tone, but I also felt hurt. She'd promised me this weekend would be just she and I.

I'm being stupid…and childish.

She promised, though, and it's not like I see her often. She lives in freaking London! Her client can wait!

I shook my head of these thoughts, focusing instead on getting ready for MJ. It was Valentine's day. Today was about making her happy. I couldn't be distracted by other things.

I showered, changing into clean clothes, but not the ones I would wear when she was here. Since I was going to be cooking right now, I didn't want to get dirty. I did try and style my hair a little, but since it was so short, there wasn't much I could do with it. When Tony had taken me for a haircut, I hadn't thought they'd practically shave me down. Whatever. It'd grow back.

I went out into the kitchen to see Mom getting food out for me. "I haven't prepared anything," she told me quickly, and I nodded my head. I'd let her know that I wanted to do _everything_ , from prepping the food to cooking it.

Looking at me fully, she frowned before saying, "That's not what you're planning on wearing is it?"

I rolled my eyes as I replied, "No, Mom, I just didn't want to get my clothes dirty while cooking."

"That's what aprons are for," she replied, holding one out to me. I gave her a disbelieving look. The apron had _flowers_ on it. There was no way I was going to wear that.

"I've never seen Dad wear an apron," I decided to say, and this time she rolled her eyes as she remarked somewhat sarcastically, "And Tony is the best role model around."

Chuckling, I began to prepare the ingredients, Mom just watching and occasionally correcting. In half an hour, I was cooking the pasta in one dish and the shrimp in another.

"Mmmm, everything is smelling exactly as it should," Mom declared, giving me a proud look. "Once they finish cooking, just combine them and let it simmer until you're ready to eat."

"Awesome," I stated with a large grin, feeling rather proud of myself.

"Now, you should go change. You did say MJ was arriving at 4:30, right?" Mom inquired.

Noting it was already 4PM, a flutter of nerves went through me as I nodded before rushing into my room. I threw on some dress pants, a dark green dress shirt, and a black vest over it. I considered a tie, but immediately nixed it. I hated those things, and I already felt I was too dressed up. Putting on my nicest shoes, I looked into the mirror and took some deep breaths. I was nervous.

"You got this," I told myself aloud. "It's just MJ." Taking another breath, I nodded before going back into the kitchen where Amanda had now joined Pepper. The second they saw me, both their expressions lit up.

"You look so handsome!" Mom cried out, coming over and hugging me. "I know you hate it, but please let me take at least one picture," she begged, and I groaned before nodding. She pulled out her phone, and I stood awkwardly, giving her a smile as she took way more than _one_ photo.

"Look here," my grandmother called, and I groaned again before smiling as she took a _million_ photos.

"Happy?" I asked when I thought they were done. "Please tell me you're not going to be here when MJ arrives," I pleaded. "She hates pictures just like me."

"Awww, but I bet you two would look so cute together," Pepper cooed, and the only reason I didn't scream in frustration was because I could see the teasing glint in her eye.

Huffing irritably, I just narrowed my eyes as the two women laughed at my embarrassment.

"Okay, okay," Mom said once she caught her breath, "we're going. Remember, we'll be back at 8PM, and if you need anything, we'll be downstairs. Love you and have fun," she told me, pulling me in for another hug.

"Love you too," I mumbled back, and when we broke apart I just gave Amanda a nod as I told her goodbye. She looked upset for a second, but then covered it with a smile as she wished me good luck. Then, they were gone.

Thank god.

With only ten minutes to 4:30, I hurried to set the table, grinning when I noticed it was already set. The table had been shrunk down, which I didn't know was possible. There was a large vase full red roses, and two place settings with the kind of dishes you'd see during Thanksgiving or Christmas. There was even a bottle of sparkling cider on ice, and I had to laugh at that.

"Peter, Ms. Jones is asking for permission to enter," Friday alerted me.

"Let her up," I told her, and it took less than a minute for the elevator doors to open.

"Wow," was the first word out of my mouth when I caught sight of her. I was suddenly very glad Pepper had convinced me to dress up, because she was sporting a yellow knee-high dress with spaghetti straps. It wasn't something you'd wear to prom, but it was definitely nicer than what someone would wear to school.

"You look gorgeous," I stated as I walked over.

She seemed a little self-conscious as she looked down at herself. "Yeah, it's Cassie's. She said I should dress up, and I, uh, guess that was a good idea seeing as you did."

I grinned widely at that, telling her how I only dressed up because of my mom. We shared a laugh before I brought her over to the table.

Pulling out a chair for her, she raised an eyebrow before sitting down. "Thank you, Mr. Stark," she said in a prim and proper tone.

Snickering, I replied in a deeper, dignified voice, "You're most welcome, Ms. Jones." We both laughed again before I went to grab two plates of food.

"I hope you like this," I said, butterflies erupting in my stomach. "I don't know why I didn't just ask you what you wanted. I mean, what if you're allergic to shrimp or just don't like it," I rambled nervously, and MJ just stared at me in amusement before spearing a shrimp with her fork and putting it in my mouth. As I chewed, she began to eat.

"I love pasta and I love shrimp," she told me after having swallowed her first bite. I let out a sigh of relief before beginning to eat.

As we ate, I kind of felt it was too quiet, so I asked Friday to play us some music. When fancy, romantic music came on, I flushed, sputtering an apology to MJ before telling Friday to knock it off.

"Regular music!" I hollered at her exasperatedly. "Like what I usually listen to."

MJ just smirked at me, seemingly enjoying how flustered and embarrassed I was.

The rest of dinner passed without any more embarrassing episodes. I asked MJ if she wanted some dessert since Pepper had helped me bake an apple pie the night before.

"Maybe later," she remarked, holding a hand out to me. "Let's dance a little. I like this song."

I followed her out into an empty space between the kitchen and living room and watched MJ dance. Her eyes were closed, a small smile on her face, and she looked relaxed and happy. My heart beat rapidly as I stared at her, and I felt like I was falling in love.

"Peter," she complained when her eyes opened, "quit staring and dance with me."

I grinned before joining her for a dance. I felt a little stupid dancing randomly in my house, but seeing how much fun MJ was having, made all discomfort vanish.

We danced for several songs, our dancing getting more and more ridiculous as the songs changed. As one song ended, I was dancing on the ceiling, and MJ was roaring with laughter at how ridiculous I looked.

A slow song started to play, and agilely landing on the floor, I pulled my girlfriend close and began to dance slowly. Feeling more confidence than usual, I showed off a little of the dancing that my parents had showed me back for the Homecoming dance. We weren't just shuffling from side to side but twirling around the room. We made it through two slow songs before I felt the urge to pull her in for a deep kiss. She seemed startled at first, but quickly returned it, wrapping her arms around my neck, one hand making its way up through my hair.

Easily picking her up, I carried her over to the couch where we had the most intense make-out session ever. Breaking apart from another kiss, we were both breathing heavily as we looked into each other's eyes.

I had a sudden understanding of what Dad meant when he said that things could get carried away, because right here right now, I felt I could easily and happily keep going. Leaning forward, I gave MJ another gentle kiss before regretfully breaking apart.

She gave me a questioning look, and with a reddening face, I admitted, "I'm not ready."

Her face took on instant understanding, a kind smile adorning her face as she replied, "Me neither."

We both laughed, the momentary awkwardness dissipating. Looking at the time, I realized we had time to watch a movie before Pepper and Amanda would return.

We chose _Pitch Perfect 3_ , a movie neither of us had seen. We'd seen the first two, which had been funny, so we figured we'd enjoy this one as well. I was right. By the time the movie ended, both our sides hurt from how much we'd been laughing.

"Guess our dates over," MJ sighed as her phone buzzed. "Brocks here."

"Guess so," I replied as I heard the elevator coming up. Leaning forward, I pulled her for one more kiss, breaking apart just as the elevator doors opened.

"Thanks for coming," I whispered. "I had a great time."

"Me too," she replied, and I grinned widely as I pulled her to her feet.

Looking over at my mom and Amanda, I felt my confidence evaporate, and I blushed at the adoring looks they were throwing us.

After greeting MJ, they forced us into several dozen photos before MJ explained that her brother was waiting for her. I went down the elevator with her, and we shared sheepish grins. When we arrived on the ground floor, MJ stepped out and gave me a little wave.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow," she said awkwardly, and I gave a jerky nod. She began to walk away, and with a last bit of courage, I rushed over, pulled her around and brought her in for one last kiss.

"I love you," I muttered when we broke apart, and she laughed lightly as she put her hands on my chest.

"I love you too," she stated, and with those words, she turned and walked outside, and I swore there was a slight spring in her step.

Heart hammering at everything that had happened tonight, I barely noticed as I walked into the elevator and took it back to my floor. My mind just went over every second I'd spent with MJ, and it was only Pepper loudly snapping her fingers in front of me that brought me back to the present.

"Huh?" was my eloquent response.

A large, knowing smile was on Mom's face as she said, "Well, I was going to ask you how everything went, but by the look on your face I gather it went _very well_."

I blushed, pulling at the collar of my shirt as I mumbled, "Yeah, she was great—I mean, we had a great time!" I amended, face turning even redder. "We had a great time," I repeated, and when I noticed the extreme look of amusement on Mom's face, I hightailed it to my room.

Collapsing onto my bed, I let out a loud sigh of content. It had been a great night. MJ was the best. She was beautiful, kind, funny, smart, and so badass. She was easy to talk to, and she just got me. Was I in love? Yeah, I think I was. I mean, I did love her. Was she the one, though? Would it last? I mean, did high school relationships ever last?

I slapped a hand onto my face to snap myself out of these thoughts.

Quit overthinking things, I scolded myself. Relish the moment. Don't think so much.

It was an amazing night, so don't ruin it with doubts about the future.

Rolling over, I grabbed a pillow and buried my head in it, smiling contentedly.

Best Valentine's Day Ever.

 **A/N: So, hope you enjoyed! I know things got a little heavy for some of you, but I kept it PG-13, I think. Just felt Peter and MJ needed some time together. Sorry I didn't include any Tony and Pepper, though.**


	62. Chapter 62

**Chapter 62: Thanks for Staying**

 **Peter's POV:**

My alarm went off, and I blindly reached out to try and turn it off before realizing I no longer had a physical alarm clock.

"I'm awake, Fri," I mumbled, stifling a yawn as I sat up and stretched. Next to me, Anthony gave his own yawn, and I made a face as his dog breath hit me. Need doggy toothpaste ASAP.

Another day of interrogations, I thought dismally, before blinking slowly as I recalled yesterday. Valentine's Day. MJ.

A large smile spread across my face as I thought of last night. I lay back on my bed and just stared up at my ceiling contentedly, absentmindedly running my hand over Anthony's fur.

A knock on my door broke me out of my reverie, and I said, "Come in."

The door opened, and I began to grin at seeing it was Amanda. The grin quickly fell, though, at seeing her suitcase at her side.

She was leaving.

She was leaving _me_.

A sudden wave of petulance surged through me.

"Good morning, Peter," Amanda spoke kindly, and frowning deeply, I gave her only a glance before getting out of bed.

"You're leaving," I stated tonelessly.

"I am," she answered with regret, taking a few steps towards me. Out of the corner of my eye I saw her reaching out a hand to me, but I moved out of the way before she could touch me. Grabbing clothes from my dresser, I spared her one more glance as I angrily said, "Good bye," before walking into the restroom and slamming the door shut.

With my back against the door, my heart pounded as I waited for her to say or do something in response. A part of me was elated when I heard her approach the door and call out my name. Another part of me, though, was resentful. She was leaving, and I didn't want her to. She'd lied to me.

"Go away," I hissed furiously, heart still beating rapidly.

" _Peter_ ," she called out now in a firm tone, "come out and talk to me, please. This attitude is beneath you. I know you're upset, and I'm sorry, darling, but this young lady needs me right now."

I gritted my teeth to keep from blurting out that _I_ needed her more. Instead, I snapped, "Then just go if she needs you so much!" Obviously, her job was more important than me.

A frustrated sigh was emitted from the other side of the door, and I felt a glimmer of satisfaction that I was upsetting her, because I too was upset.

"Peter," she began softly, "I love you, and I don't want us to part ways like this. Please, just open the door so we can talk."

"No," I retorted stubbornly, forcefully ignoring the feelings she provoked when she said she loved me.

She's leaving, I told myself. She's leaving, which means she doesn't love you. If she loved you, then she'd stay.

"Darling, _please_ ," Amanda pleaded, her voice right at the door, and my heart clenched at the sadness in her voice.

" _What_?!" I replied harshly, breathing heavily due to how angry, frustrated, and hurt I was.

There were several moments of silence, but I knew she hadn't left as I could still hear her breathing.

"I know you're hurt, and again, I am very sorry," she told me earnestly. "What can I do to make this better?"

Without thinking, I replied, "Stay." I cringed afterwards, hating how small and childish I sounded. Why was I acting like this? Why was I so bothered by her leaving? I felt embarrassed at how clingy I suddenly felt towards her. I was like a little kid who didn't want their mom to leave, but while I couldn't identify _why_ I felt this way, I couldn't seem to _stop_ from feeling this way.

A quiet groan was the response I received. "How about a compromise?" she suggested. "I will go home to help out my client, and once I'm done with that I will come right back. It shouldn't be more than a couple days. Is that alright?"

If she'd told me this yesterday, maybe I would've reacted like the mature young man I could be, but I was clearly having a childish tantrum. Realizing this, though, didn't stop me from acting like this, so with a hammering heart I coldly responded, "If you really loved me you wouldn't leave for some random client. You've made your desires clear, so just leave, Amanda. Like you said, _she_ needs you."

With those petulant words, I quickly turned the shower on, not wanting to hear her response.

Honestly, I expected her to continue pleading with me or to even start scolding me for how childish and disrespectful I was acting, but instead, she just left. Disappointment and hurt filled me, and I angrily swiped away a stray tear before pushing her out of my mind. I couldn't afford to be focusing on her when I would have to be dealing with my classmates at school.

After I showered, I entered my room, once again disappointed at not finding my grandmother here. I had somewhat hoped she'd have stayed, but whatever.

Anthony jumped off my bed and padded over to me, giving a low whine as he sensed my emotions. Kneeling, I pulled my boy into a tight hug. "Don't worry, buddy, we don't need her anyways," I told him, and Anthony once more gave another whine, putting a paw on my knee as he licked my face once.

I smiled at his love for me, and I placed a kiss to his head. "Nat will be here soon to take you out for your run," I informed him, and he wagged his tale happily at hearing Natasha's name. "Be good," I then stated, giving him another kiss before heading to my balcony. I was going to crawl down to a lower level before getting into the elevator as I didn't want to run in to Amanda.

Jumping on to the side of the building, I crawled down to the common floor, Friday opening up the balcony door for me to enter. Vision and Bruce, who'd been conversing with one another as I walked in both stared at me with inquiring looks.

"Morning," I greeted with false cheer as I walked in to the kitchen. I could feel their questioning stares, but I didn't feel the need to explain. Opening the fridge, I grabbed two protein shakes and headed to the elevator.

"Later," I told them, and they both shared a confused look before wishing me a good day.

Happy was already waiting for me when I reached the ground floor. He took one look at my face and knew something was wrong, but when he pushed I refused to tell him. Thankfully he decided to let me be.

As he drove me, I did my best to forget about Amanda, but it wasn't until I saw MJ waiting for me at her usual spot that I was able to. Just seeing her caused a sense of calm to flow through me, and I relaxed, smiling softly as I exited my car.

The second I reached MJ, I pulled her into a hug, giving her a soft smile before releasing her. She smirked back while also eyeing me.

"What's wrong?" she asked, and I was surprised she could tell something was bothering me.

"Nothing," I answered, not wanting to get into it with her. I knew my actions this morning had been both embarrassing and unacceptable. I only mildly regretted it, though.

MJ raised a disbelieving eyebrow, so I sighed before telling her I was just bracing myself for today's interrogations. She gave me a sympathetic smile as she squeezed my hand.

Ned arrived followed shortly by Flash, who was sporting a large grin. At our inquiry, he just sighed happily and said he'd had a good night. I really didn't care to contemplate what he meant by _that_.

Flash then began to ask MJ and I how our date had gone, his eyebrows rising in a suggestive manner, but, thankfully, the bell rang before we needed to respond.

"This conversation isn't over, Parker," Flash remarked with a smirk, and I just rolled my eyes as we headed to our first period.

 **Tony's POV:**

Opening my eyes, I glanced at my bedside clock to see it was nearing 1PM. I sat up, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, wincing when my hands touched my bruised right eye.

"Ugh," I grumbled as I sat up, grimacing at feeling every ache and pain. As I looked down at my torso, I could see several bruises, so I walked in to my bathroom to retrieve the bruise cream. It wouldn't help with the bruised ribs, unfortunately. Those would have to heal the old-fashioned way.

The mission had not been a complete success, and that ate away at me since it should have been. It was nothing we hadn't handled before, but we'd failed where it mattered most. We hadn't been able to save the people SHIELD had sent prior to us.

We'd gone to Kansas, middle of _nowhere_ Kansas because SHIELD scientists had been getting some really weird readings from there. They'd sent some people to check out what was going on but hadn't been heard back from. Hill had then asked if we could look in to this for her as she had a strong feeling it was alien in nature. Not to mention, she was reluctant to send any more of her people considering she still didn't know what had happened to the first group she'd sent.

"Nice to know you care so much about us, Hill," I remarked sarcastically, and she'd frowned before sighing.

"You know it's not like that, Stark," she retorted. "It's probably another one of those damned portals, and you guys have experience with this. Not to mention you guys can deal with much more than any of my people can, and you know it. Just do me this favor," she asked. "It's Kansas, so it's not like I'm asking you to go on an international journey. You can probably be there and back within a day."

"Now you're just buttering me up," I commented with a smirk before I agreed. There wasn't any reason we couldn't go, and she was right. The Avengers did have experience with protals. I hadn't wanted to leave Peter, but knowing he was getting better and that he had both Pepper and Amanda, I felt I could leave for a day or two to take care of this.

I gathered Vision, Natasha, Bruce, and Rhodey for this. This would be Rhodey's first official mission since his injury, and I felt as it was in the US that if things went wrong we'd be able to get him help quickly. He'd been ecstatic.

Hill sent us coordinates, and in less than hour, we arrived in the middle of some prairie with nothing but dirt, grass, and chattering prairie dogs for miles. Well, I guess that assessment wasn't quite right. There was a SHIELD truck turned on its side with two missing tires and large gashes on the side that looked like claw marks.

What. The. Hell.

"Is anybody else getting a bad feeling about this?" I asked rhetorically as I neared the truck.

Rhodey stared at the damage with incredulous eyes. "What do you think caused it?"

"Nothing from our planet," Bruce answered, his voice coming from inside the truck.

Damn.

"Another portal," Natasha sighed, and she, Bruce, and I exchanged weary looks. Back when the Avengers had just been starting out, there'd been a lot of these random inter-dimensional portals appearing all over the world with all sorts of beings and creatures coming through. Nobody was controlling them.

According to Thor it had to do with some alignment of planets that only happened every couple thousand years, and this was the first time Earth as experiencing this. The thunder god seemed unphased by everything that came out of those portals, but it turns out he'd already confronted some of them in his many, _many_ years of life. In fact, he delighted in these sorts of calls as he didn't have to worry about being too careful. SHIELD protocol had always been to basically attack and destroy.

"Any idea what did it?" Rhodey asked, looking at us three.

"I hope it's not werewolves again," I mumbled, recalling how the overly large canid, way-too-intelligent creatures had used me like a chew toy.

"I'd rather deal with those than the heffalumps," Natasha stated, and I snorted, recalling how she'd wanted to keep one. Those creatures had been rather cute, although they'd been rather destructive. Thankfully, their portal opened back up, so we threw them all back in. None of us had wanted to kill those cute guys…even if they did breathe fire.

"A Heffalump?" Vision inquired in obvious confusion.

"Winnie the Pooh reference," I informed him, and he frowned deeply, his mind no doubt searching the internet. I knew he'd found what we were talking about when his eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Vampire ducks were pretty weird," Bruce added, and I chuckled as I recalled the flying black ducks with large vampire fangs. Some might think that sounded cute or cool, but they'd been the size of cars, and that hadn't been so cool.

"Still rather deal with those than those giant sludge things," I declared with a shudder. "They smelled like an outhouse and were impervious to most our weapons."

"How did you defeat them?" Vision asked.

"From the inside," Nat answered, giving a disgusted shudder of her own.

Yeah, at least she didn't have to go in them. It'd been left to me, Thor, and the Hulk to allow ourselves to be swallowed before destroying them from the inside out.

"How did you know that'd work?" Rhodey asked curiously.

"Thor accidentally got eaten," I informed him, and he just shook his head in mild disbelief.

"Well, from what I can tell, this doesn't remind me of anything we've fought before," Bruce asserted, crawling out of the truck with a frown. "I also don't see any sign of what happened to the agents and scientists."

We all frowned at that, hearts sinking as that meant they were most likely dead.

A familiar crackling sound appeared from our left, and I sighed heavily as I called my armor to me. Here we go again, I thought dismally.

"Look alive everybody," I ordered seriously.

"Bruce, head back to the jet, and I'll let you know if we need a code green," I told him, and he promptly sprinted off towards the jet.

The portal reached its full size, and I fought back a groan at seeing a giant eye staring at me through it. A very creepy, evil-looking, reptilian eye.

Crap, crap, crap, crap!

A loud hiss/growl escaped the being as a clawed foot or hand went through the portal.

"What the hell?!" Rhodey gasped in horror when the creature emerged fully. I pretty much agreed with his assessment as I eyed the large, _flying_ , snake-like thing. It had the body of a snake, the wings of a bird, and the arms of, uh, Godzilla. Yup, we were fighting Snakezilla.

"Uh, Brucie-bear?" I radioed, my voice coming out a little higher pitched than usual.

"Code green?" he asked shakily, and I knew he was seeing what I was seeing.

"Code green," I agreed.

I looked towards my team and simply said, "It doesn't leave this area. It either goes back through that portal or we blow it to smithereens."

Nods were given, and I promptly took off. I knew I wasn't good at this leader stuff. If Steve had been here he would've given some inspirational speech before giving everybody directions, but I figured everybody could handle themselves. We'd trained together, and we knew how to work together. This was one creature, albeit a large and scary looking creature, but we were more than enough for it. Honestly, I was more worried about Natasha and Rhodey's wellbeing at this point. Nat didn't have armor or the ability to fly, and this was Rhodey's first time in battle since his injury.

The battle had been short, but I'd lost focus when Snakezilla had sent Rhodey flying to the floor.

" _Rhodes_!" I'd screamed in panic, my mind immediately flashing to the battle in Germany when he'd been injured. Blood freezing, I'd been turning to fly towards him when I heard his voice over the comm.

"Relax, Tones, I'm fine," he said, promptly getting back in to the air. I'd been trying to get my pounding heart under control when I heard several voices yelling, "Tony look out!" as a large clawed hand grabbed hold of me.

"Ah!" I yelled out in both surprise and pain, the creature's strong grip managing to dent my armor. My arms were trapped, and I was finding it hard to breathe with how hard the monster was squeezing me.

"Friday, let's blast this thing to kingdom come," I wheezed, suppressing a groan as it started bringing me towards its mouth. Really? It was going to eat me?

I immediately let out a blast from my arc reactor, burning a hole right through Snakezilla's hand, which caused it to throw me to the ground while screeching in anger. Vision, Hulk, and Rhodey swooped in here, blasting and shoving the creature towards the portal that was beginning to close.

Getting back into the air, Rhodey and I quickly grabbed hold of its arms while Vision blasted its face and Hulk chewed on its body. Yes, the Hulk was _chewing_ on the snake. Why he felt this was helpful was beyond me, but whatever.

"Portals closing fast, boys. This device won't hold for much longer," she informed us, grunting with the effort of keeping the portal open. Bruce and I had created a device to help keep portals open, preferring to return the alien beings back to their homes rather than just killing them.

"Vis, Rhodes, on the count of three!" I called, counting down, and then blasting Snakezilla until it flew back through the portal it'd come through. Nat disengaged the device, which allowed the portal to snap shut.

I landed on the ground and retracted my helmet, looking down at the damage my suit had sustained.

"You're an idiot," Rhodey declared as he landed next to me, retracting his own helmet. "You know a hit like that is nothing, and you nearly got yourself killed by getting distracted," he scolded.

I knew he was right, but I didn't feel like admitting it, so I just griped, "Well, excuse me for caring about your wellbeing, sour patch. Won't happen again."

The colonel just huffed, shaking his head irritably.

Vision landed down next to me, looking completely fine. "What do we do now?" he asked. "Do you think the portal will open again?"

"I don't know," I admitted with a slight shrug. "We've never had a portal open in the same place twice. Usually it was one and done. I'm going to take some energy readings," I decided, my suit immediately getting to work.

In the distance I saw Nat making her way towards the jet with a now human Bruce.

"See if you can read anything we can't," I ordered Vision, and he gave a single nod, taking to the air.

"Nat, let Hill know what's up," I then requested, and the assassin gave the affirmative.

I spent the next twenty minutes taking different readings of the area, Bruce joining in by attempting to gather data from the SHIELD truck.

Another half hour passed before we all met outside the truck.

"I have detected nothing out of the ordinary," Vision informed us.

"Yeah, all my readings are coming out normal," I said in mild frustration.

"I think this area is safe now," Bruce told us, looking down at some files. "I took my own readings, and like you said, everything is normal. I've got the readings SHIELD had, and they're nothing alike."

"Do you think we should stick around for another day just to be sure, though?" Rhodey suggested, and all eyes turned towards me.

I hated that. I didn't want to lead. I wasn't cut out to lead. Yeah, I'd accept second in command, but the true leader of the Avengers was Steve. He was born for the role. I wasn't. I sucked at it.

"24 hours," I eventually said, withholding a disappointed sigh. I really wanted to just go home, but my sense of duty won out. We had to be sure.

It was a long 24 hours, and we periodically took readings, with Vision, Rhodey, and I flying around the area to see if any more portals were opening. We also looked for any sign of the missing SHIELD agents, and it was with a guilty heart that I informed Hill that night that we'd found no sign of them. She took the news with the ease of someone who'd been through this too many times before thanking me for the help.

Some help, I thought darkly.

When the 24 hours were up, we promptly returned home, each of us retiring to our rooms. I barely said a hello and goodnight to Pepper before falling asleep without even showering or changing.

Shaking my head of these memories, I got into the shower. The shower felt great, and I stood there for a while, relishing in the feel of the hot water hitting my sore body. Walking out, I dried off, wrapped up my ribs as tightly as I could, and got dressed in casual clothes. Stomach growling loudly, I then set off in search of food.

When I exited the hallway and looked towards the kitchen, I was surprised by three things. One, that there was somebody there. Two, that the person sitting there was Amanda, who I'd thought had gone home this morning. Three, that she was _crying_. She sat on a stool, suit case and guitar at her side, with silent tears going down her face. She was fiddling with something on her phone, sniffing loudly, and wiping at her face in both sadness and anger.

Concern and fear flooded through me at what could have happened to have caused this.

"Amanda, what happened?" I asked worriedly, and she jumped in shock, quickly swiping at her tears before greeting me with a watery smile.

"Nothing, sweetheart," she answered automatically, and I just raised a disbelieving eyebrow before morphing my expression into a concerned one.

She opened and then closed her mouth, letting out a sad sigh. "It's nothing," she repeated, as thought trying to convince herself at that. "I'm just being silly. I seem to have grown overly emotional and sensitive in my old age." She gave a forced laugh, giving me an embarrassed smile as she dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. "Just ignore me."

Taking slow steps towards her, I shook my head. "How can I ignore my mother crying?" I questioned in bewilderment. "I'd be the worst son ever to walk away. Now, who do I need to beat up?" I asked in a lame attempt at humor.

That attempt failed miserably, and her face seemed to crumple, more tears falling as she turned her head away.

Alarmed, and somewhat at a loss, I stepped even closer and placed a hesitant hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong?" I pressed, and she stubbornly shook her head.

"Nothing, Anthony," she declared firmly, taking in several deep breaths. "I'm being ridiculous. Just please let this go."

I deliberated on whether to do as she said or not, but the look of hurt in her eyes told me I couldn't.

"I thought you were going home today," I commented evenly, sitting myself down in the seat next to her. "Change your mind?"

She nodded, and I waited for her to explain, but she said nothing.

"Didn't you have an emergency at work, though? Did it get resolved?" I inquired gently, and she pursed her lips before shaking her head once. I wasn't sure what she was saying no to, so I gave her a small nudge and encouraging grin to urge her to talk to me.

"The issue is not resolved, but I-I just…I couldn't leave," she stated, and I frowned in confusion.

"Not that I mind having you around, but I don't understand," I remarked with furrowed brows. "Why couldn't you leave?" I highly doubted she hadn't found a way to get to the airport, or that all my planes were broken.

Her hands that had been wringing stilled, and she looked at them as she dabbed away the last of her tears. With a few more deep breaths she seemed to regain control of herself, so she turned to look at me with a kind smile. The smile quickly dropped, though, her eyes turning to concern as her hand reached out to my face.

"What happened?" she asked, looking rather alarmed.

"This is nothing," I told her with a dismissive wave of my hand. "Mission got a little rough, but I'll be fine in no time," I assured her with an easy grin, but she didn't look reassured. She gripped my chin, gently moving my head so she could get a closer look to my bruised eye.

"Are you hurt anywhere else?" she demanded to know, and I was going to lie, but she was suddenly eyeing me sternly with a 'don't you dare lie to me, young man' expression I'd seen on my adoptive mom and Aunt Peggy's face more times than I could count.

"Ribs and torso a little bruised, but it's not a big deal," I insisted with confidence. "I've had much worse, and like I said, I'll be healed soon."

"You've had much worse," she repeated unhappily, and I realized that hadn't really been the best thing to say.

"Amanda," I said softly, placing a hand on top of hers, "I swear I'm fine. It barely even hurts," I boasted with a charming grin.

My words only seemed to sadden her, though, and an unreadable look flashed through her eyes as she whispered with emotion, "You sound just like _him_." I didn't need to ask who she meant. She was referring to Jude, my biological father. Considering this man had betrayed her, I really didn't think her comment was of happiness or pride.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled guiltily, looking down as I felt I must have disappointed or hurt her.

"Oh, no…no, no, no, Anthony," she rushed to say, lifting my face back up to look at her, "I didn't mean that in a bad way. I'm not upset, just surprised."

I felt a little reassured, but I still frowned, feeling uncertain. She seemed to read the emotion in my eyes for she looked distressed and apologetic.

"Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry," she apologized, standing up and abruptly hugging me. "I'm awful at this mother thing. I shouldn't have compared you to him. I swear I don't think you're him at all. You are a much better man," she asserted, pulling away enough to look me in the eyes.

Feeling more reassured and relieved, I gave her a small smile as I said, "It's okay, and I think you're a great mom. Nope, don't argue with me," I added when her mouth opened. "I had two moms in Maria and Peggy, so I have experience with mothers. You're an awesome mom and an awesome grandmother."

Her eyes seemed to shine with emotion, and she looked like she wanted to hug me again, but was afraid to, so with a roll of my eyes, I wrapped my own arms around her.

"Thank you," she whispered into my ear, giving me a kiss to the cheek before breaking apart.

"So," I now said, deciding to move the conversation back to her, "what got you so upset, and what can I do to help?"

"Anthony," she sighed in slight exasperation, "It was noth"—

"Nuh uh," I interjected with a firm shake of my head. "You wouldn't have stayed, and you wouldn't have been crying over nothing. Please, Amanda," I pleaded, "tell me what happened."

She looked indecisive, but at my pleading eyes, she let out a breath before saying, "You'll be angry."

Taken aback, I shot her a thoroughly confused look. Why would I be angry? Mind whirling, I could only guess that someone I knew had caused this.

She took one of my hands in hers. "You have to promise not to get upset with him," she asked, and frown deepening, my list of suspects was narrowing down.

"We'll see," I responded, and at her pointed look, I shrugged as I said, "I won't hurt them if that's what you're afraid of." Although, I wasn't sure if I could keep that promise. If somebody had hurt her, then I would make them pay.

Lips pursed, she eyed me before beginning to talk. "He was extremely upset over my leaving, and I understand. I promised him I'd stay longer, and we had plans for this weekend," she told me, and my list of people narrowed down to one: Peter. Teeth gritting, I listened as she recounted this morning's conversation.

That disrespectful little spider, I thought furiously. How dare he treat her with such blatant disrespect. How dare he act in such a childish manner, throwing a tantrum like a boy half his age! Oh, when I got my hands on that spiderling, I was going to blister his backside.

"He had absolutely no right to treat you like that," I declared, my voice hoarse with suppressed anger. "His actions were that of a petulant child. He knows better than to act like this, Amanda," I told her, "and you shouldn't have stayed for him. He'll just think it's okay to throw a tantrum to get what he wants."

"You didn't see or hear how upset he was," she defended, as only a grandmother could. "And, he had reason to be"—

"No, he didn't," I argued sharply. "His actions were those of spoiled boy, and once he and I are done _talking_ , he will be apologizing profusely to you."

With a frown, Amanda shook her head at me. "Anthony, _no_ ," she attempted to order. "This is exactly why I didn't want to tell you as I knew you'd react like this. Don't punish him, please."

I was the one shaking my head now. "I'm not going to let this go," I replied resolutely. "He can't get away with thinking his actions were in any way acceptable."

My mother huffed in frustration, looking rather upset on my son's behalf. "Very well," she gave in with much reluctance, "I understand that, but _just_ have a talk with him. You don't need to spank him for this as I'm at fault."

"You're not at fault in the slightest!" I immediately refuted, askance that she could actually think that. "You had a legitimate reason to leave, and you even promised to return in a few days. No, you are definitely not at fault, and I _will_ be spanking him. You won't be changing my mind," I had to add when she continued to argue with me.

She seemed to sense my determination because she looked immensely frustrated and upset as she crossed her arms and just looked at me with pursed lips. Crossing my own arms, I simply stared back at her. We remained in this stare-off for an entire minute before she scoffed and graced me with an exasperated smile.

"There's no changing your mind?" she questioned with a slight pleading tone.

"No chance," I answered firmly. She now let out a sad sigh, which made me feel bad, but I didn't change my mind.

I waited a few moments before saying, "You should go home, y'know. You have work, and the kid will survive without you."

Her head was shaking negatively before I'd even finished my suggestion. "No, I've already taken care of my work issues. I'm staying," she declared, shooting me a challenging look that I didn't even try to fight.

I just huffed, knowing that after I punished my little spider, she was going to smother him with affection. I'd just have to make sure the lesson was learned, though, because that stubborn kid couldn't be allowed to think his actions were okay.

"You can't let him treat you with such disrespect," I felt the need to say. "He'll start to think he can get away with anything with you."

"I don't see that happening," she said with confidence. "Peter is a good boy, and I really can't see him taking advantage of me."

"Yet, that's exactly what he did today," I argued. "He used your affection for him against you. Yes, the spiderling is a good kid with a big heart, but he's still a kid. You should have at least scolded him," I griped.

"Grandmothers are meant to spoil their grandchildren, not scold them," she asserted, nose in the air. There was a teasing look in her eyes, though, so I simply rolled my eyes.

Gripping my forearm, she then said more seriously, "I agree his actions were manipulative and disrespectful, but I just couldn't bring myself to chastise him when the reason he was upset so upset was because I was leaving. He was simply hurt."

"Still doesn't make his actions acceptable," I stated, and she nodded her head.

"It does not," she agreed. "I will attempt to be firmer with him in the future if you'd like."

Giving a groan, I shot her an exasperated look as I replied, "You're making me feel like the bad guy. I'm not asking you to spank the boy, but at least get on him if he starts acting disrespectful."

Sporting a small, amused smile, Amanda said, "Very well."

I shook my head, shooting her a slightly pouting look as I complained, "I notice you don't seem to have _any_ problems scolding me. You've gotten on me about my sleeping, eating, drinking,"—

A loud laugh of amusement escaped her, cutting off my words as she looked at me with affection. "Well, Peter is much better behaved than you." I narrowed my eyes unhappily, and she gave another laugh before saying, "It's a mother job to scold their children."

"Huh. Lucky me," I grumbled, not really upset, but just feeling the need to poke fun. Honestly, though, it was she who was seeming to get the most enjoyment, smiling widely as she smoothed back my hair. "Peter gets all the love, and I get the kicks in the butt."

"You know, you're quite adorable when you pout," she remarked, and I shot her a look of outrage.

"I do not pout," I proclaimed indignantly, and she responded with an indulgent look.

"Whatever you say, sweetheart," she remarked with an affectionate pat to my cheek.

Mothers, I thought with a roll of my eyes.

My stomach growled loudly at this point, and I grinned sheepishly before getting up and heading to the fridge. Suddenly starving, I just took out the leftover lasagna and ate it cold. Amanda watched me silently, her eyes seeming to assess me. I wondered what she was looking for, so I maintained eye contact. She waited until I finished eating before speaking.

"When you came into my room a few days ago, you looked distressed. I didn't want to push at the time, content with the simple fact that you'd come to me, but I remain concerned," she informed me in a quiet tone.

Leaning forward on the counter, I mulled over not whether to talk to her, but on how to explain. I was surprised that I didn't even consider not saying anything. It was astounding how quickly I'd come to trust her. I'd accepted her fully into my life and my heart, and it was a further shock that that didn't scare me as much as it should have. Or, maybe it shouldn't have been scary. Maybe, this was the way it should be?

"I wanted to drink," I told her, averting my gaze in shame. "I, uh, figured—I mean, I knew you'd understand, so I just…," I trailed off with a shrug, embarrassed by this weakness. Amanda remained silent, seemingly giving me time to say what I wanted or needed to.

I let out a heavy sigh, staring down at my clenched hands. "I have nightmares," I admitted in a whisper, "all the time, and after Peter got sick and nearly—I was so damn _scared_ that I was going to lose him," I confessed, looking at her in absolute misery. "I nearly lost him, and I didn't know how I would survive if that happened."

I ran two hands through my hair in agitation, pacing slightly around the kitchen. "I'm so terrified of losing him, and of-of not being able to protect him. He's sixteen and he's a goddamn super hero, and I know I can't stop him! I totally get that I sound hypocritical because I know several of you guys feel the same way about me, and that makes me feel guilty, and-and-and I just don't know what to do," I declared in misery, my words beginning to tumble out. Now that I'd started it was like I couldn't stop.

"And, it's not just Peter I'm worried about. Rhodey wants to go out as War Machine full time again, and I'm glad he feels confident about it, but I'm not, and again, I feel like a hypocrite because if I was in his shoes I would've been out as Iron Man as soon as I could have. I mean, even when it was literally killing me I was out there," I admitted, pausing momentarily as I heard the sharp intake of breath Amanda gave. Before she could comment, though, I continued speaking.

"During this last mission, he took a hit, and it wasn't a real hard hit, but I nearly panicked," I recounted in embarrassment. "I froze, and that's when I ended up getting hit. It was a stupid mistake that shouldn't have happened. I should've had more faith in him and my technology. He was safe…well, as safe as any super hero could be."

I paced around some more, feeling my agitation growing. I felt like I either wanted to drink, hit something, or both. Instead, I just leaned back on the counter, gripping it tightly.

"I'm also worried about the others who have been on the run since our goddamn, ridiculous Civil War as the media dubbed it," I stated. "Emotionally, I know they're suffering, and it's just not safe for them. They're being themselves, which means they're putting themselves in danger to help people, and I'm mad when I shouldn't be. It's who they are, and it's who I am. Once again, I'd be doing the same thing in their shoes."

"I want so badly to bring them home, but I can't. I'm failing, and I hate it," I declared, a harsh sigh escaping me. "None of this should ever have happened. They are heroes and they shouldn't be on the run. They shouldn't be considered fugitives. They've done nothing wrong. If anything, it should be _me_ that's considered the criminal with all the stupid shit that I've done. I mean, Ultron…" I trailed off, tears of frustration and guilt filling my eyes. I willed them away before Amanda could notice.

I rubbed the back of my neck, finding my voice again. "I created a psychopathic, murdering robot who wanted to destroy _all_ of humanity because I was afraid. Do you get that? I was so afraid of losing those close to me that I created something that nearly wiped out human kind." My heart raced rapidly, and I was breathing heavily. Releasing my tight hold on the counter I walked out of the kitchen, giving one of the bar stools a harsh kick.

Amanda simply watched it crash to the ground before turning her non-judgmental eyes back towards me.

My mind seemed to race faster than my heart, and my emotions roared through me like an angry hurricane. My hand lifted of its own accord, clutching at my dress shirt right where my scar was. My distress seemed to turn in to agony, and I realized I was on the verge of a panic attack.

Oh, no.

Not now.

No, no, _no._

I grabbed a tight fistful of my shirt, my eyes squeezing tight as I attempted to calm myself down. Freaking out in front of my mother was the last thing I wanted to do.

My wretched memories flashed through my mind like a non-stop horror film, guilt and a sense of having no control taking over.

I just couldn't stop. I couldn't stop _anything_.

I couldn't _fix_ anything.

What kind of genius was I?

With all my money and knowledge, I still couldn't make things better.

I was a failure.

A disappointment.

"Anthony Stark!" a sharp voice called, and my eyes flashed to my mother's who were full of concern. Her hands were on my shoulders, and she forced me into a chair. I half-heartedly attempted to get up, but when she held me down, I couldn't find the energy to try again.

I could tell Amanda was talking to me, but I couldn't make out what she was saying as her voice sounded distant. There was a pounding in my ears and black spots danced in front of my eyes.

Amanda's face was directly in front of mine again, her hands on the sides of my face. She was saying something, but I couldn't make it out. I could see her making exaggerated movements as she breathed, and subconsciously I found myself mimicking her. Within seconds the black spots were gone, and my hearing was restored.

Everything seemed so loud suddenly, my breaths coming out in gasps, and my heart pounding. I gipped my shirt even tighter, my other hand reaching up to join it before being stopped by my mother. She took the hand in hers, and I squeezed it without thinking. Her other hand began to thread through my hair as she leaned over to touch heads with me.

"Breathe for me, sweetheart, breathe," she instructed soothingly.

"I-I can't…I can-can't," I stammered, and she simply smiled kindly, nodding as she said, "Yes, you can, just match your breathing to mine again."

With more effort than it should've, I matched my breathing to hers, and when she began to slow hers down, I had to shake my head as I couldn't do it.

"Easy, now, easy," she spoke, her thumb rubbing soothing circles on my hand while the other massaged my head comfortingly.

My breaths were unsteady, and I realized my entire body was shaking. Amanda's hands now began to rub up and down my arms, both relaxing and steadying me.

To my horror I now felt tears welling up in my eyes, and I shut my eyes tightly, fighting against them. I'd already embarrassed myself enough.

I dropped my head down, so her hands moved back to my head, her thumbs massaging my temples. It was so calming and relaxing, so I leaned in to the touch, my forehead eventually landing on her shoulder.

"Keep breathing, keep breathing," Amanda repeated, her voice soft and encouraging. I focused both on breathing and on her voice, which kept me from focusing on the plethora of things I'd confessed to her.

When I'd finally calmed, I would've been content to stay like this for several more moments, but the burning pain of my ribs demanded that I sit myself up. One arm ow wrapped itself around my stomach, while the other stayed protectively over my scar.

"You're in pain," my mom stated, immediately standing up and moving into the kitchen. I felt suddenly lost without her solid presence, so when she quickly returned I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

"Take these—no, no, don't argue," she commanded, shoving a couple pills into the hand wrapped around my ribs. I mechanically put them in my mouth before swallowing them down with the water she then handed me.

"Good man," she praised, and I snorted, feeling a bizarre urge to laugh.

"Anxiety attacks," she murmured, looking at me sympathetically. Knowing arguing would be fruitless, I gave a single, jerky nod.

"How about you lie down on the couch," she suggested, and I agreed without protest.

I walked in a bit of a daze to the largest couch and just collapsed on it, mildly regretting it as it caused a flash of pain to shoot through me. Once it faded, though, I let out a contented sigh as my ribs didn't seem to hurt so much.

Amanda came over, handing me a pillow that I put under my head before she sat down on the floor beside me.

We both remained silent for several minutes before I broke the silence.

"Sorry about that. I shouldn't have…," I trailed off, waving my hand as I didn't know what I really wanted to say.

Amanda's responding expression was of resignation before she told me with conviction, "You are no failure. You are simply a man who puts too much on his shoulders. I don't expect my words to suddenly change your thinking, but I am sure Pepper, Peter, and your friends would say the same."

I stared up at the ceiling, digesting her words. She was right, her words didn't miraculously change my beliefs, but she was also right when she said my family and friends would echo her sentiments.

"Your concern for everyone is completely natural. I wish I could tell you that the fear will go away, but that would be a lie," she continued, running a hand through my hair. Ugh, did everyone know my weakness, I thought as I happily accepted her comfort.

"You're not alone, Anthony," she then asserted firmly. "Never forget that you have many people who love you and will be there for you through thick and thin. I know trust is difficult for you, but you need to remember that you have people there to help you."

These words had more of an effect on me than her previous ones, so I finally turned to look at her. She was right. I wasn't alone, not anymore. I pinched the bridge of my nose, mentally chastising myself. How many times am I going to make this same mistake of trying to handle everything on my own? Over and over and over again I had to be reminded that I had people to turn to.

I flinched horribly when I felt a hand land on top of the one that protected my scar.

"You're safe, sweetheart. No one here is going to hurt you," she assured me, and gave her a weak, apologetic smile as I unclenched my fist.

"Yeah, I'm good," I told her with more confidence that I felt.

She humored me, though as she replied without teasing, "Of course you are."

"Have you contacted a cardiologist yet?" she asked abruptly, her hand lying gently on my chest.

"Yes," I answered quietly as I looked down at her hand with a hint of wariness I knew wasn't warranted. "It's tomorrow at HQ. Depending on how bad it is, they might need to call in a specialist." A flutter of fear went through me as I thought of the upcoming appointment. I was afraid of how damaged my heart was. Was the damage irreparable? Would I die sooner because of it? Would I need a transplant?

"Is someone going with you?" she inquired in a knowing tone.

"Pepper," I stated, and she nodded in satisfaction.

I continued to stare down at her hand, and her fingers tapped at my chest as she reiterated, "You are safe here. I will not hurt you."

I quirked a small smile at her as I placed my hand on top of hers.

"Feeling better?" Amanda pressed gently.

"Yeah," I responded honestly. "Thanks…Mom," I spoke in a whisper.

I saw and felt her tense at the title, her eyes widening. She quickly covered her surprise, though, grinning widely at me.

"Mr. Stark," Friday called apologetically, "I hate to interrupt, but if you would like to pick Peter up from school, you need to leave now." The kid normally drove himself home, but due to his sickness, we'd insisted on picking him up just because. He'd hadn't argued as of yet, but I knew we'd have to give him his independence back soon.

I immediately sat myself up, wincing in pain while at the same time grimacing when I recalled that my spiderling and I needed to have an unpleasant conversation.

"Stay," Amanda ordered, "I'll pick him up." She stood on her feet before I could even come up with a protest.

"Better bring him home," I warned, only half teasing. I wouldn't put it past the conniving woman to try and keep the impetuous teen away from me.

My mother scoffed at my words, rolling her eyes dramatically as she walked away. I'll admit, her lack of response did mildly concern me.

"Hey, Amanda!" I yelled, "Bring him straight home! I mean it!"

"Bloody hell, Anthony, I'll have him home safe and sound in no time at all, you overreactive man-child!" she hollered back.

I wasn't sure whether to be amused or offended by her words, so I just settled with a slight chuckle.

 **Peter's POV:**

I let out a bored sigh, leaning against a tree as I waited to be picked up. I hoped my parents would get past this overprotective stage soon, because I found getting picked up at school to be both irritating and embarrassing. I mean, I was a junior with a car of my own. Not to mention the attention I'd receive every time a flashy car would appear with the Stark plate.

Speaking of which, here it comes. At least it was one of the more moderate cars, I couldn't help but think as I trudged over to the curb. Judging by the choice of car, I assumed it was Mom who was picking me up, which I found odd as I knew she had work today.

Suffice to say, when I opened the door to find Amanda sitting there, I was completely gobsmacked.

"A-Amanda?" I gasped in shock, a thrill of happiness underlying it. "What are you still doing here?"

Offering me a kind smile, she simply stated, "Well, you wanted me to stay, so I stayed."

Settling myself down and closing the door, I grinned happily as I replied, "But you said you couldn't. What about your client?"

"I decided I could stay," she answered. "And, you're more important than a client."

My heart burst with joy at her words, all lingering resentment and hurt vanishing. She'd stayed. She'd stayed for _me_. I was so thrilled, I couldn't help but lean over and hug her.

She was momentarily surprised, but then she happily returned the hug, giving me a kiss on the cheek before releasing me.

"This is awesome!" I exclaimed. "I'm so glad you're here. This weekend is going to rock!"

I was so ecstatic at having her here, but at the same time, a feeling of shame began to pool at the bottom of my stomach as I recalled how I'd treated this morning. I fiddled with the zipper of my jacket as I recalled everything I'd said.

"What're you thinking about that has you suddenly so quiet?" my grandmother asked curiously.

"Nothing," I answered automatically, quickly looking out the window as I felt my cheeks heat up.

"Okay…so, why do I find that hard to believe?" Amanda responded softly.

I shot her a furtive look, noticing that there was no anger or disappointment whatsoever in her eyes. Did that mean she wasn't upset by how I'd acted? Should I not say anything then? What if I apologized and she then got angry with me?

"Yes, there's definitely something going on in that head of yours, my dear," she stated, throwing me a knowing look, " _but_ , you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

I fidgeted, an uncomfortable feeling coursing through me. I really should say something. I knew I'd acted wrongly, so…

"Hey, Amanda," I addressed tentatively, and she flicked eyes to me to show that she was listening.

"I'm sorry," I told her quietly. She flicked her eyes to me once more, and I looked down at my lap as I added, "For this morning and how I…how I, uh, acted, and the-the things I said."

"Mmhmm," was the response I got, and her tone was unreadable. Looking at her face, I frowned at noticing she was able to mask her emotions as well as Tony. I remained silent, waiting for her to say something else, but she didn't speak again.

By the time we'd parked, I decided I couldn't remain quiet anymore. This wasn't a conversation I wanted to have in front of anybody else, specifically Tony, who I knew had gotten home in the middle of the night.

"Are you mad?" I blurted out anxiously.

Amanda let out a breath through her nose as she turned her body towards me.

"Honestly," she admitted, "I'm not angry with you, Peter. I probably should be, considering the things you said and how you said them, but I'm not. I _was_ hurt and guilty, though."

"I'm sorry," I repeated in a small voice, and she graced me with a loving smile as she caressed my cheek softly.

"I know, darling," she spoke. "I also know that you too were feeling hurt, and I completely understand. You've been through an ordeal, and you're no doubt feeling vulnerable. I told you when I arrived that I was here for you, so it wasn't fair of me to decide to leave the second I received a call from work."

While I was touched by her words, I was also embarrassed. Vulnerable, she said. That wasn't really a word I wanted associated with me because it made me sound weak.

"I'm not vulnerable," I protested, and she chuckled lightly, a glint of amusement in her eyes.

I frowned at her, and this time she outright laughed, which just confused me.

"You pout just like Tony," she laughed. "He gave me the same look a couple hours ago."

I raised my eyebrows at her, although I said nothing as I didn't know how to respond. I was usually flattered to be compared to Tony, but in terms of pouting, not so much. Admittedly, I was also curious as to what my dad had been pouting about.

Deciding to just roll my eyes, I opened the door to get out of the car, only to freeze when Amanda said, "Wait."

I turned back to her, instantly on guard by how she suddenly looked serious yet sympathetic at the same time.

"What is it?" I questioned in renewed anxiety.

"Your father knows," she said, and I sucked in a breath, heart beginning to race.

"You told him?!" I yelled in accusation, unable to keep from glaring.

"I did," she replied regretfully. "He walked in to the kitchen earlier and he saw me"—

"Awww, Amanda," I complained, "How could you? He's going to be so pissed at me!"

"Peter, take a breath and relax," Amanda commanded, placing a hand on my shoulder, but I shoved it off, feeling a surge of anger. I knew I wasn't being fair but knowing that Tony knew meant that was going to ream me.

I stormed out of the car, my grandmother calling out my name. I ignored her, walking away, although I wasn't sure where I was headed. I certainly didn't want to meet up with Dad.

"Peter Parker-Stark, we are not done talking!" Amanda shouted, grabbing hold of one of my arms. For the first time since I met her she was looking at me with stern eyes, which caused me to freeze in place.

"I know I said I wasn't angry with how you spoke to me this morning, but that doesn't mean you get to treat me so disrespectfully whenever you want," she scolded, and I looked at her with wide eyes. I was so taken aback by her tone that I couldn't even come up with a response.

She let go of me at this point and continued to speak. "Do _not_ blame me for Anthony getting upset with you."

"I'm sorry," I apologized genuinely, "but you said you weren't angry, so why did you tell him?"

"He found me crying," she informed me, her eyes averting as a slight tinge of red covered her cheeks. Just like that, I felt a stab to the heart. I'd made her cry? All and any anger completely left me, guilt taking its place. I looked down at the floor in shame, unable to say anything else. I deserved whatever Dad gave me.

Giving my grandma a sorrowful look, I apologized for the umpteenth time before deciding to head for the elevator. Once more, though, she stopped me in place, turning me around and pulling me in for a tight hug that I didn't feel I deserved.

 **Tony's POV:**

I lay on the couch, contemplating what to say to Peter when he arrived.

He'd treated my mother horribly.

She wasn't angry, though.

She was obviously way too nice. Grandmas were for spoiling kids, she'd told me earlier.

Peter had just been through an awful trauma. He had to be feeling scared and needy, and with the bond he'd already forged with Amanda, I could understand why he needed her.

He still shouldn't have spoken to her like that.

I closed my eyes, letting out a heavy sigh.

Did he really deserve a spanking?

Yes.

No.

Maybe.

I don't know.

Why did parenting have to be so hard?

I continued to lie there, mulling over how to deal with my son until Friday informed me that he and Amanda had arrived home. I groaned as I'd yet to figure out what to do. Sitting up, I stared towards the elevator waiting for them to appear, but they didn't.

"Friday, what are they doing?" I asked her wearily.

"They are talking," she answered.

I wondered if I should ask what about but decided to give them privacy. It took only a couple more minutes before they arrived. I jumped to my feet, walking around the living room couch as the doors opened.

Amanda walked out, Peter two steps behind her. While she walked with her head upright, he had his shoulders hunched and head down.

I leaned against the back of the couch with my arms crossed and a disapproving expression. While my mind was in turmoil over how to act, I wouldn't allow the spiderling to know that.

The teen caught my eye briefly, and I was relieved to see guilt and apology. This would've been much harder if I had to convince the kid he'd screwed up.

"Peter and I discussed what he did before arriving," Amanda informed me oh-so-helpfully. "He was the one to bring up the matter and apologize on his own without any prompting."

I looked over at her, noticing that she too had her arms crossed. Her expression as blank, but her eyes were imploring. I wondered if she'd fight me on the kid's punishment in front of him.

"I'm glad you two talked, but now it's time for you and me to have our own discussion," I told Peter, throwing my own imploring look at my mother in the hopes that she'd stay out of this. Her responding expression was challenging, though, and I had to fight to keep from expressing any of my irritation.

"I have forgiven him, but I have also spoken with him on how unacceptable his behavior was," she stated firmly, and I turned my eyes to Peter again. He looked at me with continued apology, but now with the addition of nervousness he normally displayed when in trouble.

Damn it, damn it, damn it!

What to do, what to do?

She said she'd already talked to him and that he'd apologized.

Should I spank him even though she clearly didn't want me to? He wronged her not me.

Did this bit of disrespect warrant a spanking?

I stared at Peter, my heart breaking at seeing him so forlorn. Crap. I couldn't do it. My mind just flashed to him being sick, and to his cries over what he'd seen.

Oh man, don't let me make a mistake.

"Come here," I ordered, and he hesitated for only a second before taking small steps towards me. He looked at me with those puppy-brown eyes of his, and I let out a slow breath, reaching out and pulling him in for a hug. He latched on to my shirt with his two hands, burrowing his head against my chest.

"M'sorry," he murmured, and I let out a huff.

"I know you are, pal," I replied compassionately.

"Am I in trouble?" he whispered apprehensively.

I locked eyes with my mother, whose expression had turned pleading. Ugh.

"By god, you are so damn lucky you've got a grandmother who loves you so much," I grumbled, placing a kiss on the boy's head while glaring at the now smiling woman. "I should be kicking your ass right now for how you treated her, but…"

"But," my son prodded, looking at me with hopeful eyes.

"But I won't," I sighed, releasing the kid from my hug. One of his hands stayed gripping my shirt, and his eyes were wide as he looked between me and Amanda. Once again, that woman had saved his butt. I really, _really_ needed to learn how to say no to her.

I felt my little spider's sheer relief by how the tension left his body. He gave me a tight hug as he told me, "I swear it won't happen again." He then rushed over to envelop his grandmother in a hug, lifting her off her feet and twirling her around.

"It better not," I warned strictly, "because you know what to expect."

The thoroughly relieved teen once more expressed his assurances, and I ruffled my hair in mild agitation. I was going soft.

Conniving old woman, I griped in my mind, although I really couldn't bring myself to be angry with her. I did hope that this wouldn't come back to bite me in the butt. Somehow, I felt it wouldn't as I watched the love and affection Amanda and Peter had for each other. This had to be the best thing that came from finding out I had a mom: their relationship.

Now, I wasn't saying she and I didn't have a good relationship. She'd certainly been there for me several times in the few months I'd known her, providing me with more comfort than my adoptive mom ever could, despite how hard she tried.

Taking in a deep breath, I decided to quit analyzing everything and just enjoy the moment.

"So, my adventurous spider-child," I called, "let me tell you about the fight the Avengers had with Snakezilla."

Not just Peter's eyes, but Amanda's eyes as well enlarged. I pulled up a hologram of the animal, and now their mouths fell open.

Smirking, I began my tale. Perhaps I embellished it a little, but it was worth it.

 **A/N:** **Uh, kinda not thrilled with this chapter. I love Amanda, so I wanted to show her being there for her boys.** **Next chapter will be Peter heading off to England with Flash. Not sure what'll happen, but figured I could have some bonding between these two.**


	63. Chapter 63

**A/N: Sincerest apologies for how long it's taken me to write this. I've been busy, and I got sort of stuck at the end. Hope you enjoy!**

 **NOTE: I have never been to England or anywhere in Europe, so sincerest apologies for any mistakes I make.**

 **Chapter 63: Oxford**

 **Peter's POV:**

"I'm starving," I groaned, holding my stomach as my head leaned against the window.

"I told you not to eat everything the first five minutes you got it," Flash stated, smirking at me.

I let out another pathetic groan, and he laughed before handing me his last candy bar.

"Thank you!" I exclaimed, scarfing it down happily. "I really hope they feed us when we get there."

"Probably," Flash mumbled, looking at his phone as he said, "It is…5:00 already. Jeez, the time change is already screwing with me. We should've slept on the plane."

I simply shrugged, used to pulling all nighters. Not to mention the excitement of being here was also keeping me going.

We'd boarded a plane yesterday, er, this morning…well, we'd boarded a plane a long, _long_ time ago, and had arrived in London about 3 hours ago. There were about only 30 students who were on the trip with three teachers, one of which was our current Physics teacher, Mrs. Agard. The other two were an English teacher and a government/economics teacher who taught only seniors. They seemed nice enough, if not a little stressed. It had bee a long day, though.

Thankfully, everything had gone as planned. The flight had arrived on time, it'd been smooth, and we'd arrived in London half an hour ahead of schedule. The second I'd turned my phone off airplane mode I'd been called by Pepper and Tony. They'd wanted to do a video call, but I'd declined, not wanting the whole world to hear my embarrassing parents.

I had answered, though, withholding a sigh as I assured them everything was fine, and that I was behaving. Jeez, I'd been gone for barely 9 hours, and they were already asking me if I was behaving? Was this normal?

Looking at my classmates, I supposed it was normal as the majority of them were on their phones now, the multitude of rolled eyes and exasperated tones letting me know they too were dealing with overprotective parents.

"Yes, Mom, _yes_ , I know. Of course, I'm on my best behavior!" Flash nearly shouted, giving me a look of frustration that I mirrored before focusing on what Tony was saying.

"Make sure you always have that watch on," Tony advised, and I assured him I would.

"And absolutely _no_ patrolling," he then ordered sternly. "Don't think I didn't realize you took the suit with you."

"What?" I gasped in barely suppressed outrage. "Why can't I go out as"—I stopped myself from finishing the statement, realizing that I was out in public.

"Because I said so," was Dad's firm response, and I gritted my teeth.

"That's not fair, Dad," I complained quietly, walking to an area where no one was near me. "You know I can take care of myself. I'm not going to do anything"—

"It's not about whether you can take care of yourself or not," he interjected. "Jeez, kiddo, think it through," he stated with the same exasperation I was feeling.

"Spider man can't be an international hero," he declared. "You're already on the UN's radar, and we don't need them looking into you anymore than they already have, or god forbid, ordering _me_ to hunt you down. Not to mention, people might figure out that Spider man goes to Midtown High School if he suddenly shows up in Oxford for a week and then disappears."

Oh, I thought with a frown, not having considered any of that at all.

"This is why I told you to leave the suit home," Dad now grumbled. "I should've known you gave in too easily. I swear, spiderling, you really know how to push the boundaries. Don't think that just because you're in England that you can't still get in trouble when you get home; _or_ that I can't show up there within a couple hours if I have to," he warned, and I quickly began to shake my head even though they couldn't see.

"I swear I'll be on my best behavior," I promised fervently. "No patrolling or screwing around. I'll be the most well behaved and studious teen here."

Both parents were laughing now at my proclamation, but they didn't comment on it. Instead, they told me to stay safe, and to contact them if I needed anything.

"Call at least twice a day," Dad advised, and I rolled my eyes as I responded, "Really, Dad? Twice a day? Isn't that a little much? I'm only going to be gone a week."

"But I already miss you!" he whined, and I blinked in surprise, having thought he wanted me to call to check up on me. "I'm so bored here and Pepper already said I can't visit you, so"—

"Tony, let him be! For gods sake, you're acting like a five-year-old right now," Pepper scolded, and I had to fight back laughter.

"But, _Pepper_ ," Dad complained, "our baby spider is all the way in England"—

"I'm hanging up now," I interjected in a rush, blushing at his referral to me as a baby boy. "Love you and goodbye."

I shook my head as I walked back over to the group, smiling in empathy as Flash was barely hanging up with his mom.

"You'd think I'd already been gone for weeks with how much she wanted to know," he griped, smoothing back his hair.

"I know," I commiserated. "My dad wants me to call him at least twice a day because he _misses_ me. It hasn't even been half a day!"

Flash laughed loudly, looking pretty incredulous as he replied, "Tony Stark said that? Man, he's not what I imagined at all."

"I keep telling you that he's just a teddy bear," I said. "You really don't need to be afraid of him. He's all bark and no bite."

Looking a little more serious, Flash replied, "Somehow, I highly doubt that, but whatever you say, Petey."

We'd picked up our luggage, and then were put on a bus en route to Oxford. I was really hoping they'd feed us when we arrived. I hadn't anticipated the troubles my enhanced metabolism would give me. I was used to being able to have as much food as I wanted at home, but here, I couldn't afford to be seen eating as much as I needed. People would be weirded out.

Flash already agreed to help me smuggle some food to wherever we'd be sleeping to help me out. Not for the first time was I extremely happy to have him come along. He was already a good friend, but this trip was already bringing us closer together. He really had changed in the past year, and I couldn't help but compare his massive change to Tony's. That's how different Flash was to me. I barely recognized him compared to who he was my freshman year.

The bus stopped just as my stomach gave another loud growl. Flash smothered a grin while the girls in front of us turned to give me raised eyebrows.

"Er, sorry," I apologized awkwardly, blushing when they giggled and turned around.

I heard Flash snickering, so I elbowed him a little harder than I probably should have, because he sucked in a breath and grimaced. Oops.

"Alright boys and girls, we have arrived at our destination," Mr. Monroe announced grandly, his arms spread widely in a dramatic manner. I choked back a laugh, noticing I wasn't the only one. He seemed like the kind of teacher that tried too hard to be cool and/or funny. Oh well, at least it meant he was probably laid back.

"First thing we'll do is get some food in one of their cafeterias"—

"YES!" I roared in exhilaration, going beet red when all eyes turned to me. Flash was bent forward doing the best he could to stop from laughing, but his entire body was shaking from the effort. "Sorry," I muttered, putting my head down as the teacher continued speaking.

"Oh man, dude, you are a riot," Flash remarked as we began to disembark. "This week is going to be awesome, I can already tell."

I couldn't help but grin back sheepishly.

We grabbed our luggage and were met by a group of what looked like four students. They were all wearing blue polo shirts with the Oxford logo, and they were smiling brightly at us all. It was three girls and three boys, and all looked excited at our presence. I couldn't tell if it was for show, or if they were naturally that perky.

As we walked towards one of the cafeterias, we got our first good look at Oxford University, or should I say the town, because this wasn't quite a college campus as a college city.

"This place is gorgeous," I breathed, taking in everything with wide eyes.

"Kinda feel like we've gone back in time," Flash mumbled, his own eyes wide as well.

I completely agreed with his sentiment because nearly every building looked like it belonged back in the medieval era. I almost expected to see knights in shining armor walking about.

"How old is this place?" I asked one of the students in wonder.

The young woman had a knowing smile as she replied, "Well, there isn't really an exact date of foundation, but historical evidence shows that this college has been around since 1096."

Someone behind me whistled, murmurs of shock being given. My own mouth was open as I stared at her in disbelief.

The lady looked pleased by our reactions, and then proudly proclaimed, "We're the oldest English-speaking university in existence, and the second oldest university in continuous operation."

"That's crazy," Flash stated, and several of us voiced our agreement.

"I can't imagine anything being that old," a classmate spoke, and once again, several of us voiced our agreement.

"Well, your country was only established a few hundred years ago," a male college student said, seemingly just as pleased by our reactions as the young woman.

We walked for another five minutes, taking everything in, in silence before we arrived to one of the cafeterias. Walking in, many gasps were given at not just the décor, but at all the food options we had available.

A middle-aged woman approached us now, and she too was wearing a blue polo shirt. "Welcome, welcome, Midtown High!" she greeted excitedly, reaching out to shake first our teacher's hands, and then all of ours.

"We are so pleased to have you here!" she declared, and I had no problem believing her with the way she was visibly vibrating with enthusiasm.

"My name is Heather Dawes, and I work for the outreach program geared towards international undergraduates. I'll be in charge of your experience while you're here, and I'm sure we're going to have an amazing time! Now, each one of you will get a meal card that will cover you for three meals a day at any of our student dining facilities on campus. You are, of course, welcome to buy food at other locations, but you'll have to pay for that on your own. These cards also work as key cards for the rooms where you'll be staying, so make sure you grab the first card, and please don't lose it!"

Using the college students, all cards were passed out in mere minutes. Looking down, I saw both my name and picture on my card along with the word Balliol College, room 6. Looking over at Flash's card, I saw his had his name and picture along with the word Balliol College, room 6. I let out a sigh of relief, glad that we'd been placed together. I mean, they said they would, but things didn't always turn out.

"Phew!" Flash sighed, nudging me. "We got placed together." I grinned at him.

"Okay, now that you have your meal cards, feel free to go and eat," Ms. Dawes announced. "This is buffet style, so eat as much as you'd like." That was all the encouragement I needed before I took off, Flash following after emitting a loud laugh.

I happily engorged myself, pleased at how good the food tasted. Some classmates who had older siblings in college had remarked that not all colleges had food that was edible. I was glad this place wasn't one of them. I was also elated that it was buffet style so I could eat as much as I wanted without anyone really noticing or caring.

We were given 45 minutes to eat before being taken into an empty classroom, or at least, I thought it was a classroom. It looked like a small auditorium, the chairs like those you'd find at a movie theater, but with small desks rather than cup holders. There was also a large whiteboard at the bottom.

As we sat there, Ms. Dawes spent about an hour going over what we'd be doing this week and how wonderful an opportunity we were being given. She explained our dorming assignments, and how boys and girls would be in separate buildings. Each of us would have a college student assigned to us, and we would spend a little time with them every day, spending Friday entirely with them as they went about their daily life.

I hoped I ended up with a nice guy. I was really excited at the prospect of going to college classes.

Expectations were gone over next. We were to be in our dorm rooms by 9PM at the latest, and we had to be in this dining hall at 8AM sharp. Our older roommates were already informed of our curfews, so we weren't to try and persuade them to take us places.

"You will have opportunity to go out and about, but during the day and with supervision," Dawes informed us. "Your safety is our priority, and while this is a safe campus, we don't want you getting in to any unnecessary trouble."

Some quiet sighs of disappointed could be heard, but no one said anything.

Admittedly, I too was disappointed, or embarrassed would be the better word. Nine PM curfew? Really? We were going to be with college students, and now they'd feel like they were babysitting kids or something.

The meeting ended, Mr. Monroe and all boys being guided by male college students to the Balliol College. There were a group of young men there waiting for us, several holding up signs with our names on them.

I groaned out loud when I saw a large sign that read, _Peter Stark- Iron Boy_. On the large poster, there were several pictures of Iron Man along with a picture of me. Son of a gun. A smaller poster right next to it read, _Flash Thompson_ , and pictures of the fictional super-hero Flash were spread all over.

"So, I wonder who we're meeting with," Flash remarked with barely concealed mirth.

I sighed heavily before making my way over. I felt like an idiot. I hadn't even considered the fact that I'd be as famous over here as at home. I just hoped that as college students they'd show a little more tact and understanding than my high school classmates.

"There he is!" a brown-haired man exclaimed joyously! "Our young celebrity has arrived!"

Shit.

"Pleasure to meet you, young Stark," the man greeted, holding his hand out for me to shake. "My name's Charlie Black, and I'll be your tour guide for the duration of your time here."

I shook his hand, hoping he wasn't being so jubilant just because I was Tony's son.

"You must be Flash," Charlie said, holding out a hand for him to shake. Flash nodded his head as they shook hands, and I noticed he was sporting a slightly nervous smile.

"Hello," another man greeted lazily, "My names Harry Don't-ask-my-last-name, and I'll be your mentor, Flash."

Flash and I both shook his hands, and I raised an eyebrow at how he didn't want to share his last name. To each their own, I supposed. At least he didn't seem star-struck like Charlie…or other students, I noticed as I glanced around. Many of them were giving me surreptitious looks, but at least they weren't calling out to me and asking questions.

"Follow us, young squires," Charlie proclaimed, holding his poster up high as he led us up a set of stairs and down two doors to the left. Opening the door, I found their room to be larger than expected. There were two twin bunk beds on either side of the room with a dresser at the end of each. In between the bunk beds was a comfortable looking couch with a large TV hooked up to the opposite wall. Two desks sat next to each other with a sink on one side and a mini fridge on the other. Overall, it was pretty decent, I thought. I could definitely see myself being comfortable in a place like this.

"We had two beds added for you two," Charlie informed us, "So you, little Stark can sleep above me while your pal Flash sleeps above Harry. By the way, bathrooms down the right at the end of the hallway."

"I know it's probably several steps below what you're used to, Stark," Harry commented as he lounged on the couch, "me too for that matter, but it'll do. Gets me away from home and my interfering, overprotective parents. You probably know about that, right?"

I couldn't help but nod in agreement, although he seemed to have a lot of anger towards his parents unlike me.

"Harry here's pretty famous too," Charlie declared, sitting himself down on the couch. He attempted to throw an arm around Harry, but his roommate slapped it away and gave Charlie a mild glare that he completely ignored.

Flash and I exchanged confused expressions but decided not to press the matter as Harry looked rather irritated. He didn't seem to want us to know why he was famous and I could understand that.

"Right!" Charlie exclaimed, clapping his hands loudly, "Let's go show you two off to the rest of the dorm." He threw an arm around me, patting my shoulder like we were good friends as he led me out of the room and back down the stairs. Both Flash and Harry trailed behind us, Harry letting out a bored sigh.

Once downstairs, we headed towards a large room filled with couches, desks, one large television, and a kitchenette. There were quite a number of people here already, and I noticed several classmates from Midtown with their college mentors here. Flash immediately made his way over towards our classmates, but Charlie led me towards a group of college students.

"Good evening, ladies," he spoke with a charming grin, "Let me introduce you to my mentee, Peter _Stark_."

The ladies' eyes widened as they asked, "As in Tony Stark's son?"

"Iron Man's son?" another pressed, and I gave a nervous nod.

Charlie placed two hands on my shoulders as he shouted, "Gather round, gather round, we've got the one and only son of Tony Stark AKA Iron Man!"

Several more students wandered over, and they began throwing questions my way such as my classmates had months ago.

"Have you seen his Iron Man suit?"

"Have you met any of the other Avengers?"

"What's he really like?"

"How'd you get so lucky as to end up with a superhero for a father?"

"What's it like being the son of a hero?"

"Is your dad here?"

"Could you get us an autograph?"

"Could you ask him to come and visit?"

"Now, now, now, let the young man breathe," Charlie stated amiably. "He can't answer any questions if you don't give him some room."

I felt increasingly uncomfortable as questions continued to be thrown at me. I did my best to answer some, but they kept talking over me, patting my shoulder and head like we were all friends.

"Oh, he's blushing!" a woman cooed, and that only caused me to turn redder.

I attempted to back away, but I was now surrounded. It was getting loud, and I was feeling overwhelmed.

"Peter!" Flash yelled, forcing his way through the throng. Ignoring everyone, he said, "I don't know about you, man, but I'm beat."

He looked at Charlie with a fake look of apology as he told him, "Sorry, but we've been up for nearly a day, so we're going to get some shut eye."

Charlie looked disappointed, but thankfully didn't argue. Instead, he nodded in understanding before leading us out of the room and back to his.

Walking in, Flash and I both went to our bags and began to take out our pajamas and toiletries. Charlie stood there somewhat awkwardly.

"Er, sorry about bombarding you your first night here," he apologized, scratching the back of his neck. "We'll have some fun tomorrow after you're rested up."

When he was gone, I looked at Flash with gratitude. "Thanks, Flash," I told him, "they were driving me mad. I didn't know what to do."

"Don't mention it," he replied sympathetically. "I know you hate the attention. Hopefully Charlie will get past his fan boy stage soon."

I couldn't help but agree.

"At least Harry seems chill," my friend commented, and once more I nodded.

"Wonder why he's famous?" he asked aloud, and I shrugged, honestly uncaring. If he didn't want people to know why he was famous, then I'd give him his peace.

We both got ready for bed, climbing up to the top bunks. As I lay there in the strange room I couldn't help but miss my parents, and I didn't understand why. I'd spent nearly two weeks without them being home, and I hadn't longed for them like I suddenly was now. Thinking it over, I realized I'd never actually been this far away from my family ever; and I'd never been away for more than two days.

Looking over at Flash, who was already sound asleep, I was incredibly grateful that he was here, because I wasn't sure how I'd survive this trip without someone I trusted.

I pulled out my phone to look at the time. It'd be 10AM at home. I wanted to call home badly but fought against the urge.

Buck up, Peter, I scolded myself. You're 16 years old. You can survive a week without your parents.

Closing my eyes, I willed myself to go to sleep. Thankfully, exhaustion from the trip took over, and I fell asleep quickly.

 **Tony's POV:**

I was slumped over the table in the Commons staring at my phone. Peter's tracker had stopped moving, and based off his vitals, he had to be asleep. I resisted the urge to call him.

God, I missed my little spider. I had no idea I could miss him this much. We'd been apart for longer time, but somehow this felt worse. He was in a foreign country all alone and unprotected. Anything could happen to him.

What if he had a nightmare?

What if the college kids were mean to him?

What if he got lonely, but was too embarrassed to call?

What if he went out as spider man?

What if he got hurt?

What if he got sick again?

What if he got pressured into doing something he didn't want to?

What if got drunk?

What if they forced him to take drugs?

Crazy stuff happened in college, and who know what could happen.

I became more and more distressed the more I thought, and I rested my chin on the table, my leg shaking rapidly while one of my fingers tapped at the table. Memories of my own experiences flashed through my mind, and I felt my heart rate increase.

As I sat silently freaking out, I missed the amused yet concerned looks Pepper, Bruce, and Rhodey were exchanging.

"Tony, he'll be fine," Pepper told me, and I jerked, looking at her with wide eyes, forgetting that they were here.

"Are you sure?" I whispered, internally wincing at how small my voice sounded.

"Yes, love, he will be," she insisted, sitting down and attempting to take my phone from me. I tightened my grip, though, refusing to relinquish it.

"He's a smart kid," Rhodey added reassuringly.

"You know what college is like, though," I stated, standing up abruptly and beginning to pace. "Peter's so innocent and-and he's going to be around people older than him, and what if they try and take advantage of him? What if some woman tries to-to-to seduce him, and he doesn't know how to say no, or-or— _Don't laugh, I'm serious_!" I yelled, glaring at my three friends heatedly.

"You don't know how…girls can be—they can take advantage of people too, y'know," I muttered indignantly, "especially someone whose young and doesn't know or who has no experience." I felt embarrassment course through me as I avoided the others' eyes.

"He could get pressured or drugged," I stated helplessly. "I mean, it'd be so easy for them to do it without him realizing it, and god, it'd be my fault because he has my goddamn last name! That alone is going to draw unwanted attention towards him. They might think he's like me, or how I was, and he's just a kid, and I'd never forgive myself if"—

"Hey, hey, Tony," Pepper said soothingly, attempting to place her hands on me, but I flinched away. I immediately felt awful when I saw the hurt look in her eyes, but I was too upset and agitated to apologize.

"What if he needs me, and I'm not there? What if something happens and he's afraid to tell me because he thinks I'll be ashamed or mad?" I continued, squeezing my eyes shut at the mere thought of anything happening to Peter like had happened to me in college.

I stopped breathing, horrible scenarios going through my mind.

"I need to…I need to go right now," I declared, turning in the direction of my balcony, but Rhodey was suddenly in front of me, both hands on my shoulders keeping me in place.

"Tony, you need to breathe," he ordered, strengthening his hold when I tried to get by.

I shot him a frigid glare as I said, "Rhodes, you better move before"—

My words were cut off when he suddenly pulled me in for a hug. I was so taken aback by the gesture that I didn't even try to fight. In fact, I didn't even get angry, just shocked.

"Uh, Rhodey," I said in confusion, "what…what are you doing?"

"I'm so sorry," he whispered emotionally, and I was once again struck mute.

"For what?" I responded in bewilderment, once again trying to break away from the hug. He only tightened his grasp, though.

"For not protecting you," Rhodey answered, squeezing me tightly before letting go. Both his hands went back to my shoulders, and his eyes were full of sorrow and guilt.

"Um, it's not—it wasn't your—er, I don't blame—nothing happened that I didn't invite," I eventually said, feeling increasingly uncomfortable with the direction this conversation as going. Rhodey just shook his head at me, giving my neck a squeeze before finally letting me go.

"You were a kid, Tones, a fucking _kid_ ," he declared fiercely, "and _whatever_ happened—no, you don't have to tell me—whatever happened wasn't your fault. I'm just sorry that I or your family wasn't there for you."

I felt myself growing emotional, and I averted my eyes from Rhodey to look down at the floor. While touched by his words, this wasn't a conversation I wanted to have, especially not with witnesses. Besides…I shook my head roughly, stepping away from my friend.

"Look, forget about me and whatever you _think_ happened, and let's focus on Peter, okay," I stated, given them all hard looks. Looks were exchanged before nods were given.

"You need to trust Peter," Pepper said, stepping closer to me while Rhodey walked away with his back turned to me. I could see his muscles were tense and that he clearly wasn't happy.

"I do trust him," I replied instantly. "It's other people I don't trust."

"It's only a week, love, and he's there with his school. There are chaperones, and they'll only have placed him with students who are trustworthy," Pepper insisted.

"Not to mention Peter's smarter and has more common sense than you did at sixteen," Rhodey told me, a small teasing glint in his eyes.

Jesting aside, his words actually did manage to calm me, because they were true. Peter was loads smarter than I was, and he had much more common sense.

"Aside from that, he also has all of us," Bruce added with confidence. "He knows he can contact us if he needs help."

I nodded, managing to calm down even more. They were right. They were all right. Peter wasn't me. He wouldn't make the same mistakes I did, and if he did screw up, he knew he could count on us. He knew we were here for him, but _still_ , I couldn't help but worry.

Shoulders dropping, I sat myself down again, once more looking at my phone.

"I'm being ridiculous," I muttered, "I know that, but I can't seem to help it. I don't know how I'll survive when he actually goes away to college."

Pepper came and knelt before me, taking my hands in hers and resting them on my lap. "You're not being ridiculous, you're just being a worried dad."

"Why aren't you freaking out?" I pressed. "Why am I the only one acting like-like… _this_?"

Pepper's smile was sad yet understanding as she answered me. "You're like this because your college experience was rather darker than all of ours.'

"It wasn't all miserable," I insisted, not wanting them to think I'd been some helpless kid repeatedly taken advantage of. "I had a lot of good times, and I met Rhodey, my first real friend," I told them with a reminiscent smile.

"Well, then why don't you try and focus on all the good that you went through," she suggested. "Think about everything you enjoyed about college and imagine how much fun Peter will have."

"And do you really think once he goes to college he'll forget about you or any of us?" Bruce asked in disbelief. "He'll be calling and visiting, and we know damn well that you'll be visiting him as much as you can. With your suit you can be any where within a couple hours, and even less if he's in the US; which, I feel he will be."

"Besides all that," Rhodey remarked in amusement, "the kids sixteen and he's only _visiting_ a college for _one week_. Don't jump ahead of yourself, Tones."

I let out a soft chuckle, finally relaxing as I realized Rhodes was right.

"I'm sorry," I apologized sheepishly, looking up at them all in embarrassment.

All three of them waved away my apologies without words, Pepper standing up so that she could kiss my forehead.

"Let's make a video for Peter, so that he can watch it when he wakes up," she said with a bright grin, and I smiled back.

"That sounds like a great idea," I replied.

 **Peter's POV:**

I jumped at the sound of my alarm, letting out a loud groan that Flash mimicked.

"Turn it off," Charlie grumbled from beneath me, and I quickly shut off my alarm.

I jumped off the bed and grabbed clothes for the day. Flash fumbled on his way down, nearly falling over, and I couldn't help but burst into giggles as I helped steady him. Flash just rolled his eyes as he pushed me.

We quickly showered and got dressed before meeting up with classmates to head towards the dining hall we'd eaten at yesterday.

"Man, you missed a good party last night, guys," Tom informed us before giving a huge yawn. Murmurs of agreement were given, and Tom fist bumped his friend, Will.

"Why'd you bail so early?" Will asked. "I mean, all those girls, Peter, what the heck? They were all over you!"

"Maybe that's the problem," Tom joked, giving me a nudge. "Maybe Peter isn't in to girls."

"Dude, he has a girlfriend!" Flash defended, reaching out a hand to smack Tom upside the head.

Laughs were given, conversation turning away from me. I shot Flash a thankful look that he returned.

I pulled out my phone, grinning when I noticed I had a video message from Tony. Moving to the back of our group, I opened the message.

" _Hey, Peter!" several people yelled, and I smiled at seeing my parents, Rhodey and Bruce smiling and waving happily at me._

 _"Hope you're having fun in England," Pepper said._

 _"We all miss you, but your dad missed you so much we spent 30 minutes calming him down before"—Rhodey began to say before my dad placed his hand over his face._

 _"Not true!" Dad asserted._

 _In the background I saw Bruce mouthing, 'Yes, he did'._

 _"Bruce!" my dad shouted in a wounded tone, and the three grown men began to scuffle._

 _Rolling her eyes, my mom said, "We do miss you, honey, and we hope you're enjoying yourself. Be safe, and feel free to contact us for any reason. Love you! Bye!"_

 _"Wait, I didn't get to say anything!" my dad yelled right before the message ended._

I was covering my mouth to try and stifle my laughter. This was so like them. God, I really missed my family.

"Was that the Avengers?" Kevin asked, rushing over to look down at my phone.

"Uh, well, some of them," I answered, blushing at the fact that they may have heard the message.

"Guys, look! It's Iron Man, the Hulk and War Machine!" Kevin shouted in excitement. "Play it again," he told me eagerly.

"What?" I gasped, moving away from him. "No way, it's embarrassing," I protested.

"How so?" Tom pressed, looking both excited and confused. "They're the Avengers."

"Yeah, but they're my _family_ ," I protested. "Iron Man is my _dad_ , and the Hulk and War Machine are like uncles! Would you want us all watching a video from your family?"

"Of course not," Kevin retorted, making a displeased face, "but my dad isn't Iron Man…You really call him dad?"

I groaned internally and tried to keep from blushing, "Well, yeah," I answered, "I mean, he is my dad, so what else would I call him?"

Looks of awe were exchanged, and I found myself being weirded out by that. Was it really such a big deal that I called Tony dad?

"Chow time!" Flash abruptly announced louder than necessary, and I let out a breath of relief seeing as we finally arrived at the dining hall. Quickly grabbing hold of Flash, I sped walk inside and as far away from my classmates as possible.

Breakfast passed pleasantly enough before Ms. Dawes corralled us all. The day started with a tour of the campus, which lasted half the day. Lunch followed before a way too long lecture on entrance requirements for the university.

"Not asking for much, are they?" Flash mumbled, his eyes looking as glazed over as mine.

"Is every college this hard to get into?" I asked back.

Flash just shrugged and then grimaced. "Hope not," he replied with a concerned frown.

Dinner passed along with a seminar on preparing for college. Once that was over, I wasn't the only one that was feeling a little overwhelmed.

"Did you hear how many tests we have to take?" Will complained, looking down at the packet we were given.

"And as international students, we have to take even more than those that live here," Flash remarked.

"Look at the costs!" Kevin exclaimed with wide eyes.

"They have a lot of financial aid available," Tom told us, attempting to sound reassuring.

"The town seems pretty cool," I added. "It's a college town."

"Yeah, it looks cool, but that doesn't mean it is," Chris commented. "I'm gonna ask my college roomie to show us what he does for fun."

"Oh, yeah yeah yeah!" Tom yelled out as he jumped up and down in excitement. "You'll have to take me with you cuz my college roomie is a total geek! He wanted me to do homework with him!" he complained, looking highly distressed.

I couldn't help but laugh along with the others.

"Well, my guy refuses to tell us his last name, and supposedly he's famous," Flash said.

"What's his name?" Chris asked curiously.

"Harry," I supplied.

"As in Harry Lockhart?" Kevin pressed, and Flash and I shrugged.

"Who's that?" I inquired.

"Prime minister's kid," Kevin replied before ruefully shaking his head. "Figures they'd put you with him. Keep the famous together."

I exhaled at that before telling him, "He's not my mentor. He's Flash's."

We arrived back at the dorms, ending our conversation. Flash and I headed to our rooms where both Charlie and Harry already were. They looked like they were working on homework together, but by the smirks on their faces, I figured I was wrong.

"You're back!" Charlie proclaimed, coming over and slapping us both on the back. Harry just nodded his head in greeting.

"We are planning a night out on the town," Charlie mock-whispered loudly before giving an overly exaggerated wink. Oh no.

"We know you guys aren't supposedly allowed to go out past 9PM, _but_ , this is college, and how can Harry and I show you the true college experience if we don't take you out for a good time," Charlie explained, wagging his eyebrows at us. "So, are you in?"

"Hell yeah!" Flash immediately responded, and I had to resist from rolling my eyes.

How cliché was this, I couldn't help but think. Night out on the town. What next? Drinking in a bar?

I watched as Flash slapped hands with Charlie. Both then turned to me with expectant looks.

"No," I immediately said, ignoring their disappointed expressions.

"Come on, young Stark, don't tell me you're not into having fun," Charlie complained looking extremely put out. "Your dad is Tony Stark, so you must have parties at your place all the time!"

"Just come, Stark," Harry declared, standing up and heading towards the door as if that settled the matter. Judging by Charlie's triumphant grin, it apparently did.

Awesome. Night out on the town. What could go wrong? …

… _Five hours later_.

"Run, run, run, run!" Flash shouted unnecessarily as we raced down some random street.

"Shut up, kid!" Harry hissed, grabbing both Flash and I by the collars of our shirts to drag us down a dark alley.

"Where's Charlie?" Flash asked as we hid behind a dumpster.

"He'll find his own way home," Harry replied unconcernedly. "Figures I'd get stuck with babysitting duty."

"Where are you, you bloody runt?!" a loud, angry voice roared, several other voices echoing his sentiment.

"You running scared now?" another voice goaded, and with a flash of fury I made to get up and head towards them. Two sets of hands grabbed hold of me causing me to pause and glare.

"I'm _not_ scared of anybody!" I hissed, breaking their hold on me easily, but immediately stumbling into a wall clumsily.

I cursed as I was roughly pulled up by Flash and Harry.

" _Shut up_ and run, you little idiot!" Harry ordered heatedly, and it was only due to my drunken state that he and Flash were able to successfully haul me away from those men and to our dorm.

"But I gotta fight," I protested, feebly trying to fight their hold.

"You beat them up enough," Flash stated with an uncharacteristic giggle that sent me into a fit of giggles.

"God," Harry sighed exasperatedly, "for the umpteenth time, _shut up_!" he yelled, and the both of us fell silent, looking at the older boy with wide eyes.

"But they called me a chicken," I defended childishly. "They said I was hiding behind my dad's fame."

Harry rolled his eyes dramatically, pinching the bridge of his nose before simply staring at me.

"Look," he sighed, "I get wanting to break away from your dad's shadow, but holy crap, kid, talk about some serious teenage rebellion."

I frowned at his words but didn't really understand what he was getting at, so I brushed him off, walking past him and into the dorm rooms. Thankfully, I was aware enough to know that I didn't want to be caught by one of my teachers, so I quietly stumbled my way up to our dorm. When we walked in, Charles was lounging on the couch with a cocky grin.

"Welcome back, Rocky," he greeted with some amusement before holding up his phone to me.

"You're trending," he announced, shoving his phone in front of my face.

I watched myself pummel that obnoxious bastard from the pub before easily fighting off the man's friends. I puffed my chest out proudly, looking over towards Flash when the video showed him jumping into the fray with me. We shared a smile, fist bumping each other.

"Laugh it up, young gentleman," Charles spoke soberly, putting a hand on each of our shoulders, "as I'm sure it won't be long before a certain somebody sees this."

"Who?" I asked confusedly, and it was Harry who answered.

"Tony Stark, who else?" he said, giving me a look that seemed to question my intelligence.

I watched the video again, my drunken brain struggling to comprehend his words.

"I can see it now," Charles said with a smirk, "Iron Man's son kicks British ass in a pub brawl, hahaha! Bloody brilliant," he remarked, letting out a short laugh. He paused then, frowning as he watched the video again.

"So, uh, where'd you learn to fight like that?" he asked curiously, eyeing me up and down. "I mean, you're scrawny and short, and you took down those men like they were nothing."

My eyes widened as I tried to come up with a suitable answer. Harry was suddenly looking at me with the same curiosity and confusion, and I looked to Flash, hoping he could help me out. He seemed more adept at thinking on his feet even when tipsy.

"His dad's a super hero," Flash said with a laugh. "Do you really think with all the enemies he has that he wouldn't have given Petey boy some training? This kid's busy nearly every day of the week, training with not just his dad, but the Black Widow as well."

"Yeah, I train a lot," I asserted with several nods. "All the time."

They seemed mollified, but only slightly, and I had a feeling that was my fault.

Thankfully, though, they dropped the subject, telling us both to get some sleep. I fell into a restless sleep, my mind plagued with old nightmares of disappointing Tony and Pepper to the point that they wouldn't want me anymore. These dreams were followed by ones of them dying, and I woke with a short yell, flushing deeply when I woke the rest of the room's occupants.

Apologizing profusely, I waved away their concerns before rushing out of the room. Daylight was beginning to shine, so I decided to shower, hoping to wash away the dreaded memories. A few tears came to my eyes, loneliness hitting me, so I rubbed my face furiously.

I wanted my parents, I realized in embarrassment. I wanted their comfort, and that was ridiculous! I'd been away only a couple days!

I shook my head, gripping my hair tightly before taking in several deep breaths.

I was just beginning to calm down when the events of last night caught up with me.

Drinking

Fighting.

Running.

Oh my god.

No.

No, no, no, _no_!

What the hell had I done?

Oh, man, please tell me I didn't get stupid drunk and into a fight like some cliché teenage idiot without any sense!

I knew better!

How could I allow this to happen?

I knew what last night would lead to. I'd been determined not to have a single drink, but…

…But it was expected. I was _Tony Stark's_ kid. I was famous. I was supposed to be fun, outgoing, and a party man, or at least that's what they thought. Apparently, they too had seen videos of me being "drunk" at school, and all the speculations of why I'd missed a couple weeks afterwards.

So, yeah, I'd taken a drink or maybe two, and that'd been my limit, I'd thought, but…

…But then I'd been challenged to a drinking contest. I hadn't wanted to, and I wouldn't have done it if Flash hadn't pushed. He'd boasted about my tolerance and urged me to take the challenge. I forgot how much of a party guy he was. I shouldn't have given in, but I did. I wanted to be that cool guy they all thought I was. Besides, I'd known I had good tolerance due to my spider metabolism, so a few more drinks shouldn't have bothered me, but…

…But they did. Beers were one thing, but bourbon was another story it seemed. I'd gotten drunk, and I hadn't even realized it. I didn't think things could get any worse, but…

…But then I'd accidently spilled some alcohol on a local townsman. Drunk like me, he vastly overreacted and took a swing at me without realizing I was a kid. Even though I was wasted, I still managed to dodge the punch. The man had looked shocked. He eyed me in confusion before seeming to recognize whose son I was. Brash words were exchanged that I didn't even remember, and while his friends egged him on, Flash and some other college kids egged me on. I'd been close to turning away, but…

…But he'd insulted me. He called me a chicken, insisting I was hiding behind Tony's fame. I have no idea why that incensed me so much, but when the man was shoved into me, I reacted, shoving him back even harder. Things only escalated from there until a full-blown brawl occurred. I didn't really remember much details about the fight, but at some point, Harry and Charles had grabbed hold of Flash and I, dragging us out of the pub. The man and his friends followed, and that's when I was forced to run away.

I groaned aloud, wanting to bang my head repeatedly against the wall.

The fight was caught on tape.

It was online.

It was freaking _trending_.

There was no way in hell Dad wouldn't find out about it.

Why had I been so stupid?

What were people going to think when they saw me fighting like that?

Oh, jeez, please don't let that stupid video reach the United States.

I quickly dressed before rushing off to the dorm to get my phone. Quietly walking in, I noticed Flash sitting on the floor looking rather dazed.

"You alright?" we asked each other at the same time, and I smirked while he laughed lightly before moaning.

"My heads killing me," he groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Isn't yours?" he then asked, narrowing his eyes when I shook my head.

"Super metabolism," I simply said, and he huffed before getting himself up and stumbling out of the room and towards the bathroom.

I grabbed my phone and then made my way down to the lounge area to wait for the rest of my classmates to get up. Taking in a deep breath I looked at it, stomach churning nervously when I noticed missed messages from Tony and Pepper.

Oh crap.

My heart pounded as I opened the one from Mom first.

 _Mom: Hi, honey, just wanted to say that I miss you and hope you're enjoying yourself. I'd like to apologize for all of Tony's texts. I've forbidden him from calling you, but you'll have to put up with his constant texts. He really misses you, so be patient. Love you._

I let out a breath, lip quirking into a smile. She missed me. She loved me.

And, Dad missed me, like, really, _really_ missed me, apparently.

Breathing a little easier, I opened up the texts from Tony.

 _Dad: Hey, kiddo, just wanted to see how you're doing._

 _Dad: I'm bored, what're you up to?_

 _Dad: How's Oxford? Learn anything interesting? Do you like it there?_

 _Dad: You're not planning on going there are you? I forbid it!_

 _Dad: Okay, Pepper says I'm not allowed to forbid you, so fine, you can go there if you want._

 _Dad: But not really._

 _Dad: Just kidding._

 _Dad: Just wait until I take you to MIT, though, or any other college in the US. They're MUCH better than Oxford. Just saying._

 _Dad: Why aren't you responding, spiderling?_

 _Dad: Hello? Anybody home?_

 _Dad: Knock knock._

 _Dad: So…_

 _Dad: I miss you, okay._

 _Dad: I just want to know that you're okay._

 _Dad: I mean, of course you're okay, but if you want to chat or anything about what's going on over there then I'm totally available._

 _Dad: I guess you're busy having fun. Very cool. I'll leave you be._

The texts were all spaced within the space of a couple hours last night while I was busy being stupid. Despite my guilt at my actions, I was touched by how much he seemed to miss me. Aside from the multitude of texts, I noticed three missed calls and one voice mail. I clicked on the voicemail to hear what he had to say.

 _"Hey, pal, sorry about all the texts. I forget sometimes that you're sixteen and probably don't want me hovering. Despite my earlier texts, I'll stand behind whatever decision you make in terms of college. Wherever you want to go, I'll support you. Well, I may argue a bit, but just play this message for me to remind me of what I just said. Anyhow, just shoot me a text every now and then to let me know you're alright. Miss you and love you. Take care."_

The message ended, and I felt my heart ache. I wanted him here. I wanted him with me. I missed him. I really, really missed him and Mom and everybody. I wanted to go home, I realized with embarrassment. Even before last night, I'd already begun to regret coming. I couldn't believe being away from home would affect me so much, but it did.

I'm really messed up, I thought bitterly. Sixteen years old and wanting to run home to my parents.

I let out a heavy sigh, closing my eyes. I had a growing headache, not from drinking, but from stress.

What a mess I'd put myself in.

 **A/N:** **So…I saw it. I saw Infinity War, and just…wow. That's all I'll say as I don't want to spoil anything.**

 **Again, apologies for taking so long to update. As I said, I've been busy, and after seeing the movie, my mind is reeling. For any who have seen, I will not be including it in my story. My story is officially AU after Spiderman: Homecoming events.**


	64. Chapter 64

**A/N: Wow, thanks for the loads of reviews! I've been coping with Infinity War by reading people's fics and by writing. Anything to come to terms with having to wait a whole damn year for the next part. Ugh.**

 **So, so, so sorry for the length in between posts guys. Life is busy, and it's going to be like this for a while. By the end of June I'll have more time for writing, so hopefully number of posts will pick up.**

 **Chapter 64: Oxford Part II**

 **Pepper's POV:**

I walked out of the elevator, letting out a sigh of relief at being home. I took my hair out of its bun and tossed my high heels to the side before pausing when I noticed Tony lying on the floor of the living room just staring up at the ceiling with a vacant expression. I closed my eyes, unsure if I wanted to smile fondly or sigh in exasperation.

Peter had been gone for only four days, yet to Tony it no doubt felt like weeks if not months. Walking closer to him, I felt my heart ache at the blank look on his face, which he always bore when hiding his emotions.

I'd anticipated that he would miss our son, but I hadn't anticipated him taking it this hard. I, too, missed Peter. This was the first time he'd been away from us, and he was so far away. Anything could happen, and it'd take hours to reach him.

However, while I missed Peter, I still managed to function. I worried, but not incessantly. I wanted to speak with him, but I also respected the fact that he was sixteen years old and probably didn't want to be constantly bothered by his parents. I wanted him home, but, again, he was a teenager, and keeping him cooped up was both cruel and unreal. He needed to live his life, and Tony and I needed to allow him to.

I could manage, but Tony…well, clearly, he wasn't.

"Tony," I called kindly as I sat down on the couch, "How long have you been lying on the floor?"

The man only hummed in response, so I asked Friday the question instead.

"Sir has been lying there for 2 hours and 23 minutes," the AI helpfully replied, and I let out a deep sigh.

"Tony," I called more firmly, "you need to stop this. Peter will be home in a couple days, so please stop acting like you'll never see him again."

He finally responded, his head turning towards me and his eyes blinking. It was like he was coming out of a daze, and when his eyes landed on me, he smiled.

"Hi, Pep," he greeted softly, sitting himself up and rolling his shoulders back. "How long you been here?"

"Long enough to see you in a catatonic state," I replied drily. "Friday says you've been like this for 2 ½ hours."

"Oh," was his quiet response. "I guess I should, um, do something," he stated as he stood up. He looked around, and I frowned sympathetically at the lost look in his eyes.

"Sit down," I requested, patting the spot next to me. When he did, I took one of his hands in mine and squeezed it comfortingly.

"He'll be home in three days," I told him plainly, and he immediately nodded.

"Yeah, I know that," he told me. "I wasn't—I mean what I was doing—that wasn't because"—

I cut his rambling with a finger to his lips. "Tony, I know you miss him, I do, but you can't fall apart like this every time he's gone for a couple days. Peter is _sixteen_ years old and before you know it he'll be in college and this will be a more common occurrence. You're going to have to—Oh, for goodness sake," I exhaled upon noticing Tony's increasingly panicked expression.

Heart clenching, I placed my hands on both sides of his face and forced him to look at me. Massaging his scalp, I told him to take a few breaths before speaking once more.

"Okay, love, you need to relax," I stated. "I know you miss him. I do as well, but this isn't healthy for you. Peter wouldn't want you being so miserable while he's away, and honestly, it doesn't matter where he goes, you'll be able to get there within the span of a few hours."

"Do you think he's okay?" he suddenly asked, eyebrows knitting in concern. I withheld a sigh knowing he wasn't really listening to what I was saying.

"Has Karen alerted you to anything?" I decided to ask back, and he frowned while shaking his head.

"Has Peter said anything to alert you that something's wrong?" I then questioned, and he hesitated before answering.

"He hasn't said anything, but we haven't really talked," he informed me with an adorable pout. "I've texted him, called, and left voicemails, but I've barely heard from the kid. He's given me a few texts and we spoke for a couple minutes yesterday, but…

" _But_ ," I prodded.

"Well, it's not that he's said anything that's worrisome," he remarked pensively, "it's that we've barely had any contact. Is this normal? Is this how it's going to be when he's gone?"

I graced the man with a loving smile as I answered, "I'm sure he's just fine, Tony. The reason he hasn't talked to either of us much is probably because he's busy. They've no doubt got a full schedule during the day, and in the evening he's no doubt having a good time. Not to mention there's a time difference, so he probably doesn't want to bother us while we're sleeping, or, well, when I'm sleeping that is."

Tony frowned deeply yet nodded nonetheless. "I guess," he murmured unhappily.

"I also know that once he's in college he'll be in contact with us more often, I promise you," I reassured him. "Peter isn't one to shut us out, and let's be honest, it's not like you won't be visiting him every chance you get. _Also_ ," I had to add, "remember, once again, that Peter still has the rest of this year and next year before he goes to college. He's not leaving the nest yet."

Tony stared off into the distance looking contemplative before nodding in agreement, or, at least I hoped he was nodding in agreement.

"Thanks for the pep talk," he finally said with a slight smirk, and I huffed lightly before leaning in for a kiss that he happily returned.

"Now, go make yourself useful before I sick Natasha on you," I warned, and he laughed before getting up and walking away.

 **Peter's POV:**

"Sooooo, hear anything from your dad yet?" Flash whispered as we walked around the town on a tour.

I shook my head, throwing him an irritated look. He'd been asking me the same question nearly every hour.

"I told you, dude, I'll let you know if that happens," I hissed as I threw him a mild glare.

"What do you mean if?" he replied with a scoff. "There's no way in hell he won't find out about this. Maybe…maybe you should just fess up now," he mused aloud.

"Fess up?" I responded in shock. "Are you kidding me? If he knew what had happened he'd probably fly over here to…" I didn't bother finishing, the mere thought of my dad showing up causing me to shudder.

"You do know if he finds out what I did, he'll probably tell your mom what you did," I felt the need to add, and while he grimaced, he also gave a shrug.

"Whatever you think, it's gonna happen sooner or later. Might as well get it over with now," he grumbled.

"Peter and Flash, keep up!" Mr. Monroe suddenly shouted, and we both realized that we were several feet behind the rest of the group. We rushed to catch up, and I was glad for the reprieve from the stressful conversation.

With every passing day, I felt myself becoming more and more nervous, my heart fluttering every time I received a message from one of my parents. Thankfully, they both seemed completely unaware of my idiotic actions. I could only hope that would last. I still held a flicker of hope that they'd never see the video.

We continued to tour around the town, and I did the best I could to focus on what our tour guide was saying, but as usual, my mind just kept straying back to what had happened. Ever since that night, Harry and Charlie had attempted to cajole Flash and I into going out again, but we'd both vehemently refused, not wanting a repeat of three days ago.

Our group stopped walking in order to have dinner. Monroe was talking about the restaurant, but it was only a sharp jab from Flash that had me realizing where we were.

It was the pub. _That_ pub. Apparently it also functioned as a restaurant.

Oh, crap.

Looking at Flash I noticed him wearing a panicked expression that I no doubt mimicked.

I suddenly felt very sick to my stomach as we were herded inside.

"Mr. Monroe," I blurted out, "I'm not feeling well at all, can I just head back to the dorm?"

"Uh, yeah, Peter has been feeling sick since this morning, so why don't I take him back," Flash immediately suggested, and Monroe looked at us both in surprised concern.

"Oh, well, are you sure eating won't help, Peter?" the older man asked.

"Feel like I'm gonna throw up," I mumbled, and I really wasn't lying, especially when a man working here seemed to recognize me.

Double crap.

"Oy! You're that boy in here the other night who took down Eddie and his bros like they were nothing!" the man announced, joyfully walking over to me.

Holding out a hand to me, he introduced himself. "Names Brian, and you are?"

"I'm not—we've never—I don't know what you're talking about," I stammered, eyes flicking between the smiling man and my increasingly suspicious teacher.

Triple crap.

"Now, don't be shy, I know it's you," the man said with a grin. "And this chap was there as well," he stated, pointing at Flash, who'd been glaring at the man.

"Excuse me, sir," Mr. Monroe interjected, placing a hand on both Flash and mine's shoulders, "but you must be mistaken. These two boys are American students here on an educational trip, and they've never been to this pub."

"Educational trip, huh?" the portly man replied, amusement growing in his eyes. "Well, they're certainly getting an education. These two blokes were here couple nights ago. Had quite the good time, didn't you?" he asked, and I shot the man a pleading look. He either didn't see it or didn't care, and I was willing to bet the latter.

Monroe's grip on our shoulders seemed to tighten.

"Did they now?" our teacher asked, and I couldn't help the groan that escaped me.

The man who talked too much way too happily recounted the events of three nights ago, and my stomach twisted itself into a painful knot. I'd considered the possibility of my parents finding out, but I'd never even thought about the consequences of my school finding out. From the pale expression on Flash's face, I figured he hadn't thought about this either.

The tattletale finished explaining what we'd done, and if things couldn't get worse, one of our classmates decided now would be a good time to show and tell.

"Hey, Monroe, check this out!" Mark yelled holding up his smartphone. "Peter and Flash got into a fight right here!" The kid whose face I now wanted to punch looked back at his phone, letting out a delighted laugh as he handed his phone over to Monroe.

"What the hell, Mark?" Flash whispered furiously, echoing my sentiment.

"What?" Mark replied in mock innocence, the glint in his eyes giving away that he was really enjoying this. He wanted us to be in trouble.

Mr. Monroe handed the phone back to Mark, exchanged a few words with Ms. Agard and then began to lead us out of the restaurant.

"We've got a lot to talk about, boys, don't we?" he commented rhetorically. "Tell me what happened."

Flash and I exchanged morose looks before I began to recount what happened. It took the entire walk back to our building before we finished, and by that time I was nearly in tears, ashamed and guilty over how idiotically I'd acted. I was also terrified at the fact that he'd be calling home right now.

We walked into the building like condemned men and Monroe sent us to our dorm room while he made the calls. He also planned on contacting the school and had warned us we were no doubt not only going to be sent home but suspended as well.

As Flash and I walked into our dorm, we both simply stood there and stared at one another in shock.

"Didn't expect things to turn out like this," Flash eventually spoke in a whisper. I shook my head in agreement, watching as he began to collect his stuff. "Might as well pack up now," he said upon noting my inquiring look.

Resigned, I too went about collecting my things, mind reeling as I began to attempt to come up with excuses to explain my actions.

 **Tony's POV:**

"Sir, Principal Edwards is calling," Friday informed me, and I raised a curious eyebrow. Why would he be calling when Peter wasn't even at school?

What if something bad happened? My mind immediately flashed to all sorts of awful scenarios, so I quickly accepted the call.

"What's up, Edwards?" I asked with feigned casualness. "My kids in Oxford, so…" I trailed off, allowing him to answer my question.

"Hello, Mr. Stark," the man sighed, sounding both irritated and tired, which immediately put me on edge.

"Peter seems to have gotten in to some trouble while in Oxford," the man began, and before I could ask, he quickly added, "he's fine, completely unharmed."

"What happened?" I pressed, heart already sinking. If the spiderling wasn't in danger, then that meant he'd done something he shouldn't have; and, for the principal to call, it had to have been something serious.

Edwards explained to me what Peter had gotten up to, and I had to sit myself down in order to process.

Peter drinking.

Peter fighting.

Caught on tape.

Video on the internet.

I finished the conversation with Edwards, and immediately contacted the teacher abroad, Mr. Monroe. The man repeated what Edwards had said, including a little more details as he'd spoken directly with Peter and Flash. Peter's punishment of being sent home early and being suspended was repeated, and I voiced my understanding and agreement. Instead of Peter flying home, though, I let the man know that I would be picking my boy up later today. Although, not quite pleased by that, Monroe agreed as he really had no argument against it.

Hanging up, I then called Amanda to ask permission to spend the night at her home. She happily agreed, not even asking why, so I had to cut her off when she started making plans for us.

"Sorry, Amanda," I apologized genuinely, "but this won't really be a social visit." I explained to her what Peter had done, and her excitement immediately turned to extreme disappointment.

"Oh, you bring him straight here, Anthony Stark!" she demanded angrily, and I found myself temporarily cringing at both her tone and the use of my full name.

"Peter and I are going to have a _very_ long and serious conversation on why drinking is completely unacceptable," she declared, ranting for nearly a minute before I managed to get the courage to speak interrupt.

"Uh, Amanda… _Mom_ ," I finally interrupted, "you know _I'm_ not the one in trouble, right, so how about you save the lecturing for when you see the kid."

I received a snort and then a short chuckle before she spoke again. "Well, I suppose that's true right now at least," she remarked with some amusement.

Before I could protest, she then said, "You are welcome to stay as long as you need with me. I'm afraid I only have one guest room, but I"—

"That's fine," I cut off, "Peter and I can share a bed, so don't trouble yourself. And, thank you. I didn't want to have to fly there and then back the same day."

My mother and I spoke for a little more before hanging up. I let out a heavy sigh, feeling the onset of a headache coming on. It was at that point that I finally decided to pull up the video that Mr. Monroe had told me about.

I watched my scrawny teen drunk off his ass take on a man twice his size with little difficulty. If that weren't bad enough, three other men then got involved, and once again, my bullheaded boy took them on far too easilyl. Thankfully, that part of the video was harder to make out, and it was seconds before Flash and other college students got involved.

The video was trending. Of course, it was. How had I not known about this earlier?

"Friday," I addressed irritably, "why didn't you make me aware of this video? It's been around for three days!"

"I apologize, sir," the AI replied regretfully, "but you asked me to stop informing you of every time Peter is mentioned or shown in the media as it tended to infuriate you."

I cursed.

"Well, amend that," I snapped. "From now on, I want a concise report of anything on my son daily, and if something like this video ever pops up again, then notify me immediately."

"Yes, sir," Friday replied.

Anger growing, I got into my suit and blasted off for Oxford. On the way, I called Pepper to inform her of what was occurring. While angry, she seemed more disappointed and hurt. In fact, she even apologized to me, which caught me completely off guard.

"Why are _you_ sorry?" I asked in bewilderment.

"Because this is exactly what you were afraid would happen, and none of us believed you," she replied with regret, and I blinked in surprise, not even having thought that at all. She was right, though. This had been one of the many fears I'd had about my spiderling being on a college campus.

"It's not your fault, love," I countered kindly.

"I know, but I feel like I should've done more," she argued. "I just trusted that he knew better than to even put himself in a situation like that."

"I trusted him too," I agreed.

"Yes, but you still worried and continued to get in contact with him," she countered guiltily. "We should've insisted he speak with us daily, and"—

"Pepper," I cut off firmly, "stop blaming yourself. Yes, I was more worried than you, but I think we've established that I was being overly dramatic due to my many, _many_ issues."

Pepper sighed but didn't argue anymore. I let her know I was planning on staying with Amanda for at least a night, and she said she understood.

"I'm going to call him and let him know what's happening," she told me, and I voiced my agreement. I was still processing what I felt over what had happened, so I didn't want to speak with him at the moment, afraid that I would say something I'd regret.

We said our goodbyes, and I spent the remainder of the trip thinking over what Peter had done, what I would say, and what I would do.

I thought over all the countless concerns I'd had over Peter being at the college. Drinking had definitely been one of the hugest concerns, but the few times I'd been able to think clearly, I recognized that Peter was too smart to allow himself to get drunk…or, so I had thought.

Why would he have allowed this to happen?

It couldn't have been his idea. He was probably pressured by Flash or some college students. That still didn't make it right, but it'd be at least somewhat understandable.

Drinking alone upset me but add fighting…that was ridiculous. Clearly, being intoxicated added to his lack of common sense, but damn, kiddo. He had to be reckless enough to take on four full grown men and make it look easy, _and_ , he'd gotten filmed doing it. More than once.

I watched the three videos that been filmed, noting that Peter had been dragged away from the fight by Flash and some other kids. So, he'd never come to his senses during that fight.

My headache was full blown at this point, my disappointment mounting.

We'd talked about drinking. He knew he wasn't old enough, and he _knew_ getting drunk was absolutely unacceptable.

We'd gone over fighting before also, and that time he'd gotten a spanking.

Then, add the chance of exposure. There were already people speculating as to how he'd overcome those guys. Many, thankfully, seemed to think it was a hoax, something to gain attention. Peter wouldn't like looking like a glory hound, but at this point, that was best case scenario.

However, there were also some who were beginning to think that Peter was being trained by me or the Avengers, and even a few who were beginning to throw around the idea that Peter might actually be a super hero…that he might be Spider man.

I groaned internally at that. What could I do to quell those rumors? Unsure, I just set about removing posts connecting Peter to Spider man while throwing up posts about how the video was set up or that Peter got lucky during the fight. It didn't paint my little spider in a good light, but again, it was the better option.

Pushing thoughts of the video aside, I decided to look into who Peter's college roommates had been. It didn't take long for me to pull up information on Charlie Black and Harry Lockhart.

Black seemed like the average college kid. He came from a good home, got good grades, and got into very little trouble. Going off things he'd posted online, it looked like he was living it up at college, though. Nothing out of the normal, however.

Lockhart was the prime minister's son, and he was a troublemaker with a powerful father to cover up his son's misdeeds. Smart kid, yet prone to getting into mischief, not unlike I was as a kid.

So, peer pressure it is, I couldn't help but infer. Understandable and expected, but _still_ …

I was nearing Oxford when I received notice of the media having arrived.

What the hell? How had they known that I was coming? Who could've tipped them off?

Did they see the video and just show up in the hopes of interviewing Peter?

Letting out a sigh of frustration, I landed in a city outside Oxford. I decided that I'd rent a car and drive the rest of the way there as my suit was a dead giveaway that I was there. Hopefully, I'd be able to sneak on to campus and get my boy out without a lot of fanfare…

Yeah, wishful thinking.

 **Peter's POV:**

My stomach wouldn't stop churning unpleasantly, and I was ready to throw up once again. I'd already lost the contents of my stomach once and wasn't looking forward to doing so again.

Despite my feeble feelings of hope earlier, I'd always known that my parents would find out. I'd been doing my best to tell myself they wouldn't, but despite my mental assurances, my body had been dealing with the stress for the last three days. Now that the gig was up, it was all catching up.

"Well, you two look like crap," Harry commented as he walked into his room. "That wouldn't have anything to do with the paparazzi outside, would it?"

"The _what?!_ " I gasped in horrified shock.

Harry shrugged before replying, "There's a bunch of nosy reporters out there, and from the sounds of it, they're waiting for you. Good thing too, because I thought they were here for me. Imagine my shock when I walked by without them even glancing in my direction."

Was it my imagination, or did he sound upset about that?

"Well, feel free and take their attention away from me," I snarked, disbelieving that anyone would want to be in the spotlight.

"Anyways, why so glum if you didn't know about them?" Harry pressed curiously.

"We got caught," Flash grumbled, shooting Harry a mild glare, especially when he burst out into loud laughter.

"Glad you're so amused," Flash griped, his glare darkening. "This wouldn't have happened if not for you."

"Hey, kiddies," Harry responded with a smirk, "I never forced you to drink. That's all on you."

Sporting a glare of my own, I remained silent as he was telling the truth. He may have pressured us, but he didn't force us. The choice to drink was ours alone.

Charlie walked in at this point, and he shot Flash and I sympathetic, apologetic looks.

"Heard what happened," Charlie told us. "Sorry for dragging you into this. We weren't exactly the best mentors, were we?"

Flash snorted but didn't respond. He just looked down at his hands miserably.

"Thanks," I felt the need to reply.

"So, what's the verdict?" Charlie then asked. "They sending you home?"

"Yup," Flash growled, " _and_ we're suspended indefinitely. My mother is _so_ thrilled."

I winced at his words, recalling my own dressing down by Pepper. She'd verbally torn me apart for my stupid actions as I expected, but what bothered me the most was when she said I really hurt Tony. When I asked her why, she simply said that I would have to discuss that with him.

As I had many times today, I hadn't thought things could get worse, but they did. Apparently, Dad was on his way to pick me up himself, and not in a jet, but in his suit, meaning he'd be here any moment now. A shiver ran through me at the thought of facing him so soon. I'd been looking forwards to the reprieve of a long flight, hoping it'd help him calm down. For him to be flying straight here, he had to be pissed, and that meant bad news for me.

"My dads on his way," I informed the room, and all eyes looked to me in surprise. I hadn't informed Flash, so he gave me a grimace of sympathy.

"Holy crap, Tony Stark is on his way _here_?" Charlie exclaimed, and I found it curious when he looked more worried than excited. Looking at Harry, I noticed he too was sporting the same concern.

I shot the men questioning looks, and it was Charlie who said, "Your dads going to kill us. We were supposed to be looking out for you, so who do you think he's going to blame for you ending up drunk? Bloody hell, this was not how I planned on dying," he murmured, running two agitated hands through his hair.

I couldn't help the spark of amusement I felt at their reactions, and I latched on to that feeling desperately, wanting to feel anything but guilty and anxiety.

"You should relax," I felt the need to reassure. "My dad isn't as scary as you think he is."

"Uh, yeah he is," Flash stated, and I looked at him in surprise. He sported a sheepish smile, shrugging as he added, "It's true."

I just shook my head in bemusement, not understanding how he could think that. Then again, he had been threatened by Tony before.

My phone went off, and a flash of anxiety coursed through me when I glanced at it and saw that it was from Tony. Crap.

 _T: I know the media is there. I'm taking a rental and should be there in ten._

My heart began to beat rapidly, and I couldn't stop the whimper that escaped me.

"He'll be here in _ten minutes_ ," I declared in a strained voice, causing Harry and Charlie to shoot me alarmed expressions.

"Uh, yeah, that's our cue, mate," Harry asserted, clapping his friend on the shoulder before making his way for the door. Charlie shot us another sympathetic look before heading for the door as well. They'd barely been about to walk out when my father suddenly appeared, a prominent frown on his face as he blocked the doorway.

"Going somewhere, gentlemen?" he asked in mock cheer, and Charlie actually gave a whimper before stumbling back all the way to his couch. Harry's shoulders hunched, but he simply stepped aside, giving a sigh as Dad walked in. He kicked the door shut behind him, his eyes roving over each one of us.

"You said ten minutes," I blurted out, having no idea what else to say. I instantly regretted speaking when his eyes landed on me. They seemed to darken, and I had to fight the urge to flee.

"I did," he replied lightly, hands stuffed in his pockets, "but it was only so I could make sure you wouldn't bolt. I didn't fancy running around this campus looking for you when there are paparazzi roaming around."

"How'd you get in without them seeing you?" Harry asked in bewilderment. His posture was stiff and wary, but he was doing his best to come off casually. It wasn't working.

Tony's eyes flicked to his, a slight grin forming as he cryptically replied, "I have my ways. I've been avoiding those cretins longer than you've been alive."

Harry frowned, squirming uncomfortably at the predatory gleam in my dad's eyes. Dad took a few, purposeful steps towards Harry, and Harry couldn't keep himself from backing up into his desk.

"So, Harry Lockhart, I've done a little reading up on you, and I'm wondering if you had _anything_ to do with leading these two _underage_ boys in to a bar," Dad questioned in a dangerous purr. "I'm wondering if you not just stood by, but possibly _pushed_ them into drinking. You think you can answer those questions for me, Harry?"

I felt terrible at seeing Harry leaning as far away as he could from Tony, his face a little pale as he held up his hands.

"No, no, no," Harry protested weakly. "I didn't—I just—I mean, they were the ones that"—

I cut off his dismal explanation by walking up to Dad and placing a hand on his arm.

"Dad, please don't," I pleaded, completely embarrassed by his interrogation. Dad ignored me, though, his eyes flicking over to Charlie, who actually flinched in fear.

"How about you, Charlie Black?" Dad pressed in the same dangerous tone. "Could you answer those questions for me?"

"Sir, I'm sorry," Charlie rapidly replied. "We shouldn't have taken them to the pub. It was stupid and irresponsible of us, but please don't kill me," he begged, his voice high pitched.

Tony frowned deeply, and he glared darkly at the two college students. He breathed deeply through his nose, and looked ready to lay into them, but I stood myself in front of him.

"Stop, please," I begged. "They didn't force me to do anything."

I couldn't help but regret my intervention when his eyes landed on me once more. If I wasn't mistaken, they seemed to darken even more than when he'd been looking at Charlie and Harry. The urge to run hit me again, but I couldn't seem to move my legs.

"That's true," Dad murmured, his muscles seeming to tighten before he took a step away from me.

His eyes turned to Flash now, and Flash immediately looked to the floor. Dad's lips pursed, and he seemed to debate with himself before seemingly deciding to say nothing to my friend. I noticed as Flash's face reddened.

"Right, well, this has been fun, but we really must be going," Dad asserted. "Grab your stuff, kid."

Breaths of relief were given, and I felt very jealous of the other three guys. With increasing anxiety, I grabbed my bag and shuffled on over, unable to look him in the eyes.

Before we walked out, he turned back to the room once more and said, "Bye the way, I've had a nice chat with the university regarding your excellent mentoring, boys, so be prepared to hear from them." His arm then wrapped around me gently, and he lead me out of the dorm room.

"I've already spoken with Mr. Monroe, so we can be on our merry way," he informed me.

"How are we going to avoid the reporters?" I had to ask.

"With this," he answered, handing me a small electronic device. I immediately recognized it as a digital mask. I couldn't help but grin as I put one on. I'd never actually used one of these, and I thought they were amazing. Seeing as most the world didn't know about these devices, they worked like a charm, and we managed to walk past the reporters with barely a glance.

"That was awesome," I exclaimed excitedly, wondering if he'd be willing to give me one. My question and elation were quickly squashed by a curt order from Dad to get in the car. My face fell, and I quickly did as told, handing the device over when he held out a hand.

"We're going to my mother's," he informed me after a few minutes of silence, and I looked at him in surprise, a flash of hope surging through me. Amanda would calm him down. Amanda would be able to reason with him, _and_ there was no way he'd punish me with her there, right?

"I wouldn't get too hopeful," Dad warned with a knowing glance. "Amanda is less than happy with your behavior. In fact, Friday, call Amanda, please."

It was three rings before she answered.

"Anthony," she greeted, "are you on your way?"

"Yes," he replied. "We should be there within the hour. While we're driving, I figured Peter here can tell us what happened."

I squirmed, stomach twisting at having to confess what I'd done to not just him, but Amanda as well. Amanda, who thought so highly of me, and had rarely ever had cause to give me a stern word. I didn't want her to know what I'd done. I didn't want her too to be disappointed with me, which is why I remained silent, shooting my father a pleading look. He completely ignored me.

"Peter," my grandmother called sternly, "explain yourself, young man." I cringed, heart breaking at hearing her speak to me so sternly. Even the one time she'd scolded me for being disrespectful she hadn't sounded like this, and embarrassingly, I already felt tears welling up in my eyes.

" _Peter,_ " Dad spoke in a warning tone. I flinched, throwing him a wide-eyed look before promptly stuttering through a recount of what happened. I looked down at my lap the entire time, my face hot with shame. Confessing to what I'd done was difficult enough with a furious dad, but confessing to my _grandmother?_ That was pure torture.

As I spoke, neither one said anything, but I didn't need to see my dad's expression to tell how displeased he was. With Amanda, though, I had no idea what she was thinking, and I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

"Was Flash drinking before you started?" Dad asked when I'd finished.

"Yes," I replied.

"Did he push you into drinking?" he then questioned, and I mulled over how to respond without making Flash come off badly.

"He _suggested_ I should, but he didn't force me to or anything," I eventually answered. "Nobody forced me," I confessed. "It was my decision."

"And you decided to drink why?" Amanda pressed, and I withheld a sigh. I fidgeted with the zipper on my jacket, really wanting to not answer the question, but knowing that wasn't an option.

"Everybody was pushing me to, and it was expected," I responded in a small voice. "I'm _your_ son, Dad, and everybody knows how you are— _were_ , and so they figure I'm the same way. They figure that I must be a cool and as fun as you. When I refused to even take a drink, everybody looked at me like I was some sort of freak or something. They couldn't understand why I'd be refusing. I was embarrassed," I admitted, blushing in remembrance.

"I-I'm not blaming you," I rushed to add once I felt Tony's eyes on me, "but-but I didn't want to come off like some little kid."

"Right, so that's why you decided to drink, but why did you allow yourself to get drunk?" Amanda then asked, and I could tell she didn't find my explanation for drinking acceptable. A glance towards Dad revealed nothing. He wore a completely blank expression, and his eyes were trained firmly on the road ahead of him.

"Drinking contest," I whispered, wincing when she sharply replied, "A _drinking_ contest? You can't be serious." I honestly wished I wasn't, and not just because of her tone of incredulity and disappointment, but because I understood how utterly stupid the decision had been.

"I thought…I thought that with my metabolism, I'd be able to win and not get drunk," I explained dismally, cringing at how ridiculous that sounded now. At the time it'd sounded logical, but at the time I'd also been caught up in appearances. "I wanted to prove myself."

"So, it was the drinking contest that got you drunk?" Amanda inquired, and as I responded affirmatively, I wondered why she was the only one doing the talking now. Hesitantly looking at Tony, I saw that he still wore the emotionless mask, but I also noticed how white his knuckles were from how tight he must've been gripping the steering wheel.

"What led to the fight? From what I know of you, Peter, you are not the type to resort to violence," Grandma remarked. "What did those men do to you?"

I couldn't keep the groan from escaping me. Everything before the fight I had some sort of understandable explanation. Everything from the fight on, however, I had no excuse that would sound in any way acceptable. What could I say that wouldn't sound totally pathetic? The idiot said mean things to me? Yeah, that would go over soooo well.

"I'm waiting for an answer," Amanda declared stonily, and I my shoulders drooped in resignation.

"I don't have an acceptable answer," I told her dully. "He said stupid stuff cuz he was drunk, and I reacted stupidly cuz I was drunk…He made fun of me, and I know how that sounds, and how completely unacceptable and reckless my actions were. I wish I had a better explanation, but I don't."

"I believe you understand how unacceptable your actions were, but I'm not sure you truly understand how absurdly reckless they were," she replied. "I take if you've seen the videos."

"Yes," I mumbled.

"Looking at it with an outside perspective, does any part of that video stand out as odd?" she pressed, disapproval oozing with every word.

"Yes," I answered, and my head snapped to my dad's when he let out a low growl. I warily waited for him to say something or even look at me, but he did neither. While part of me was relieved, another part of me was hurt that he wasn't reacting in any way. Okay, and I was scared too. Having no idea what he was thinking or feeling left me completely off kilter. I didn't know what to say to him to make things better when I didn't know what he was thinking.

Amanda began to speak once more, so I focused my attention on her. "A teenage boy taking on three grown men," she said. "Definitely _not_ normal. Do you have any idea how bad that looks for you? You want to keep your identity secret, but with a video like this…what do you think people are going to say? Have you looked online yet for reactions?"

"I haven't wanted to look," I admitted, gut churning at the thought of my identity being revealed to the world. Oh god, I couldn't even imagine what that would be like. My life would be ruined. Being known as Tony's son was bad enough but being a superhero would make things ten times worse. I'd never have a moments rest. I would have to leave school. I'd never see my friends again, because I wouldn't want to endanger them. What would I do? Would I be forced to sign the Accords? Would I be forced to quit school and become an Avenger by the government? What if I was arrested? What if"—

I jerked wildly when I felt a hand on my leg and shot my dad a panicked look.

"Breathe, pal," he ordered gently, and I mechanically began to take in deep breaths.

"What am I going to do?" I asked aloud, my voice coming out desperate.

"I'm taking care of it as best I can," Dad replied, his eyes compassionate as they flicked between me and the road. "I've been flooding the internet with reports that the video was staged or that those men weren't seriously trying to harm you as they knew you were my son, and I've got Friday keeping close tabs on anyone who makes claims that you might be Spider man," he informed me. "I won't lie, some people have made the connection, but I'm pretty sure your secrets safe. It's much easier for people to believe those guys were too drunk to put up a fight or that you faked the fight than to believe you're some super hero. Your reputations going to take a bit of a hit, but in light of the alternative, I can't really say I'm sorry," he then added with a shrug.

Admittedly, at the moment, I didn't care about my reputation either as long as my secret was kept safe.

"Is it working?" I had to ask.

"Seems to be," he remarked, "but it's too early to tell."

"Is Friday taking down the posts that suspect him of being a super hero?" Amanda inquired.

"No," Dad answered. "That would raise suspicions. Friday is responding to the posts, though, throwing skepticism and doubt. I'm fairly confident that this will blow over soon. A rich kid getting into a drunken fight isn't exactly shocking news."

I looked down at my lap in shame. I wasn't supposed to be one of _those_ kids. I was supposed to be smarter than that. Jeez, I hadn't even considered how my actions no doubt embarrassed my parents. Me doing ridiculous stuff like this probably made it seem like they were bad parents or something.

"I'm so sorry," I declared, grimacing at how pathetically weak my voice came out.

My apology was greeted with a snort from Dad, a humorless grin on his face as he shook his head.

Amanda, on the other hand sadly responded, "I don't doubt you are."

I once again felt the urge to start crying, begging for forgiveness, or both. Her sadness tore at me. How could I have let her down so much? How could I have let down my parents so much?

I had just wanted to fit in.

There are other ways, though, a part of me thought.

Not to mention, there are more important things than image. Would it really have mattered in the long run what some random people in a bar thought of me?

No. No, it wouldn't have.

"Well," my grandmother stated, her tone business-like, "I'll leave you be for now, but rest assured, young man, that you and I will be exchanging _many_ words upon your arrival on how absolutely foolish your actions were."

"Okay," I whispered in response, feeling dejected and alone. I already knew that Dad was going to lay into me, and I'd no doubt be sleeping on a sore backside, so I'd been hoping for some comfort from her. It seemed she was just as upset as Dad, though…or, at least I think she is.

I looked towards Tony once more, expecting to see his blank mask in place. What I saw, however, only made me feel worse. Instead of no emotions, his face showed sadness. I couldn't stand it, so I looked away quickly, his sadness making me feel like I was physically in pain. It _hurt_.

I expected anger, not _this_. I didn't know how to deal with this.

I wanted to apologize again over and over until he lost that expression, but my words felt stuck in my throat. My eyes filled with tears at his apparent pain, and I bit my lip hard to keep from crying.

 **A/N: Thank you, thank you to my faithful reviewers. You guys are so kind, and I'm glad you're still enjoying this story!**

 **To the person who keeps asking for me to write the Twilight story, Thorn in my Side, I'm sorry to say, but I'm done with Twilight. I no longer have any interest in it, and so I will never be writing the story. Sincerest apologies.**


	65. Chapter 65

**Chapter 65: Consequences of Drinking**

 **Tony's POV:**

I mechanically ate the meal Amanda had made, so lost in my thoughts I honestly couldn't tell you what I'd eaten.

"Thanks, Amanda," I told her once I'd finished, and she gave me a small smile before looking towards Peter, whose plate was still full.

"Peter, you've barely touched your food," Amanda spoke in concern. "Do you want me to make you something else?"

Peter looked momentarily startled, as if he'd forgotten we were here. "Uh, n-no, I'm good," he replied hastily, throwing Amanda a smile. "I'm just, um, not really hungry. Sorry."

I heaved a sigh before getting up and grabbing his and my dish.

"Well, if you're not hungry, then you might as well get ready for bed," I suggested, and he frowned unhappily.

"But, it's only"—he began to protest, but I cut him off with a sharp wave of my hand.

"Yeah, I don't care. Just go," I ordered, and he looked to Amanda, as if expecting for her to help. A flash of anger coursed through me at the sight.

"Quit looking at her and just do as you're told!" I snapped in sudden fury, and the boy vanished from the kitchen in mere seconds.

I let out another heavy sigh, my flash of anger disappearing just as quickly as it had manifested. Once again, I just felt tired, and I wasn't sure why. I mean, should I be angry or at least disappointed? Shouldn't I be with the little idiot right now, scolding him before busting his butt? Yeah, probably, but…

I was just tired. I was sad? Or, was it hurt? This was odd. It didn't make sense.

Why were feelings so stupid? Why did they never make sense? Why couldn't they come with an instruction manual or something?

I feel sad, I guess, but _why_? Come on genius brain, answer _that_!

"Anthony, put those plates down and sit," Amanda instructed, and I mechanically followed her directions.

"Talk to me," she then requested, and I looked over at my mother who was looking at me with kind, concerned eyes. "What're you thinking?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly, and she nodded slowly.

"What're you feeling?" she then prodded gently.

"Sad, I think…or hurt," I replied slowly. "Guilty, too," I added with mild surprise.

"You blame yourself for what happened?" she inquired with raised eyebrows.

I thought over the question and my feelings of guilt more, and then nodded back. "Yeah, I do. What Peter did…it's what I did, y'know. I got drunk and into fights over stupid stuff to prove myself and fit in. Well, I also did a lot more and pretty much kept the party going for a couple decades, but the kid knows all that. He's seen my mistakes online"—

"Which is all the more reason for him to have known better," Amanda interjected firmly. "I take it you didn't glorify your less than stellar choices to him, did you?"

"No, of course not," I replied with a quick shake of my head. "I've told him how idiotic I was, and how lucky I am to not be in jail or dead. I know he understood."

"Then, how is this your fault?" was the next question thrown at me, and I rubbed the back of my neck before responding.

"Peter would be a regular kid if he wasn't mine," I told her. "He wouldn't have been egged on as much. He wouldn't have had pre-conceived notions of what he _should_ be like, and he wouldn't have been filmed if he was anybody else's kid."

A harsh sigh greeted my words, and I looked at my mother curiously. Her fingers tapped impatiently on the table, her lips pursed as she examined me. I raised an eyebrow at her, unsure why she was looking me over so critically. She seemed to be thinking her words over carefully, or at least I'd thought that until she bluntly stated, "You're being an idiot, and it doesn't suit you at all."

"Huh?" was my eloquent response.

"You are in no way at fault for the situation Peter placed _himself_ in," she declared, her eyes boring into mine. "It doesn't matter what _you_ did as a child or even as an adult, and it doesn't matter how famous you are, because at the end of the day, Peter's actions are his own. He, and he _alone_ is responsible for what happened."

I automatically opened my mouth to argue back, but then realized I had nothing to say. She was right. Peter was responsible for his own actions.

"What has you feeling so sad?" Amanda now asked with worry.

"I don't really know," I admitted with a slight shrug. "I guess…I just—I didn't want him to be like me. I didn't want him to have my experiences. I mean, I had fun in college, but I also had some pretty horrible stuff happen too; and, most of that was due to me being drunk."

I fell quiet, furrowing my brow as old memories washed over me. As a dad now, even memories that I used to look on with a smile didn't seem so funny anymore. My college experience is _nothing_ like what I want Peter's to be. Yeah, I'd had fun at the time, but I'd also put myself in danger, made a fool of myself, and hurt not just myself but others.

"I really thought," I began after several minutes of silence, "that the kid wouldn't make the same mistakes as me. He _knows_ better. He is better than me in _every_ way, but it only took two days in college for him to…," I trailed off with a grimace, twirling my hand before sighing.

"I don't want him to be me," I finally confessed, locking eyes with Amanda.

"Anthony," she sighed sadly, reaching out to take one of my hands, "You judge yourself much too harshly. If Peter turned out like you, I would be incredibly proud."

I eyed her strangely before replying, "Well, maybe how I am now, but not how I was at his age."

Amanda's eyes narrowed as she squeezed my hand. "As I just said, you judge yourself much too harshly. Peter's actions were deplorable. They were childish and idiotic, and _you are not to blame_. Being your son didn't push him into drinking or getting into a fight."

She fell silent now, allowing me to process her words. I let out a breath, rubbing both hands over my face before nodding at her.

"Yeah…yeah, you're right," I sighed wearily, my hands now running through my hair.

"God, y'know, I was so damned _worried_ about the kid these past couple days," I informed her. "I was freaking out thinking about every little thing that could go wrong, but everybody kept telling me Peter would be fine. He's not…he's not supposed to be like me," I mumbled dejectedly.

"Then, go talk to him and make sure he doesn't," Amanda declared firmly. "I don't agree with how horribly you think of yourself, son, but if you don't want Peter to make the same mistakes as you, then go and do something about it. I'm certain he's still awake, no doubt wondering how angry you are with him."

"I don't doubt he is," I replied drily. I knew despite the early hour, Peter wouldn't be able to sleep due to his guilt and fear of punishment. It really wasn't fair of me to leave him stewing.

I sucked in a huge breath, steeling myself before standing up. I quirked a brief smile to my mother before walking away.

Approaching the guest room, I could hear my little spider tossing and turning. By the time I walked in, his movements had ceased, and when I turned the light on, I could see he was lying on the bed stiff as a board.

"I know you're not asleep, so let's talk, pal," I stated, not wanting to waste any time. The teen sat right up, throwing me an anxious look. I instantly took in his pale face and red-rimmed eyes, which caused my heart to twinge. Sitting myself down on the bed, I patted the spot next to me, and he reluctantly scooched on over.

"You mad?" he asked hesitantly, and I shook my head negatively.

"No, not angry," I replied honestly and simply. "Disappointed. You know better."

"I know, I'm sorry," he told me regretfully, and I nodded. I knew he was sorry. Peter was a good kid. A good kid who'd made a really stupid decision.

Peter's eyes kept flicking towards me, his hands wringing in his lap nervously. He looked beyond guilty, so I immediately wrapped my right arm around his shoulders, pulling him close. He gave a loud sniff as I gently rubbed a hand up and down his arm.

"I was so stupid," he grumbled self-deprecatingly. "I didn't even want to go out, but Flash did, and I didn't want to seem like some boring kid. I know that's not a good excuse," he said, "but it's the truth." He took in a shaky breath, and I watched him surreptitiously wipe at his face, which caused me to place a light kiss to the top of his head.

"God," he moaned in a distraught tone, "I can't believe how badly I screwed things up, Dad. Getting drunk was stupid enough, but then I got into a fight? What the hell was I thinking?!" he exclaimed, briefly looking at me before looking back down at his lap.

"I guess I wasn't thinking," he admitted quietly, answering his own question. "And, then I got filmed…I have the worst luck ever."

I gave a noise of agreement. My little spider really did have terrible luck.

"Peter," I began after a minute of silence had passed, "I understand peer pressure. Believe me, I _really_ do. Never did I let it affect me more than when I was in college, and it led to me doing a ton of things I regret. I don't want you to make my same mistakes. I don't want you to be _me_ ," I stressed, pulling away in an attempt to look him in the eyes.

"There will always be people out there with pre-conceived notions of who you are or what you should be like, but you can't let that—you can't let _them_ control your actions," I lectured. "You know who you are, and you've got more common sense than I ever did. You are much more mature and level-headed than I was at your age, so I just can't stand the fact that you'd let yourself get into such a mess. It wasn't just having a few drinks. You got _drunk_ , and we've already talked about why you can't allow that to happen. If that weren't bad enough," I continued exasperatedly, "you got yourself into a fight and showed off abilities you shouldn't have, _and_ you got filmed doing it. All this in one night, pal," I stated with a disbelieving shake of my head.

"I understand how things can escalate, with one little mistake leading to another and then another," I told him. "I know what it's like to have those mistakes filmed and broadcast, but I didn't care at your age, and I certainly didn't have any secrets to hide. You, on the other hand, care a lot, and you have _many_ secrets to hide. You can't afford to lose control," I declared, locking eyes with the sorrowful looking teen.

"It's not fair," I acknowledged, "but that's just the way it is. You _know_ that."

"I do," he whispered.

"Just think of everything that can go wrong when you're not in control of your actions," I rebuked, needing him to really understand. "This time it was a stupid fight where thankfully nobody got hurt. What if the next time, though, somebody does? What if you do something you can't take back?"

His eyes were on mine, and for the first time today, I saw a flicker of fear. Not fear towards me. No, this was fear of what could've happened.

"What if you'd really hurt one of those guys? Broken a bone? Knocked them unconscious? Something worse?" I pressed, and Peter's eyes widened.

"What if it's down the line and you're at another party," I continued, "and you get pushed into doing something illegal? Drugs? Vandalism? Theft?"

"I would never"—he began to protest, but I gave a sharp shake of my head to top him.

"See, it's easy to think that now, and before all this, I would've agreed with you, but… _but_ alcohol releases your inhibitions. It clouds your judgment. It makes it easier to give in to peer pressure," I told him earnestly, wanting and willing him to understand; which, is why I kept going.

"What if you and MJ, or another girl go too far?" I forced myself to ask. "What if someone—a girl or guy pushes _you_ into doing something you don't want to. I know you're strong physically, but when you drink too much…," I trailed off, internally wincing at the increasing look of horror in my little spider's eyes.

One last push, I thought.

"What if you're needed as Spider man?" I finally questioned, and the boy flinched. "What if you're trying to save people, but you screw up because your senses and reflexes are dulled? What if someone dies because of that? You have no idea—and I hope you never do—what it's like to have someone's death on your conscience, and I _never_ want you to. What that does to you…and if something like that happened because you were _drunk_ …shit, kid, you'd never forgive yourself."

I stopped talking, giving time for my words to sink in. The pale, horrified face, and tear-filled eyes let me know I'd succeeded in getting through to him. While satisfied, it broke my heart to see how frightened he suddenly seemed, as if all the consequences I listed were being played out in his head. Knowing my kid, they probably were. Tears began to fall down his cheeks and he took shuddered breaths.

I gripped his shoulder tightly and then rubbed his back until he calmed down somewhat. We'd talked enough. He understood what he'd done wrong. I was certain I didn't need to continue lecturing. Now, was the time for punishment.

I gave my spiderling's shoulder another comforting squeeze before releasing him and taking in a deep breath. I morphed my expression into a stern one, resolving myself to the task ahead.

"Stand up," I ordered, and Peter's crying abruptly stopped as he looked at me with now nervous eyes.

"You're going to…," he began to ask before biting his bottom lip anxiously.

I simply raised an eyebrow in answer to the ridiculous question. He had to have known what would happen from the moment I found out. A groan was let out by the teen, and his hands gripped the bed spread.

"Peter," I warned with a tinge of anger, "don't make me tell you again."

My tone had the desired effect, because he promptly stood up. As the nanobots covered my hand, I motioned for him to drop his pants.

A whining sound was the response I received before the spiderling shot me pleading eyes.

"Dad, please," he began to beg, "I really do understand."

"I'm sure you do," I replied calmly, "but this is still happening, so quit stalling."

Another whining sound was given, and Peter shook his head, taking a step back. I immediately hardened my expression, giving him a foreboding look that caused him to freeze mid-step.

"Come here," I ordered firmly, crooking my finger at him. Come on, kiddo, I couldn't help but think desperately. I was already tired and hurting and not wanting to do this at all, but I needed to make sure this was a lesson that would stick. Words helped, but a sore backside would reinforce the lesson and show him how serious I was about his.

"Look, I know I screwed up bad," the kid asserted, gracing me with a repentant look. "I get it, I really do. I acted stupid, _really_ stupid, but I swear the lesson was learned. It won't happen again, I promise. I'll never go to another party, and I won't even look at any alcohol for as long as I live," he declared, and as upset as I was by this protesting, a small part of me felt a flicker of amusement at his declarations. I knew those weren't promises he could keep, and I didn't expect him to.

"I'm not banning you from parties, pal," I informed him, "I'm banning you from drinking until you're twenty-one years old."

"Yeah, yeah, I totally get it, and I promise not to drink until I'm twenty-one," he insisted, lightly hopping from one foot to the next in nervous energy.

"Good to know," I responded, "and this punishment will help. Now, I've had enough of the arguing. Come here this instant, or the spanking will be worse."

Peter's expression only turned more nervous, indecision clear in his eyes. When those eyes flicked once towards the door, I decided enough was enough. I was _not_ going to chase this boy around the house.

Standing up, the spiderling's face immediately turned alarmed, and he hastily moved in the direction of the door.

"Amanda will hear!" he suddenly argued in panic.

"Probably," I agreed, "but if you run out that door, not only will she hear, but she'll see as well."

Mouth opening in horror, he rapidly shook his head at me, face reddening in mortification at the thought of his grandmother witnessing his punishment.

Fed up, I quickly reached the obstinate boy and firmly grabbed hold of his arm, forcibly pulling him to the bed before hauling him over my lap.

"Nooo, Daaaaad," he whined, but I completely ignored him, yanking down both his sweats and boxers. Then, not wasting any more time, I raised my hand and brought it down hard, causing him to jerk and let out a yelp. I quickly set into a pattern, covering every inch of the wriggling bottom in front of me, turning a deaf ear to his cries and apologies. When his legs began to kick, I swatted his upper thighs until he settled himself down.

"I'm sorry, I'm soooorrrryyyy," he wailed, and I'm sure he was, but I wasn't finished yet. I wasn't planning on having to address this issue again, so I was going to make this memorable. He _would_ be feeling this tomorrow.

My little spider managed to keep from fidgeting too much until I began to concentrate on his sit spots. The wriggling kicked up again, and he even reached back a hand that I deftly grasped and pinned to the back of his hand. I kept going until his cries turned into sobs, his body no longer fighting as he finally resigned himself to his fate. I had to bite my inner cheek to keep from letting out a distressed noise of my own as I landed the last dozen scorching swats.

Done.

I immediately let out a shaky breath of relief, righted my kid's clothes before gently helping him to his feet where he immediately threw his arms around me. I felt even more relief, glad that he still sought me out for comfort even if I was responsible for his tears.

His face pressed into my chest as he cried, his arms latched onto me tightly. I returned his hug easily, closing my eyes as I caressed the back of his hair and murmured kind words.

"Let's get you into bed," I spoke softly after several minutes, heart cringing at his tear-stained, blotchy face. I pulled back the covers, letting him lay down on his stomach before covering him again.

"Don't leave," he begged as I stood, and I immediately reassured him that I wasn't going anywhere. Kicking off my shoes, I lay myself down next to him and began to rub his back.

He tried to speak several times, but I just shushed him, urging him to get some sleep. We could talk tomorrow. Right now, rest would do him the most help.

It took less than ten minutes for Peter to fall asleep, and I ran a hand through his hair before carefully getting up and making my way out of the room. I made sure to leave the door slightly ajar so that I would be able to hear if he needed me. I then leaned against the wall, taking in several deep breaths in an attempt to deal with my own distress.

He's fine, I assured myself. He's perfectly fine.

Tousling my hair, I tiredly made my way out into the living room, lip quirking into a smile when I saw Amanda sitting on her couch, two cups of hot chocolate on the coffee table.

"Mmm, you're awesome," I expressed as I sat myself down next to her and immediately took the drink in my hands. I blew on the cup before taking a sip. I had the sudden urge to add something stronger to the drink, but given the circumstances, I refrained from even mentioning it having a feeling my mother would be far from pleased by the offhand comment.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, I finally spoke.

"I take it you heard," I remarked, having noted her concerned, sympathetic looks. She nodded, which caused me to grimace.

"He's fine," I informed her, and she smiled as she replied, "I know." I relaxed, feeling comforted by her faith in me.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, but I do feel it was warranted," she stated, giving my forearm a gentle squeeze.

I believed her, but I still couldn't help but snort before shooting her a raised eyebrow. "This from the woman who fought me tooth and nail not too long ago to keep me from busting that boy's butt," I commented, and she chuckled lightly.

"This was a different matter," she said, her expression very serious. "I may be easy going, but when it comes to alcohol…I am anything but. I've seen the consequences of drinking in too many people, including myself to stand by and allow Peter to go down that road. Best to nip this in the bud."

I nodded, pretty much feeling the same way. I just had to look upon my own experiences to see how badly alcohol to fuck someone up.

"Just so you know," she told me, mildly serious and mildly teasingly, "had I raised you and you pulled the same stunt as Peter, I would've taken a belt to you."

My stomach flipped at the mere thought, and I couldn't stop my eyes from widening.

"Not only would I have belted you, but I would've given you a spanking every night for a week. I would've made sure you were the sorriest and most miserable boy." she declared, and while she did sport a teasing look, I also knew she was dead serious. My stomach fluttered with butterflies, and I swallowed at the mere thought. She really was serious about this. I suddenly felt the need to tell my little spider how lucky he was that I was in charge of his punishment and not his grandmother.

"Um," I muttered, clearing my throat when my voice cracked embarrassingly. "Pretty sure I would never have drunk again," I had to admit, knowing her harsh punishment would have set me on the straight and narrow. I still very clearly recalled how effective my adoptive mother's belting was on me. While I had felt the punishment unfair, I hadn't taken a single sip of alcohol again until she died. Fear of her belt kept me dry more than the knowledge of what alcohol could cause me to do at that age.

"Of that I have no doubt," Amanda replied with a confident look, and I couldn't keep from blushing, which elicited a laugh from her. I looked away, not used to being on this end of this type of discussion. It'd been a long while since anybody had threatened me with a spanking. I couldn't help but think how different I would've turned out had Mom lived, or had I been raised by Amanda. Neither one would have stood by as I self-destructed; but, then again, I doubt I would've felt the need had I not been alone.

"Addiction runs in our family—my genes, I'm afraid" she abruptly stated apologetically, and I gave her a curious look.

"Both my parents drank," she informed me, a sad smile forming. "They tried not to do it too much around me, but I knew. Nothing bad ever came of it until my mother was killed. Mission gone bad," she explained at my raised eyebrows.

"How old were you?" I asked.

"Fourteen," she answered, and I felt a surge of sympathy.

"My father took it badly," she continued, eyes now distant, lost in the past. "His drinking got out of control, and he was eventually let go from SHIELD. Well, I didn't find that out until I was an adult. He told me he quit, but…," she trailed off with a shrug. "He never recovered from Mom's death, and his drinking eventually got the best of him. He died from liver failure when I was eighteen, right as I was starting my singing career."

I felt another surge of sympathy, but remained silent, knowing that saying I was sorry wasn't what she wanted or needed to hear.

"I vowed to never make the same mistake," she said, looking at me with a bitter smile, "but then Jude happened, and I gave you up…I couldn't cope, so I followed in Dad's footsteps. I did a lot of things I regret, and it's only been about a decade since I sobered up," she admitted, a sincerer grin gracing her features.

"What made you quit?" I inquired curiously.

"My job, specifically my role as a mentor," she answered. "It took me longer than I'd like to admit to realize how many of the young musicians I worked with looked to me as an example. I didn't realize how influential I was, and that my habits would rub off on them. Music careers don't always pan out, but I was always particularly bothered when it was things like drinking or drugs that would end the career of a young person I knew could've succeeded. Nothing major happened," she recounted, "thank god. It was just like one day I woke up and decided to have a real look at my life and the effect I had on others. I wasn't happy with what I saw, so I decided to change."

"Just like that?" I pressed in surprise.

"Well, the decision was easy," she confessed wryly. "The execution took a little longer. I admitted myself to a rehab center that would be discrete. I ended up staying for several months before being released. I've been sober ever since."

"Wow," I couldn't help but exhale, "I'm impressed. With me, it wasn't until Iron Man that I started to slow down. The Avengers helped me some more, but it wasn't until I adopted Peter that I completely stopped. He's given me the strength I needed to get rid of that particular crutch, although it's been difficult."

"You've done remarkably well, Anthony, and I am proud of you," Amanda told me honestly. "Know, that I too still struggle at times, and that if you ever need help, I'm only a phone call away; and, if you need me to come over, I will without question."

I simply stared at her in shock, deeply touched by her words. I knew she cared, and I knew she would want to help me, but to hear her admit that she'd drop everything for me if I needed her…that caused a lump to form in my throat as a huge surge of emotions flooded through me. Nobody had ever said something like that to me. _Nobody_.

I had people that loved me. Pepper and Peter, obviously, and Rhodey, Bruce, Nat, and Happy. My parents had loved me (97% sure), as did Jarvis and Aunt Peggy. None of them had ever said anything like that to me. Why was I so affected by this? Why did her words seem to hit me more than if she'd just said, I love you?

With a rush of embarrassment, I felt tears beginning to well up in my eyes, so I quickly looked away from her, willing myself to get under control. I attempted to take in several deep and steady breaths, only to flinch when Amanda placed a light hand on my shoulder.

"Sorry," I immediately stated, standing up and gracing her with an apologetic look. "And, uh, thanks," I had to add before she could say anything. "Thanks for what you said. I-I appreciate it."

Amanda stood up as I spoke, a small frown on her face. She reached both hands up slowly, allowing me time to move if I wanted to, and placed them on both sides of my face.

The lump in my throat seemed stuck, so I said nothing as she stared at me with both love and concern. It seemed like there were many things you wanted to say, but in the end, she gently pulled my head down to land a kiss on my forehead before releasing her hold.

"You should get some sleep, sweetheart," she suggested, and I considered arguing, but in all honesty, I was exhausted.

"I have some clothes for you," she then informed me, and I was pleasantly surprised to see her hand me a bag of brand new clothes. "I figured you flew over here in that contraption of yours, and it doesn't exactly look like it'd fit a suitcase."

I laughed, feeling both embarrassed and pleased. I had forgotten about my clothes situation.

"Leave what you don't use here," she advised with a smile, "because I have a feeling this won't be the last time you show up unprepared for a sleepover."

I opened my mouth to refute that, but eventually gave in as she was probably right.

"Thanks," I said gratefully, and she gave my cheek a pat before gathering up our cups and heading to the kitchen.

"Goodnight…Mom," I called out, quickly disappearing into the guest room before I could hear a response.

I was happy to see Peter was still fast asleep, not having moved even an inch from where I had left him. I silently changed into my pajamas before slowly getting into bed next to my kid so as not to disturb him. I had barely settled myself when I felt a hand latch on to my shirt. I smiled fondly as my little spider sleepily moved closer to me, his hand never releasing its hold. Feeling content, I closed my eyes and fell asleep easily.

I managed to sleep through the night with no nightmares, and I contributed that to having Peter by my side. I had really, _really_ missed my little spider, and while I wished I hadn't had to rush over here in order to punish him, I was pleased to be with him again.

A quiet groan alerted me to the fact that I wasn't the only one awake. I felt Peter shift, and when he let out another groan I opened my eyes, squinting at the bright light shining throw the window.

"Sore?" I asked groggily, noting as he immediately stopped rubbing his backside and blushed.

He grunted an affirmative, and I replied, "Good. Now, go back to sleep or go be dramatic somewhere else, cuz I'd like a few more moments of shut eye."

I closed my eyes, smothering a smile as I felt his glare and as he then got off the bed not so gently. I figured he was walking out, so it was a surprise when I felt a pillow land on my face. Instead of letting him see my surprise or retaliating, I simply muttered, "Thanks," and hugged the pillow. I received a loud huff in reply before he left.

I lay in bed attempting to fall back asleep but failing. My mind was awake, and already I was thinking over everything that had happened yesterday, wondering how Peter's school would respond to his behavior, and hoping the media was already losing interest in this incident.

Rolling over, I let out a heavy sigh as I sat up. I could smell coffee, so I decided just to get showered and dressed.

As I walked into the kitchen, I immediately froze in the entryway as I sensed the tense atmosphere. My eyes zeroed in on my son and mother, who were both seated at the kitchen table looking at one another. Amanda sported a very serious expression while Peter's expression showed shame and remorse. I assumed Amanda had or was lecturing the kid on the drinking.

"Good morning, sweetheart," my mother greeted, her severe frown morphing into a pleasant smile, "would you like something to eat?"

"No, thank you," I replied. "All I need is coffee."

"Very well then," she responded. "I'm going to take a shower, and then maybe I can show you two a bit of London?"

I raised both eyebrows, not having really thought about what to do next. We needed to go home. No doubt the school would want to meet with us regarding what happened. However, a quick glance at Peter's miserable expression had me nodding at Amanda.

A little distraction would do us both well. He looked as though he were beating himself up enough, and I know he'd never been to London. Some fun would be good. We could head home tomorrow.

Amanda smiled brightly, touched my arm lightly and then left the kitchen. Taking my cup of coffee, I sat myself down next to my son, whose face was frozen in guilt and sorrow. I turned my chair so that I could look at him full on, and then I nudged his knee with mine.

"Hey," I called out softly, and he blinked slowly a couple times before his eyes focused on me.

"I'm sorry," he whispered dejectedly, and I frowned in concern as I reached out a hand to place on his shoulder.

"I know you are," I told him kindly, "and you're forgiven. We talked about what happened and you've been punished. Clean slate, pal, like always."

He shook his head at me, looking highly distressed as he argued, "But I was so stupid. So many things could've gone wrong."

"Things did go wrong," I had to correct, and he immediately exclaimed, "But they could have been worse!"

"Yes, they could have, but they weren't," I retorted firmly, massaging the shoulder under my hand. His muscles were tense, and his face stressed. I wondered what Amanda had said to him.

"What were you and Amanda talking about before I walked in?" I inquired.

"She just…she's mad at me for what I did, and she lectured me a lot on the drinking," he answered in a small voice. "She told me several stories about how alcohol had ruined the lives of people close to her, her dad, and even herself."

Oh, Amanda, I thought sadly. She laid the guilt on thick for the little spider, but she forgot to reassure him that all was forgiven, and that she wasn't angry with him. She got her point across, though.

"Are you ashamed of me, Dad?" Peter asked, looking at me with wide, vulnerable eyes.

"What?! No, of course not!" I immediately responded, taken aback by the question. "Did Amanda say that I was?" I pressed in shock.

"No, she didn't," he answered, "but I'm ashamed of myself, so I just thought"—

I didn't let the boy finish, instead, I just pulled him in for a hug, shushing him. "Be quiet and listen you stubborn spiderling," I admonished in a gentle tone. "No one is ashamed of you. No one is angry with you. We're disappointed, yes, but everyone has also already forgiven you. You made a mistake, pal, but everything is still okay," I insisted, pulling away from him enough to look him in the eyes.

"But the school," he began to argue, but I once more cut him off.

"We'll deal with the school when we get home," I told him, "but, again, everything is and will be okay. They won't expel you, if that's what you're afraid of."

His face seemed to relax some at my words, and he let out a loud sigh as he leaned forward to rest his head against my chest. He grabbed on to the hem of my shirt with one hand and just stayed like that as I massaged the back of his neck.

"Nothing you did is unforgivable," I spoke. "It was serious, but I know you won't make the same mistake twice."

"What if I do?" He asked fearfully, his hand pulling on my shirt.

Placing a light kiss to my kid's temple, I replied, "Then I'll be there to help pick you up. We all will. Nothing you do will ever be unforgivable in my eyes."

Peter lifted his head, staring at me with tear-filled eyes. "Really?" he questioned.

"Really," I responded, lightly bumping my forehead against his. "I'll always be there to help pick you up when you fall. _Always_ ," I promised resolutely.

Peter let out another breath full of relief, the rest of his body relaxing as he shot me a grateful look. "Thanks, Dad," he said before pressing his face against my chest.

I wrapped my arms around him, happy that he was feeling better. I didn't want him to ever have the same fear I had as a kid, that one day I'd screw up so badly that my parents wouldn't be there for me; or, as I got older, that I'd screw up so badly that Rhodey or Pepper would abandon me. Peter would know that he was loved, and that I would always have his back.

We broke apart, and I pretended to not notice as Peter hastily wiped at his face.

"So, we're staying in London today?" he asked, clearly wanting to change subjects.

"Yup, looks like Amanda wants to show us around," I answered. Peter's expression turned excited, but before he asked anything, there was something I needed to clear up.

"Speaking about my dear mother," I told him seriously, "despite the royal lecture she gave you, she does love you and she does forgive you, Peter. You know that, right?"

"Y-yeah, I know that," he replied quickly, a large grin on his face. "I was just—I mean, I'm not used to—she seemed pretty mad," he eventually managed to say, and I nodded in understanding.

"Drinking is a big thing with her," I said, "and she doesn't want you to make the same mistakes she did, or that I did."

"I guess you're right," he muttered, looking down at his lap briefly before looking back at me.

"She's scary when she's mad," he declared with wide, shocked eyes, and I couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Agreed," I managed to say between laughs.

"What's so funny?" Amanda questioned as she walked towards us with a curious look. Peter and I exchanged panicked looks before quickly replying, "Nothing!"

A disbelieving raised eyebrow was the response we received, but she didn't press the matter. Instead, she just rolled her eyes before walking over and kissing Peter on top of the head.

"Anywhere in particular you'd like to go?" she asked him as she smoothed back his hair. I smiled at the happiness I saw in his eyes.

"Not really," he answered her. "I don't really know what's here, and I'm fine with going wherever."

"How about you?" Amanda then asked me, and I just shook my head. I didn't care where we went. I was just happy to be spending time together.

 **A/N: Sincerest apologies for the LONG wait for this chapter, especially considering it's shorter than usual. Thank you for continuing to read and review! I love all your comments, and it warms my heart that so many of you enjoy this story still! Until next time.**


	66. Chapter 66

**A/N: Time for a little action.**

 **Chapter 66: Hostage Situation**

 **Peter's POV:**

Amanda had suggested we visit a few sights in London, and since I'd never been, I was super stoked. I was practically on a high today. I'd been so stressed and miserable the past few days, but now that my punishment was over and I'd been forgiven, I felt lighter and relieved. I also felt immensely loved and protected. Dad reassuring me that he'd always be there to help me despite whatever mistake I'd made had really touched me.

We'd started the day out at the Tower of London, which had been even cooler than I'd imagined. Being somewhere that had been around since the 11th century and where so many famous people had lived and been executed—it was mind boggling! I mean, it was neat being somewhere where so much history had taken place. I'd been fascinated by all the torture devices and stories of famous prisoners and had wished Ned could've been here as he would've loved this as much as me.

Thinking of Ned had me grimacing as I wondered what he thought of all the antics I'd gotten up to. Thinking of his reaction led me to thinking about MJ's reaction, and I internally winced. She was no doubt pissed with me. I was surprised I hadn't heard from either one of them but figured they might not know what happened yet.

I shook my head of these thoughts, deciding to focus on enjoying the moment. Tomorrow we'd return home, and reality would once more set in. Mom and the others would no doubt want to chew me out, and I'd have to deal with the consequences of the school.

Anyways, aside from the dungeons and stuff like that, there was also treasure here, specifically the crown jewels. I'd never seen so much treasure in one place. Dad had poked fun at my awestruck expression, but as a kid who'd only ever left Queens for super hero business, I'd never seen things like this. He'd sobered when I'd pointed this out, assuring me that we'd do some travelling over the summer.

Afterwards, we went to the Shard, which was apparently London's tallest building. It wasn't as tall as the Empire State Building, but it did offer a breathtaking view. We went all the way to the top, and when out on the viewing deck I had the sudden urge to jump off and start swinging, which was probably why my dad grabbed hold of my hoodie and dragged me back inside.

"You looked about ready to jump!" he exclaimed, and I shook my head as I said, "I was just _thinking_ about it! Obviously, I wouldn't have done it." For some reason he hadn't believed me.

We finished up with the Churchill War rooms, which again, were super interesting. My favorite bit, though, was Amanda's reaction to Dad's childish joke.

"So, dear mother, how were things back during the second world war? You were, what, in your early twenties then, right?" Dad asked casually, a huge smirk on his face. That smirk was quickly wiped from his face when Amanda shoved him so hard he crashed in to a display desk, toppling over it and knocking down several props and a mannequin.

There were a couple seconds of shocked silence before I burst into raucous laughter. I was laughing so hard tears came to my eyes as I fell to the floor.

"Ugh. Yeah, nobody worry," Dad grumbled. "I'm totally alright."

"Oh, dear, I'm so sorry!" Amanda cried out in between laughter, and it was two very irate museum workers who managed to help Dad to his feet.

It wasn't until I started getting my laughter under control that I noticed the two workers were loudly berating Dad. Yikes.

"Yeah, I know," Dad stated, holding up calming hands. "I apologize, it was an accident. No, I wasn't screwing around. I'll pay for anything that was damaged," he told them, making to reach into his pocket, but they completely ignored him.

We were gaining a crowd at this point, and someone even had their phone out.

Wonderful, I thought sarcastically. Couldn't people get through life without having to take a picture of a video of everything?

Amanda rushed over when a manager suddenly appeared to help smooth things over. Dad pulled off his beanie in order to run a hand through his hair in frustration, and things only seemed to get worse at that point.

"Holy—you're Tony Stark!" one of the workers gasped in shock, and in an instant several more phones were pulled out.

The workers who'd been berating Dad were stuttering out apologies while the manager attempted to figure out what was going on while simultaneously attempting to disperse everyone. I covered my face miserably when people noticed me as well. What had started out as a hilarious accident was now turning into an awful media sensation.

Thankfully, Dad and Amanda took control of the situation like seasoned pros, putting me behind them as they dealt with both the public and museum personnel. In a span of five minutes, the situation was dealt with and we quickly made our way out of the building.

Once we were in Amanda's car, we looked at each other and then burst into laughter over the ridiculousness of what happened.

"I am sorry, Anthony," Amanda apologized after we'd calmed down, "but you had it coming."

"It was just a joke!" he protested.

"A lame joke," I amended, and Dad threw me a mock glare.

"At least they didn't film your spectacular fall," I added, a huge grin spreading on my face. "I'll never forget that. It was totally epic."

"So happy to have provided you with such entertainment," Dad replied sarcastically.

"I really am sorry," Amanda repeated genuinely, and Dad waved her words away.

"Don't sweat it, I'm not mad," he assured her. "It _was_ funny," he admitted.

Laughter filled the car again.

We went and had dinner afterwards, before Grandma offered to show me where she worked. I excitedly agreed. As we drove, I noticed Dad looking at his phone with a mild frown.

"What is it?" I asked in concern. "Is it more stuff about me?"

"No," he answered with a reassuring grin. "You're actually not the most popular topic out there anymore. Chatter is slowly starting to settle down. People are now more interested in what happened at the Churchill museum."

"Already?" I blurted in both amazement and exasperation. "What're they saying?"

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with," was the answer I got. "You're barely mentioned."

"Daaad," I called seriously, "you can tell me, y'know. I'll find out eventually."

"Everything is fine, pal, I swear," he insisted. "It's nothing big. It's just another celebrity video."

"You're recognized," he informed Amanda with an apologetic look. She shrugged it off, seemingly unconcerned. I didn't understand how she could be so unphased, but then I remembered she'd been a famous rock star in her younger days, and she was still in the industry.

Still, I didn't think I'd ever get used to being in the limelight and having videos or pictures of me doing every day stuff posted on the internet. I mean, why did people want to see us at a museum? Were we really that interesting? I didn't think so.

We arrived at Amanda's work and she proudly showed us around. There was a recording going on, a pianist, so she allowed us to sit in on the recording, so I could see how it was done. I was astounded that the musician was only a thirteen-year-old boy because from the little I'd heard, he was amazing.

While he was definitely gifted, it seemed the recording wasn't going well as he kept making small errors. Judging from his red face and the beginning of tears in his eyes, I didn't think his playing was going to get any better at this point.

Amanda called off the recording, telling the boy, Thomas, that he could try again tomorrow. Seemingly dejected, he gave a dismal nod, and I felt for him. As Amanda spoke with some people in the studio, I watched curiously as my dad walked into the second room where the kid was, taking a seat at the piano next to him. Dad didn't say anything, he just began to play a song I'd never heard. He started to speak to Thomas as he played, but I couldn't hear what was said. I just noticed as a small smile spread on the kid's face, a laugh being given before Thomas placed his hands on the piano and began to play as well.

It was totally awesome and beautiful watching them play in sync with one another. I watched in utter fascination as Dad seemed to play effortlessly. That fascination only grew when after Thomas began to sing, Dad joined in as well. Both grinned, excitement clear on their faces as their fingers began to move faster and their voices rose in volume.

I sensed a presence next to me and I looked to see my grandmother watching with a look of wonder and pride.

"That man," she huffed with a shake of her head, and I was surprised to see tears in her eyes. I was about to ask what was wrong when the other occupants of the room seemed to realize who exactly was in that room.

"Bloody hell, is that Iron Man?!" a man exclaimed, and a chatter of excitement bubbled up as the other three people in the room came to the same realization. Here we go again, I thought wearily. Amanda let out an weary sigh of her own as she went to speak with the other occupants, and it was in that moment that my spider sense went off; and, it wasn't just a buzz, but a blaring alarm.

I instantly turned to Grandma, but before I could say anything, gas was suddenly expelled from vents. I hadn't even been able to guess as to what it could be when the door to the room burst open and two canisters were thrown in. Not knowing what they were, I threw myself on top of them without thought as to what they could do to me. All I knew was that I needed to protect the people in this room.

" _Peter_!" I heard Amanda yell in panic, and I locked eyes with her wide eyes when gas exploded from both canisters. I felt only a moment of relief that they weren't bombs before I felt my throat constricting and my eyes burning. Black spots danced in front of my eyes, and I barely noticed people running in before I passed out…

…Awareness came slowly, the first thing I noticed being the residual burn in my throat, nose, and eyes. I assessed the rest of my body and was relieved to find no injuries. Opening my eyes slowly, I had to blink several times before I was able to see clearly, and what I saw filled me with fear.

We were in a large, bare room that I didn't recognize, which meant I had no idea if we were still at Amanda's work or not. That wasn't what scared me, though. No, what frightened me was the fact that I was surrounded by seven, unmoving bodies. Heart pounding, I hoped to God that they were just unconscious like I'd been and not dead.

Sitting up, I immediately recognized every member as someone from the recording studio we'd been in. When I saw Amanda's body, I rushed over to her, gasping when I saw blood along the side of her face. She had a gash right above her right eyebrow that caused my heart to constrict.

"Amanda," I called, gently shaking her shoulder. Please be okay. Please be okay. Please be okay.

"Grandma!" I called out louder, heart rising when she let out a moan. A second groan was given, but not by her. Turning around, I saw a man slowly sitting himself up. Reassured that everyone was unconscious rather than dead, I turned my attention back to my grandmother, who was grimacing as she opened her eyes. It took her several moments to focus, but when she did, her eyes widened and she threw her arms around me.

"Peter!" she exclaimed in relief, holding me tight before placing several kisses to the top of my head. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I reassured her, "but what about you?" I gestured to her cut, and she winced as she touched the gash on her forehead.

"I'm alright," she said, her hands now on both sides of my face. "I tried to fight the soldiers from taking you and got hit with the but of a gun. It's not as bad as it looks."

"Who did this?" a small, frightened voice asked, and I noticed Thomas was awake, arms wrapped around himself as he stared wide-eyed around the room. Instead of answering him, Amanda caressed my cheek lightly before moving over to the boy and pulling him in for a hug. As she attempted to calm him, I and the man who'd already woken up went about and helped wake the rest of the people.

Once everybody was awake, I was again relieved to note that nobody had any serious injuries. There were a few cuts and bruises, but overall, we were all relatively unharmed. It didn't escape my notice, though, or any of the others' that there was one person missing—Tony Stark.

I had to fight down the sudden panic I felt and the urge to break down the door in order to search for him. I couldn't afford to lose my cool. I couldn't afford to make a rushed, careless mistake. I was a trained super hero. I had to assess the situation first, which meant getting as much information as possible.

Amanda had already begun that, having everyone check to see if they still had their phones. Unsurprisingly, nobody could find theirs. Looking at my left hand, I gripped my wrist tightly. My watch had been taken, and my only hope was that it hadn't been destroyed as it was equipped with a tracker. Karen would already have sent a distress signal the second my heart rate spiked so dramatically, and especially when I fell unconscious. I was certain help would come, but the question was, would it come in time?

"Where are we?" I decided to ask. "Is this your work?"

"No," Amanda answered, her face serious. It showed none of the concern or fear she must be feeling, and I was suddenly reminded that she was a former SHIELD agent. I immediately felt better, knowing that I wasn't the only one trained to deal with this sort of situation.

"How did they know where Dad was?" I asked next, not understanding how whoever kidnapped us had known where we'd be.

"Are you sure they were after your dad?" Isabella, a middle-aged, red-headed woman asked. Her left eye was bruised, she had a split lip, and her arms were currently wrapped protectively around Thomas.

"He's the only one not here with us," I told her. "Besides, who else would they be after? Are any of you hiding some big, scary secret?" I asked jokingly, humor immediately vanishing at the guilty look that flashed across Isabela and Thomas's faces. Both turned their heads to a large, stern looking man. He was Mario, the guy who'd helped me wake everyone up.

He seemed to deliberate on what to say before letting out a sigh. "The boy is Prince Tomás of Spain, and the future king. Isabella is his nanny, and I am their body guard. We came here for a holiday, or that is what I was told," he grumbled, eyeing the young prince and lady with a glare.

"My dad isn't really a fan of my music skills, so I thought if I could get recorded by an official company, that he might recognize my talents," Thomas explained in a small voice. "We really did come here for a vacation, but then"—

"Then, I was able to use some contacts to get us in to Strong Studios, and well, you walked in on the results of that," Isabella interjected gently, hugging the boy close to her.

"Does anyone know you're here?" Amanda asked, and Mario gave a disgusted shake of his head. His hands were clenched tightly into fists as he explained how Thomas and Isabella had escaped from his protection, and that once he'd found them, he hadn't thought to inform anyone right away.

"How long ago did you set up an appointment?" Amanda then asked, no judgement in her tone.

"Two days ago," Isabella answered.

"I knew who she was and who she was bringing," Bree, a woman who worked with Amanda stated. "I put them in the books, but I didn't advertise who they were."

"Look, let's be real," another man, Jay, stated with a dejected sigh. "They're clearly here for Stark as he's the only one missing. If they'd wanted the kid, then wouldn't he be missing too?"

"No," Amanda, I, and Mario answered at the same time. We exchanged the briefest of smiles before Mario took up the explanation.

"The reason Mr. Stark is not here is because he is the biggest threat to them," he informed the room. "Whether they were after him or not, he is a threat that needs to be neutralized." I froze at his words, a chill running up my spine. The man clearly noticed my expression for he shot me an apologetic grimace.

"That doesn't necessarily mean he is dead," Mario insisted. "In fact, as dangerous as your father is, he is more valuable alive than dead. If they can keep him under control, they will probably attempt to ransom him…whether to the good guys or the bad guys, I don't know. Mr. Stark was either the target or a surprise they are taking advantage of. If they were after him, let us hope they don't realize who Thomas is. If the prince was their target, then I can only assume money is their goal otherwise he'd probably be dead."

A terrified squeak escaped the kid's throat, and he buried his face into Isabella's chest. She glared at Mario, who once again sported an apologetic look. Tact definitely wasn't in his repertoire.

"What if we're being recorded or listened in on," I stated, the thought coming from out of nowhere. Everyone in the room stiffened, exchanging worried glances towards Thomas. If they hadn't known who the kid was, well, now they did.

"Why take us?" Kera, another of Amanda's colleagues, asked fearfully.

Collateral damage, I thought mournfully, but I didn't want to be the one to say it. It seemed neither Amanda or Mario wanted to either. Kera seemed to understand what our silence meant, though, because she gave a single nod as tears began to flow down her face.

"Uh, well, they probably didn't want us contacting any authorities," I felt the need to say, hoping to offer her some reassurances. "And, if it's money they want, then I'm sure we'll be fine." Kera looked only slightly mollified, and I figured hearing these words from some random teenager wasn't the most reassuring.

I sat myself down next to Amanda and gave her a questioning look. "Should I…," I quietly asked, not finishing the question, but knowing she'd know what I was asking. _Should I do something? Should I be Spider man?_

She shook her head sharply, wrapping an arm around me to pull me close. I leaned my head towards her, and she whispered, "Too unsafe right now as we don't know the situation. We don't know what they've done to Anthony, and if you reveal who you are, we don't know what they're capable of."

I chewed on my inside cheek, stomach churning in anxiety before nodding in understanding. Nothing more was said, and I soaked in my grandmother's comfort as we all waited for some news as to why we were here. I didn't know how long passed before we all heard several locks being undone on the single door.

A few scared gasps were given, everyone huddling up close to each other with Thomas in the very center of us. Mario placed himself closest to the door and Amanda was right next to him. I stuck close to her, allowing her to stand protectively in front of me for the moment. I was on total alert, though, ready to jump to her or anybody else's aid if necessary. If I had to reveal my identity to save these people's lives, then I wouldn't hesitate. Amanda was right, though, I couldn't start something without having all the information.

The door opened, and five people walked in. They all wore black combat gear, and besides the rifles in their hands, they had at least another gun and knives on their person. Their gear had no defining marks or insignias, so I couldn't tell who they were. Four of the soldiers' faces were covered with ski masks while the fifth was uncovered. It was a female, maybe in her forties, with dark skin, black hair, and brown eyes.

"You must all be hungry," she remarked kindly, her voice accented. I couldn't place where she was from, though. As she spoke, another soldier wheeled in a car full of deli sandwiches and drinks.

"I promise you it is not poisoned," the woman stated, a glint of amusement in her eyes. "Killing you is not my goal."

"Then, what is?" Mario asked. "And, who are you, if I may ask?"

"You can call me Amara," she replied, "and what I want is money."

"And, who are you expecting to get you this money?" Mario probed. "I certainly am not well off, and I don't have family."

Amara simply smiled in response, and I was unnerved by the unthreatening vibe she gave off. She wasn't coming off as fake or sinister. She didn't look like a typical villainess or anything. She waved her hand dismissively, and the other soldiers all left without a single word. Who was this woman?

"I'm well aware of your financial status, Mario Cortez," Amara responded, and I saw Mario's back muscles tense. She knew who he was, so she had to know who Thomas was.

"You won't get anything from my papa´!" Thomas yelled defiantly, glaring furiously at the woman. "He will not give you a single Euro, so don't waste your time." While a part of me was impressed with his bravery, another part of me wished he'd shut up. Antagonizing a criminal never ended well. Thankfully, Isabella placed a hand over Thomas's mouth, stopping him from yelling anything else.

"Oh, I'm sure he will pay, little prince," Amara remarked, unphased by the yelling. Her eyes then landed on me, and I couldn't keep from openly glaring.

"And I'm sure our second little prince's family will pay as well," Amara said with confidence, and I bristled at being referred to as a prince.

"Where's my dad?" I asked, pushing past both my grandmother and Mario. "Are you ransoming him as well?"

Amara's pleasant attitude faltered, her eyes darkening, and I felt my palms beginning to sweat from anxiety. Please let my dad be okay.

"Tony Stark is a different matter," Amara informed us, a steel edge in her tone that scared me. When she didn't say anything else, I had to ask if he was okay.

"He's alive," was the vague answer she gave, and that only served to fill me with worry. Anger filling me, I took a threatening step towards her, but before I could say anything, Amanda had an arm wrapped around me, her hand lightly tapping my mouth to warn me to stay quiet.

"Well," Amara declared with a perky grin, "eat up. I'll have some people in here to escort you to the restroom in an hour. Oh, and try not to stress so much. I'm sure the Spanish monarchy and Stark Industries will manage to pay us what we want, and you'll all be out of here before you know it. Ciao." With those words, she walked out, shut the door, and reapplied three locks.

Amanda released her hold on me and turned me around so that we could look each other in the eyes. I saw her fear and concern, but I also saw determination.

"Anthony will be just fine," she attempted to assure me. "He is the strongest man I know, and…he has experience in dealing with this before."

I was only somewhat calmed by her words. Tony was strong, and he had dealt with this type of situation before, but…I didn't know who these people were, and I didn't know what they wanted. From our brief conversation from Amara it looked like their target had been Thomas with the intention of getting a ransom. If she was to be believed, finding Dad was a happy surprise.

I didn't know whether to believe her or not. She seemed smart, trained, and very adept at lying. She didn't give off the vibe of your average villain, which I felt made her dangerous. She was unpredictable.

"I'm so sorry everybody," Thomas announced hoarsely. "I am the reason you're all here."

"Hush, you owe no one any apologies," Isabella declared, smoothing the young teen's hair back. "This is not your fault."

"It's mine," Mario declared bitterly. "I failed to follow proper protocol and protect you."

"Okay, let's stop the martyr game, and just tell me if your dad will pay," a Jay pleaded, his face pale and sweaty.

Thomas looked unsure, his eyes flicking towards Mario as he answered in a small voice, "I don't know."

"He will pay," Mario stated firmly, and most the room's occupants visibly relaxed. Looking closely at Mario's face, though, I could see uncertainty in his eyes. He'd lied.

"What about you, Peter?" Jay asked. "Your family will pay, right? Hell, the Avengers will show up to save you and your dad, won't they?" he questioned, a spark of hope lighting in his eyes. Murmurs were given in the room, all eyes now focused on me.

"They'll pay, and they'll come for us," I told them, fully believing what I said. There was no way in hell they'd leave us here to rot.

"They'll be expecting that, though, won't they?" Kera questioned pessimistically. "I mean, they could just threaten to kill Mr. Stark if the Avengers show up."

I paled at her words, my body feeling cold. Kera seemed to realize what she just said, for her eyes widened and she shot me an apologetic yet sorrowful expression.

"I-I'm sorry, Peter, I'm sure-I'm sure your father is just fine," she spoke quickly, but I could tell she didn't believe what she was saying.

I nodded to her and then sat myself down on the floor, head hanging dejectedly. Amanda was at my side in an instant, her arm wrapping around me.

"You need to think positively, darling," she ordered firmly. "If you allow doubt and fear to take control, you won't be able to think rationally. We will get out of this, I promise you."

I looked at her with slight desperation, wanting her words to be true, but smart enough to know she was just trying to make me feel better. The sudden urge to cry hit me, and I buried my face into her shoulder, willing the tears to stay hidden.

I was a super hero, goddammit! Heroes didn't cry like babies in situations like this. I needed to be strong. I was trained for this. I needed to be brave. I needed to rescue all these people. I needed to rescue dad.

Amanda caressed my hair softly as I regained control of my emotions.

I couldn't be a child right now. I was a hero. I was a Spider man, and it was time I acted like it. I knew the Avengers would come, but I couldn't depend on them to arrive in time. I wasn't going to sit here waiting to be rescued.

I lifted my head and gave Amanda a serious, determined look. "We need to come up with a plan," I whispered, and with a small smile of pride adorning her face, she nodded her head in agreement.

 **Tony's POV:**

I lay on a hard slab of metal, two IVs hooked up to my arm, and a heart monitor attached to one of my fingers.

I had no idea how long I'd been here. Time had quickly become elusive as I slipped in and out of awareness. I didn't know what they were putting in me, but I already _hated_ it.

One of the IVs constantly pumped, what I figured were fluids or nutrients or something medical like that. They hadn't bothered feeding me or giving me water, but I hadn't really gotten hungry at any point.

I once again tried to get myself to focus, starting with recalling how I got here. It was become harder to remember, my memory getting fuzzier.

There'd been some sort of gas. Yelling. People had burst in. Then, nothing.

Pathetic. I hadn't even put up a fight.

Peter, I suddenly thought, and my chest constricted as I had no idea what'd happened to him. Was he okay? Was he _alive_?

Panic nearly set in, and it took all my willpower to squash it down. I was trained better than this. I knew panicking would solve nothing. I was no good to my son if I just lay here panicking like some weakling.

Focus, Stark, I scolded myself. You need to keep your wits if you're going to help anyone.

I focused on taking several deep, calming breaths. Peter is okay. Peter is okay. He _has_ to be okay.

I repeated this mantra over and over again, and was just calming down when I remembered that Peter hadn't been the only family member I needed to worry about.

 _Mom_.

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

I growled lowly, fighting the urge to scream out in a rage.

Calm and cool, Stark. Calm and cool. Keep your head on straight. A loss of temper won't help anyone.

I will get out of this. I will help them if they're in here…wherever this is.

I looked around the room, er, cell? No, it was a room. A room with no windows and the lights turned off, so it was basically pitch black, except for the slight light coming from the heart monitor machine.

I assessed my body next.

I was cold. They'd stripped me of everything except my boxers. Miracles for small mercies, I supposed. I was shivering nearly constantly, but I considered this the least of my problems.

I was sore, but not like I'd taken a beating sore. Sore, like I'd just had an intense workout. My muscles all ached, and I felt drained. I must've thrashed around a lot when I was…when I was drugged. My wrists and ankles felt chafed from where I'd been pulling on the metal restraints. I had a blinding headache, or maybe it was a migraine. It was hard to think clearly.

My thoughts were sluggish. I felt like I could only manage to focus on one thing at a time, and it frustrated me to no ends.

My biggest problem aside from whatever drug they were shooting me up with was my hands.

God, my _hands_.

They hurt. They hurt _a lot_. I lifted my head to try and look at them, and while frustrated at not being able to assess their state, a small part of me was kind of glad I couldn't see them. I was afraid to know what they looked like.

Something I did remember vividly was what they did to me right after I woke up. I'd woken up to find three people in full combat gear with masks in my room. Once they noticed I was conscious, they didn't bother saying a single word to me, no matter what I said to them. I was my usual charming self, which always elicited some sort of response, but these guys didn't react at all. That was bad news as it meant they were trained to deal with these situations. These weren't amateurs.

I was questioning to them as to what was in the two IV bags when two of the creeps pulled out one sledge hammer each. I'd instantly frozen, putting my blank mask on while clenching my teeth shut. I wouldn't give them the pleasure of hearing me scream.

I hadn't really known what to expect from them, but I honestly hadn't anticipated them aiming for my hands. No one had ever bothered with damaging my hands, but these guys were smart. I was a mechanic, an engineer. I built things. How the fuck could I be expected to escape when they bludgeoned both my hands?

They were broken. _Shattered_. I could barely move them without fiery pain shooting up my arms. As it was, they were constantly throbbing painfully, and I was terrified about what damage they may have caused. Could it be fixed? Would I ever be able to use them again?

I swallowed a whimper of fear at the thought of not being able to use my hands. What would I do. How would I cope?

I closed my eyes tightly, willing these thoughts to go away, but they only were replaced by other's; and, these other thoughts were worse.

That drug. Whatever they periodically shot me up with was…horrifying.

It took over my mind and forced all my bad memories and thoughts to the forefront. It was like being in a never-ending nightmare that I couldn't escape from.

Traumatic memory after traumatic memory looping through my mind like an endless horror movie, and each memory was _so fucking clear_. It was like I was reliving every moment over and over. _Feeling_ everything again. _Hearing_ everything again. _Seeing_ everything again.

The worst part was that it was taking longer and getting harder to come out of these hell loops. Every time they drugged me it'd get harder to 'wake up', and it'd get harder to realize that what was going on and where I was.

The door suddenly opened, and I cursed at the fact that the heart monitor clearly belied the fear I felt. I did the best I could to calm myself down, but I wasn't ready yet. I wasn't ready to go under again.

I didn't want to see Yinsen. I didn't want to feel my chest being ripped open. I didn't want to suffer through Obadiah's betrayal. I didn't want to see my parents' deaths. I didn't want to feel the loneliness, hurt, and betrayal that has plagued me most my life.

A single mask covered perp walked in, a new bag of that drug in his hands.

"What the hell do you guys want?!" I snarled furiously, yanking against my restraints with renewed vigor. I received no answer in response. The bag was switched, and the person walked out.

My heart rate picked up even more as I began to feel the effects of the drug take over once more.

No, no, no, no, no, _no_.

A pathetic whimper escaped me. God, I'm so weak. So damn weak…

… _I was four and vibrating with excitement as Daddy had promised to take me with him to work today. I woke up super early, dressed in my best clothes, and then charged into the kitchen, happily throwing my arms around my daddy. His coffee cup spilled, he said a bad word, and I didn't get to go with him because I couldn't be trusted to behave. I began to cry, and he grew angry, berating me for showing such weakness._

 _I was seven and at a birthday party for a ten-year-old boy I'd never met. Apparently, my attendance wasn't appreciated because after a brief "game" of hide-and-go-seek, I ended up locked in a closet. Nobody heard my screaming. I managed to remove the door knob, so I could escape. Nobody knew I was missing, and I ended up getting spanked by Mommy for destroying the host's property._

 _I was twelve and helping Jarvis out in the kitchen like I did every Sunday evening. We were making an apple pie when he was hit with a heart attack. He fell to the floor and never got up again._

 _I was fourteen, running from a group of fraternity pledges, whose task was catch me, strip me naked, and throw me into their sorority sister's pool. I lasted a measly two hours before I was caught._

 _I was sixteen and I'd just been told about my parents' deaths. Obie told me he'd take care of everything, and then he left me…alone…I drank myself into oblivion and don't remember much of the next several days._

 _I was twenty-one and had just been forced by Obie to accept the position of CEO for Stark Industries, a company I'd never wanted to work for. I was terrified. I had no idea how to run a company. I had no idea how to deal with business men. I made a fool of myself at the first board meeting, and Obie told me I was a disappointment to him and my parents._

 _I was twenty-five and looking at the aftermath of one of my weapons. Bodies of the "enemy" lay everywhere. I threw up, and the soldiers laughed and sneered at the weak, rich boy. Obie told me to man up and to stop being an embarrassment._

 _I was twenty-nine and I'd taken LSD for the first and only time. I had a horrible reaction and attempted to commit suicide by jumping from the balcony of my office at Stark Industries. Obie had caught me right as I stood on the railing. He slapped me and chided me for being so weak. He then had me committed to a mental hospital for two weeks._

 _I was thirty-three and I was kidnapped by the Ten Rings in Afghanistan. My own bomb nearly killed me. My chest was sawed open. Ribs were broken and removed. Agony. Screaming. Thrashing. Terror. Pain. Nothing but pain._

 **Steve's POV:**

"Steve, we need your help," Natasha stated.

"Tell me what I need to do," was my automatic response. I didn't care what it was. If Nat needed help, then I would do whatever she wanted me to without question.

"Tony and Peter have been kidnapped," she explained emotionlessly, and I knew she spoke like that to hide the concern she had to be feeling. "Fourteen hours ago, we received an alert from Karen, Peter's persona AI that he'd been kidnapped. A ransom video was then sent to Pepper nine hours ago demanding 200 million dollars for the release of Peter. They've given us 48 hours with a swiss bank account. We have no means of contacting them, but we know who they are, and are currently working on figuring out where they are."

I processed all the information, shoving down my shock and concern. There would be time for that later. "The ransom is for Peter only? Any mention about Tony?" I asked.

"No, and I don't think they plan on letting him go," she replied, her voice wavering slightly, a testament to how worried she was about the genius.

"Who are these guys, and how'd they get a hold of both Tony and Peter?" was my next question. Those two were no pushovers, so whoever had kidnapped them had to be both smart and professional; which, made it kind of odd that all they wanted was money. People of this caliber usually weren't in to ransoming people.

"They're a relatively small organization called The Underground," Natasha informed me. "They're specialists in everything. People, crime organizations, and even governments hire them to take care of any and all of their illegal needs. Things from as small as theft and black mail all the way to coups and assassinations. They've been on SHIELD's radar for a few years now as they've steadily been growing and making a name for themselves. The leader is a woman by the name of Amara. We know nothing about her, and we don't know who hired them."

"As to how they got Tony and Peter," she continued, "I honestly don't know. There are other hostages, but no names have been given. Collateral damage," she stated, and I grimaced, my heart sinking. They would be the first to die if the money wasn't paid.

"Oh, and I know you've never met her, but we believe Amanda, Tony's mother, was taken as well," she added. "They were staying with her at the time of the kidnapping.

I frowned deeply, filing that information away. Things were just sounding worse and worse.

"I know you don't know exactly where they're at, but do you have an idea at least?" I questioned, wanting to get as close as I could to my captured family members.

"London," Nat answered, and I felt a spark of relief as we were currently in France. I informed Natasha of our location, and she too seemed relieved.

"We're on our way as well, but the UN has banned us from interfering, claiming this isn't in Avenger jurisdiction," Natasha told me, fury clear in her voice. "Getting involved will mean breaking the law, and we're more than prepared to do that, but…"

"No, you can't do that," I declared firmly. "Enough of us are already on the run. Nothing will ever change or get better if you're all arrested or on the run like us. We'll handle this."

God, I couldn't believe the UN wouldn't authorize a rescue mission. Tony was an Avenger. Hell, he was the current _leader_ and funder of the Avengers. He was huge into politics and worked closely with the ambassadors in the UN. Maybe that was the issue, though. Maybe there were more people like Ross who thought this would be a good opportunity to get rid of him. I hated that this thought even crossed my mind, but this was the sad state the world was in.

Power and control. That's what they wanted, and Tony had too much. Too much influence. Too much public support. He was a threat. A threat that couldn't be dealt with head on.

Hot anger coursed through my veins, and I had to take several deep breaths before speaking again.

"Do you have any other information to add, Nat?" I eventually asked. "If not, I'm going to get the gang together and we'll head to London."

"I'll text you the address to Amanda's house and work. I'm not sure if you'll find anything useful, but you could at least confirm with us if Amanda is missing or not," she replied. "See you soon."

She hung up, and I gripped the phone tightly, cursing the UN over and over again before cursing this stupid Underground group for daring to take Tony, Peter, and Amanda. We _would_ get them back. There was no question there. The only question was to what state they would be in. I was relatively certain Peter and Amanda would be mostly unharmed since ransoms normally didn't end in torture. Tony, on the other hand…my gut was telling me the sooner we got to him the better.

"Everybody's ready to go, Steve," Sam announced, and I looked up at the doorway in surprise. Sam stood there, gear in hand, and with a serious expression. "Clint's got the car running, so get your old butt moving."

Unsurprised that they'd been eavesdropping on my conversation, I just grinned widely, pocketing the phone before grabbing my uniform and shield.

We would not fail Tony.

 **A/N: Thank you, thank you for the excellent and encouraging reviews! I love you all! This will probably be the last chapter for several weeks, and I apologize. I'm officially on summer break, though, and I'll be leaving for vacation starting Monday; so, I'm asking for patience. I know this is a sucky spot to leave you with, but it is what it is. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	67. Chapter 67

**A/N: Apologies in advance for any typos and errors as I rushed to get this done for you. I know it's been a while as I've been vacationing. Hope you enjoy it!**

 **Chapter 67: Rescue**

 **Peter's POV:**

Going off their feeding schedule, we all assumed we'd been here close to a day. Amara had informed us that both mine and Thomas's families had been informed of our kidnapping, and the 48-hour time limit to get them the money. She also informed us that if those 48 hours passed and no money was received, one person would be killed every three hours until they were paid; and, if the money never came, then we'd be the last two to die.

The nonchalant, uncaring way in which she said this gave me more information about her than anything else she'd said or done. We were just another job to her. This wasn't personal. Someone had hired her, and she would complete her job at any cost.

This inference actually made her predictable. She cared only about the job, so appealing to her "better nature", threatening her "friends" or anything like that would be of no use. She was dangerous, because she was willing to risk it all to get the job done. _But_ , was her reputation more important than her life?

In any escape or rescue attempt, I'd have to keep Thomas close, because at the end of the day, he was their target. I was just a lucky catch.

While this news didn't make me happy, it was better than not knowing. Like, not knowing where my dad was or what was happening to him…or, if he was even alive. I'd tried to ask Amara every time she stopped by, but she'd stopped answering or even acknowledging my questions. Cold fear gripped me at the thought of Dad being at the mercy of a woman like her. What could she be doing to him?

I paced in restless agitation around the room, the need to do something growing with every second. They could be torturing Dad at this very moment. Breaking out now could be the difference between saving his life or not.

Stop! Stop thinking like that, I berated myself.

I forced myself to take several slow and steadying breaths. I had to maintain my calm. I couldn't allow my fear for Dad get the better of me. I had to trust that he was okay, and that he would be able to take care of himself.

We had a plan. Not the best plan, admittedly, but a plan nonetheless.

Amanda and I had decided that if 40 hours passed from the delivery of the ransom video with no money received or rescue attempt in sight, then we would take action. The kidnappers had been kind enough to leave a large digital countdown clock to let us know how much time our families had to deliver the ransom. We'd use it to our advantage.

If the 40-hour mark arrived, I'd wait for them to deliver our next meal or start our next restroom break, and I'd simply attack full throttle. I'd disable as many soldiers as I could, passing out weapons to all the adults. We'd all have to make a break for it together, and I'd lead the way with Mario, hopefully, taking up the rear. We hadn't brought him in on the plan yet, as he didn't know who I was, but if we reached hour 39, we'd decided to let him in on my little secret.

Once out of this room, we'd hope to make it to some sort of exit, or we'd try and make an exit. We hoped we were somewhere near civilization, because none of us were prepared for running out into some middle-of-nowhere forest.

Like I said, this plan wasn't the best. In all honesty, it sucked, but some plan was better than no plan, or at least that's what I kept telling myself.

I could do it. I could protect everyone, and I could take anything thrown at me. I knew how to avoid bullets and take down unenhanced humans easily. Natasha and Tony's training had really paid off, and I would gladly show it off.

My main concern, though, was being able to protect everyone. I knew I could handle these guys, but I didn't have a lot of practice in protecting a group of people in limited space from a bunch of people with guns and knives. Usually, the people I saved could run, but running would be the worst thing they could do as they'd be on their own.

Then, there was the fact that I didn't have my web shooters. As much as it'd been drummed in to me by Nat that I needed to be able to fight without them, I still couldn't help but rely on them heavily. I hadn't ever expected ending up in a situation like this, and I wished I'd worked harder at training without my webs. That'd definitely be rectified when we got out of here.

Nerves fluttered through me, and I fought the urge to throw up the food I'd eaten. I had to force myself to eat as much as I could, because I couldn't afford to be weakened in any way. True to Amara's word, the food hadn't been poisoned, but that didn't mean I was happy to be eating what she gave us. I would rather have refused, but that would've been stupid and childish. Best to use her kindness against her.

I looked around the room, noting happily that Thomas seemed to be sleeping peacefully in Isabella's arm. Mario was at their side, a severe expression on his face. He seemed deep in thought. Kera, Jay, and Bree were huddled together, talking quietly. Amanda sat with them, and it looked like she was trying to reassure them once more that everything would be okay.

I let out a sigh, running a hand through my hair when I heard someone call out to me.

"Hey, Peter! Spider man! Helloooooo, Spider man!" a male voice yelled, and I looked around the room in confusion. Nobody was speaking loudly or even looking at me, and there was something odd about the voice. It sounded like someone was yelling but from far away, so their voice wasn't very loud. Then, there was the fact that the man called me Spider man.

"Yooohoo! Peter Stark! Down here! It's me, Scott—Ant man!" the man yelled again, his voice sounding a little closer. The second he identified himself, I had to bite my lip hard to keep from letting out a gasp of shock. I immediately smoothed my expression while freezing in place.

"Hey, kid! Spider man, do you hear me?!" Scott cried out in frustration, and I relaxed my muscles and slowly began to nod my head, trying to look like I was bobbing my head to music only I could hear. I still couldn't tell if we were being watched, so I didn't want to give anything away.

"Awesome!" Scott replied. "Alright, don't freak out, but I'm about to land on your shoulder." I continued to slowly nod, forcing myself to stay relaxed. My heart was racing, and all I wanted to do was grin widely and shout in relief, because if Scott was here, then that meant Steve, Wanda, Sam, and Clint were here; _and_ , there was only one group of people that could've contacted them: my family, the other half of the Avengers.

My senses alerted me to Scott landing on me, and I watched an ant fly away before I heard him speak again.

"Okay, so I need you to walk over towards that vent on the wall and sit down. I've got an ear piece lying there for you to put in, so Cap can join the conversation," Scott informed me, and I didn't bother responding. I just casually walked over, letting out a frustrated sigh before sitting down. I easily spotted the tiny ear piece, and I casually picked it up and put it in, acting like I was scratching my ear.

"It's in," I heard Scott say, and I figured he wasn't talking to me.

"Peter, it's Steve," I hard Captain America say, and I once again fought back the urge to yell out in excitement. "I know you can't speak out loud, so we're going to use a simple yes and no method. Scott will be watching your hands, so just give one finger tap for yes, and two finger taps for no."

I brought my knees up towards my chest, wrapped my arms around them and tapped my index finger once on my left hand.

"Good," Steve replied. "Now, Scotts informed us of how many of you are in that room, what it looks like, and about the clock counting down. I assume that's the amount of time left for Pepper to pay your ransom?"

One finger tap.

"Is anyone hurt?" he asked.

Two finger taps.

"Are all hostages here?" then questioned

I hesitated, and he quickly added, "Besides Tony."

One finger tap.

"Do you know where Tony is?" was his next question, and with downcast look, I tapped my finger twice.

"That's alright, kid," Steve quickly reassured me, belying none of the disappointment he was probably feeling. "We'll figure that out. Now, I don't know how much you know, so let me fill you in on what we know," he told me, and I gave him my complete focus.

He went over how my mom was alerted to my kidnapping, the ransom video, the UN's ridiculous decision, and then how Nat had contacted him. He informed me that Amara was head of this group called, The Underground, and what their purpose was. "We still don't know who she's working for, do you?" he inquired.

Two taps.

I didn't know who she was working for, but I knew more information than they did. As I'd listened to him, I noticed that he'd never mentioned Thomas or Spain. Did he not know? It would give some explanation as to why the UN hadn't gotten involved. I couldn't imagine them saying no if they knew the future king of Spain was kidnapped as well.

"Morse code," I whispered, hoping they'd understand that I was asking whether one of them knew it, hopefully Scott. I needed to be able to have a conversation.

"Yeah, yeah, I know Morse code, Peter," Scott eagerly responded, and I felt a burst of relief as I began to tap out a message on my knees. I let them know about Thomas, and then waited for their response.

I could hear Steve conversing with several people before he began to speak with me again. "Thanks for the info, Peter, that's really helpful. We may be able to get the Avengers approved if they know about the prince. Natasha and the others are already in the city, but we have them keeping their distance right now as we don't want them to break the law unless absolutely necessary."

I tapped once for yes. I was in complete agreement.

"Clint and Sam are doing reconnaissance on your location right now, figuring out how many bodies they've got and what kind of firepower they're harboring," Steve told me, and I tapped out a yes to show understanding.

"Scott," I called in a whisper.

"Yeah?" he replied.

I tapped out a message telling him to look for my dad and to get him out of here. I can take care of everyone here. I can get us out and meet Steve and the others somewhere.

Scott relayed the message to Steve, and I once again heard him pull away to talk to someone else.

"Peter, are you sure?" Steve questioned, his deep voice more serious than I'd ever heard.

I tapped once.

There was silence on the line, and I knew he wasn't happy, but he gave in. "Okay, I trust that you know what you're doing," Cap stated, and I'll admit to being both surprised that he gave in and proud that he trusted me. "Keep this ear piece in, and I'll let you know when, you hear me? Don't act without my permission, Peter, is that understood?"

I tapped once, feeling pride in myself and relief that he was treating me like a hero and not a kid.

"Alright, I'll be constantly connected to you, so if you need me, just speak and I'll hear you," he told me, and my heart began to pound once more as the gravity of what was going to happen hit me. This was it. I was part of the rescue plan. I was part of the Avengers. I was working with Captain America. I wasn't just a friendly neighborhood Spider man working on my own and stopping robbers and gang bangers. This was serious. This was the big leagues.

Cap said a brief goodbye, and Scott assured me he'd save my dad before he too said goodbye. I watched him go into the vents and felt myself relaxing as I trusted him to get to Dad.

Okay, now it was time to let Amanda know what was going on. I looked across the room, somewhat unsurprised to see her staring back at me with a raised eyebrow. She was definitely observant to have noticed something was going on. I gestured for her to come on over, and she quickly crossed the room and sat next to me, her arm automatically wrapping around me. Big bad hero though I was, her arm wrapped around me brought me comfort.

She placed a loving kiss to my temple before quietly asking me what was going on. I turned my head, burrowing into her shoulder as if I were upset, and her other hand reached up to cup the back of my head. I then explained as briefly and quickly as possible what had occurred. The only sign she gave that she heard what I said was the tensing of her muscles, but her expression gave nothing away. She instead showed her relief and excitement by hugging me tightly and placing several affectionate kisses to the top of my head.

 **Tony's POV:**

It was the pain that kept me grounded. It kept me from giving in completely to the horrible memories flooding through my mind.

The drug seemed to have a side effect, and that was a blinding headache. My head felt like it was being split open, and it was constantly throbbing. Then, there was the ever-present pain of my broken hands—well, I guess it was hand, because at the moment I only had feeling in one of them. I did my best not to dwell on what that meant.

Point was, every time I started to feel like the drug was taking complete control, sharp pain would reel me back.

It was exhausting. I was reeling from the cacophony of emotions that tore through me with every memory, and it was _so damn hard_ to stay focused on the present. My heart rate was through the roof, and it wouldn't stop pounding. My breathing rate was rapid, and I knew this wasn't good for me. I was also freezing my butt off.

I could deal with most of this, but I couldn't deal with not being able to focus. I couldn't deal with the way my mind would sway in and out of memories to the point I found it difficult to understand at times if I was awake or lost in a memory. Every time I felt like I was getting a grasp on the situation, they'd re-drug me and it'd be back into the same hell loop.

I let out a moan as I felt my mind slipping again…

… _Peter was sick, really, really sick, and I'd never felt more helpless. There was nothing I could do to help him as he lay there dying before my very eyes. His heart beat rapidly for several seconds before just stopping. He'd flatlined._

 _He wasn't breathing._

 _I could hear the single note telling me my son was dead._

 _Dead._

 _My son was dead._

 _I'd failed him._

 _He'd died because I hadn't been good enough._

Agony coursed through my veins, and I let out a loud, anguished yell. This was worse pain than anything else I'd ever felt in my life.

Peter, god, I'm so sorry.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

I failed you, and now you're dead…no…

You're _not_ dead. You survived that illness. You came back!

But you were…where were you?

"Peter!" I suddenly roared, disgusted with myself for having taken this long to think about him. Where could he be? Was he okay? Were they torturing him like me?

The mere thought of Peter suffering through this caused me to start pulling at my restraints with renewed vigor.

Peter.

I needed to get to Peter.

My son.

 _My son_.

I needed to save him.

My thoughts were panicked, but my need to get to Peter seemed to push the drug's effects aside for the moment. My body felt like it was on fire as I tugged, but I didn't care. I needed to get out of here _now_.

Taking advantage of the hand that I'd lost feeling in, I tugged as hard as I could, surprised and alarmed at how it slipped right through the restraints. That was only a testimony of how broken it was, and I was suddenly very grateful I couldn't see as I didn't want to know what the hand looked like.

Despite being nearly useless, I did manage to yank out both IV's. I could feel blood trailing down my arms, so I knew I'd done an awful job, but I really didn't care.

I was in a frenzy. My pain meant nothing. All that mattered was getting to Peter. Saving Peter. I could and would endure anything for my little spider.

With the strength and adrenaline of a parent going to his child's rescue, I broke through both restraints on my legs before yanking my second broken hand out of the last restraint. I turned to get off the metal slab and ended up landing in an ungraceful heap on the floor.

Ignoring the stars dancing before my eyes, I attempted to get to my feet, only to end up stumbling and crashing into a wall I didn't know was there. I cursed quietly, having enough sense to realize that with all the noise I was making, I wouldn't be surprise if those goddamn soldiers burst through the door any second.

I attempted to stand once more, embarrassed by how shaky my limbs were. I only managed two steps before I found myself landing on my face again.

I bit bag a yell of frustration and willed my body to get its useless self coordinated. I couldn't let Peter down. I couldn't allow my weakness to endanger him. He needed me, and I _couldn't fail_!

These were the thoughts I forced through my head over and over. I just needed to focus on Peter. He was all that mattered. If I got to Peter, then everything would be okay. I didn't allow myself to think of how I'd get to him or what I'd do when I got to him. All I thought about was just finding him.

Come on Stark, I urged myself. You've been through worse. I mean, it's not like you have an electromagnet stuck in your chest again; and, clearly, nobody's watching you or else they would've already barged in here.

Heaving myself up with more effort than I'd ever admit, I stumbled, crashing into the door. Using my left hand, that still had feeling, I tried opening the door, feeling a hysterical laugh building up when I realized it was locked.

Well, duh, Sherlock! You've been kidnapped. Why would they leave you in an unlocked room?

Now what?

My mind raced, but I couldn't focus on anything. I just kept thinking about how I needed to get to Peter. I told myself that figuring out how to get out of here would help with that endeavor, but my mind felt as broken as my hands. Memories kept flashing in front of my eyes, and I realized that the drug was still in my system.

Oh god, what am I going to do? How am I going to get out of here?

My legs gave out, and I landed on the floor hard, but I didn't attempt to get up again. I just lay there, cursing my uselessness over and over. The urge to cry hit me, and I couldn't stop the howl of fury that I gave. Fury at whoever did this to us, and fury at myself for being so weak.

Peter, Peter, Peter.

Amanda. _Mom_.

They needed me.

They were in danger, and I was just lying here doing nothing.

I felt myself sinking back into darkness, and I heard screaming. Peter? Mom?

"Stark!" somebody yelled, and I felt my panic momentarily mute and be replaced with confusion.

"Stark! Tony!" the same voice yelled again, and I felt my confusion mount. Who was that? Why were they calling to me? Did they need help? Was there someone else I needed to save?

"Open your eyes, Tony, come on!" the voice yelled louder, and my eyes flew open. When had I closed them?

"Okay, hi. Hey, there," the man mumbled, sounding extremely relieved. His mask opened, and I squinted as I took in his face. I knew him, didn't I?

"You're the tiny guy," I murmured, feeling even more confused, and he rapidly nodded his head.

"Uh, yeah, that's me. Ant man, or, uh, just plain Scott is fine as well," he replied breathlessly, his eyes darting around the dark room nervously.

"I'm here to get you out, so you ready to blow this joint?" he asked rhetorically, and I just stared at him for several moments before my brain managed to process some of what he said.

"Gotta find my kid," I slurred, clumsily attempting to get myself up.

"Peter is fine, and so are the other hostages," Scott informed me. "I've seen him, and he's good. My job is to get you out of here, so come on. I'm not sure how long it'll be before someone notices…" He trailed off, and it took me far too long to realize that there were at least five soldiers standing in the doorway looking at us in surprise.

Thankfully, I was aware enough to know that Scott wouldn't be able to do anything with me hanging on him, so I very ungracefully threw myself to the side out of his way. That got the soldier's attention, but it also gave Scott time to shrink down and do is Ant-man thing.

My vision was going blurry, so I couldn't really make out what was happening. There was yelling, grunts of pain, and a couple gun shots. I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my vision, and that's when an arm wrapped itself around my throat. I was roughly hauled to my feet and dragged out of the room into the brightly lit hallway where more soldiers were appearing.

"Show yourself, you freak, or Stark here suffers the consequences!" the man holding me threatened, and while he held a gun to my head, another soldier came up and quickly injected me with something.

"No!" I couldn't help but protest loudly as I feebly struggled against the man holding me. My heart began to pound once more as I wondered what they'd stuck me with. I got the answer within seconds, however, when I felt darkness begin to fill my mind. Not the pleasant darkness of unconsciousness that I would've welcomed, but the terrifying darkness horrific memories.

I whimpered pathetically, my muscles going slack. I could feel myself falling.

"Tony!" was the last thing I heard before I lost complete awareness.

 **Peter's POV:**

The order to move came quickly and without warning.

"Time to go, Peter," Steve suddenly ordered through the ear piece, his voice sounding stressed. "Get those people out of there and go left. Hawkeye is on his way to meet with you. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," I replied aloud, quickly getting to my feet as I shared a glance with Amanda.

"Your orders are to get those hostages to safety, Peter, not to engage," Steve then stated firmly. "I repeat, your orders are to get everyone to safety. Fight if you have to, but don't seek it out."

"Got it," I responded, heart beginning to thump madly with adrenaline. "Get everyone out of here and don't fight unless I have to."

"Good, now I'm linking your ear com up to everyone else. Don't let yourself get distracted by what everyone else is saying or doing, though. I'm only linking you so that you can keep us posted on how you're doing, and so you can ask for backup if you need it."

I nodded before remembering he couldn't see me. "I got it, Cap. I can do this," I declared.

"I know you can. Now, get moving. Good luck and stay safe," Steve told me.

"You too," I replied before focusing on the everyone in the room. Looking at their confused and fearful faces I wished I'd informed them of what was happening earlier, but I hadn't been sure we weren't being watched. Hell, I still wasn't sure, but obviously secrecy had gone out the window. I could only hope that Scott had gotten to my dad and they'd escaped safely. I had to believe that, because otherwise I wouldn't be able to fully concentrate on just getting everyone out of here.

"We're getting out of here, _now_ ," I informed the room's occupants, and several bewildered looks were exchanged.

"Who were you speaking to?" Mario asked with suspicion, and I bit back an impatient sigh. We didn't have time for long winded explanations.

"I was speaking with the Avengers," I answered, deciding not to get into the fact that I was speaking with technically ex-Avengers. I was certain they'd have enough questions as it was.

"One of them has the abilities that let them get an ear piece to me not too long ago, and I've been communicating with them," I explained. "I've just been informed that we've got to go. Now, I know it's going to be hard for you to believe, but...I'm Spider man," I announced, grimacing when I received several disbelieving looks and even a laugh.

"He's telling the truth," Amanda spoke up, and I don't know if they believed her, because I figured showing them would be the only way to get them to believe and thus, listen to me. I jumped up on the ceiling and simply hung by my feet. I gave them a couple seconds to take me in before lightly landing on my feet and beginning to speak once more.

"I'm going to get you out of here, I promise," I assured them, urging them to believe me. "I just need you to follow me, stick close together, and do whatever I tell you to do."

Now, you'd think everyone would've agreed and listened nicely after my little show and tell, but noooooo. Instead, they began to argue with me and one another, debating on whether to leave or not, and whether I could be trusted.

Really? I doubted they'd have this trust issue if it was any of the other Avengers, I thought sardonically.

"If the Avengers really are here, then why are we going to risk our necks by going out into the fighting zone?" Jay asked in bewilderment. "Why not just stay here and wait for them to rescue us?"

"They might not be able to make it here," Mario replied, and I was pleased that he seemed on my side.

"Are you _really_ Spider man?" Thomas asked in awe, and I nodded my head. His mouth fell open, and I just rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly.

"Guys, come on, can we just go," I decided to plea. "Steve ordered me to get you to safety, and that's what I'm going to do."

"How do we know you can keep us safe, though?" Jay pressed, looking doubtful. I noticed he wasn't the only one, and I had to grit my teeth to keep from yelling.

How could they not trust me?

Amanda's hand came on my shoulder, and with a severe expression, she snapped at her colleagues. "Stop doubting him and get your arses out that door, for gods sake! He's a trained super hero, and if he's telling us it's time to go, then it's time to go! Lead the way, Spider man," she stated, giving me an imploring expression. A glance around the room showed no more arguments, so I gave her a brief smile before turning serious.

"Mario, bring up the rear please," I asked, and the guard thankfully agreed without argument.

Breaking the door open was easy, and right as we were stepping out, we heard the first gun shots from afar. Somebody screamed and was quickly shushed. The group huddled together with Thomas in the very center.

We'd barely walked twenty feet before I heard the sound of running footsteps. Gesturing for the group to stop moving, I quickly sped ahead and easily took down the two soldiers who'd been running in our direction. Once they were unconscious, I took their weapons and handed a gun to Mario and Amanda, figuring they were the only ones trained to handle one.

"Clint, this is Peter and I'm on the move. We've encountered two soldiers so far, but the place seems pretty clear," I spoke aloud. "The fighting sounds like it's far off. Where are you?"

"On my way, Webs," the archer grunted, and I could tell he was in a fight. "These guys know what they're doing, so catch them off guard if possible."

"Okay," I replied, all the while hoping he was okay. I was also worried about the fact that this place seemed deserted. I could hear fighting and gun shots, but it wasn't near us.

Why wasn't it near us? Thomas and I were their hostages, right? Why wouldn't they be "protecting" us?

I shoved my uneasiness aside when we reached a dead end. Steve had only said to go left, but nothing else. I didn't want to bother contacting any of them because I knew they were all fighting. Using my enhanced hearing, I knew the fighting was towards the right, so I took another left, hoping I wasn't walking into some obvious trap.

The lights suddenly turned off, and I heard several curses through my ear com from the Avengers along with scared gasps from the people with me.

"I-it's uh, everybody stay calm," I called out, reaching a hand out to my grandma. She instantly gripped onto it.

"I can still see, so all we gotta do is make sure we're holding on to the person in front of us. We'll stay in a straight line, got it?" I ordered, walking amongst everyone and making sure everyone was grabbing on to at least one person.

"Everythings just fine," I tried to reassure them. "I can see where we're going and we're walking away from the fighting. It's going to be okay." I did the best I could to sound confident and brave, but inwardly I was a bundle of nerves. Why had the power gone out? Where was I supposed to go?

"Clint, can you hear me?" I called out.

"Little busy—See you in five—keep moving!" he yelled, and I winced, urging those behind me to walk a little faster.

Out of nowhere, my spider sense flared, and I heard the explosion before it actually reached us, which gave me time shout, "EVERYBODY DOWN!" before doing my best to cover Amanda with my body.

Even though instinct told me to keep my head covered, I forced myself to watch in order to see if any part of the building was about to fall on any of us. My mission was to save everyone, and I wasn't going to allow some stupid explosion to stop me from succeeding.

When the roar of the explosion ended and the smoke cleared, I saw that the path we were on was completely blocked. We were apparently in a multi-story building, and the floor above had caved in, blocking our path. After making sure everyone was okay, I moved forward to see if I could clear a path for us, but quickly realized I couldn't ensure it'd be safe. Then, there was the fact that I didn't know what the rest of that path looked like.

Why had there been a bomb in this section of the building anyways, when the fighting was clearly in the other direction? My question was answered the second I heard Amara's voice.

"Well, that is a shame," Amara remarked in disappointment. "I hoped that explosion would kill at least one of you. Then again, I did not anticipate Tony Stark's adopted son to be the one and only Spider-man."

I immediately placed myself in front of the group, urging them to huddle up behind me. Amanda and Mario stood directly behind me, their guns raised.

Unfortunately, Amara wasn't alone. She had ten soldiers with her who were all armed and pointing their guns at us.

My stomach sank like a rock at the sight. There was no way I could save everyone. Hell, I doubted I'd even be able to save myself because there was no way in hell I'd dodge a bullet if it meant someone behind me getting shot. If only I had my web shooters, then we'd actually stand a chance.

"Let us make a deal, Spider-boy," Amara suggested. She was standing in front of her group looking utterly relaxed and unafraid. In fact, she looked a little excited.

"Hand over yourself and the young prince, and we will let everyone else go," she told me, and I tensed when Mario gave a guttural growl, his finger hovering over the trigger.

Placing my hand on his gun to get him to lower it, I took several steps forward before saying, "No deal. The kid isn't going anywhere. You can have me, though," I informed her.

"Peter, no!" Amanda protested, but I silenced her with a look.

"I'll come quietly if you let these people go," I stated, and Amara replied with an amused chuckle.

"Child, you are in no position to bargain," she spoke gently before having the gall to give me a sympathetic look. "As much as I would love to play with you, I was hired to take the prince, so you should just accept that he will be coming with you. I will even let you go, as much as I would regret it; _but_ , the little prince _must_ come with us."

"Just let her take me," Thomas declared, fighting against Isabella's grasp. Tears streamed down his face, but his face was determined.

"I don't want anyone to die for me, so I'll go with you if you let everyone else go free," Thomas stated, locking eyes with Amara.

Amara had the audacity to maintain that damned sympathetic expression like if she actually cared about what the kid was doing. "I am in agreement," she said.

"Absolutely not!" I shouted, shoving the boy into Mario, who immediately put a hand over the protesting kid's mouth to keep him from talking again.

"Very well," Amara responded with an uncaring shrug. "Just remember it was you who chose the hard route."

Panic flooded my mind, and I did the best I could to squash it down.

What could I do?

It'd be impossible for me to stop all the bullets?

What if I grabbed the kid and ran? Would they choose to follow us rather than kill these people?

Could I live with sentencing the rest of these people to death just to save Thomas?

NO.

No, I wouldn't be able to live with myself.

To date, I'd never let anyone I was rescuing die. I knew I was lucky. I knew that there would come a day where I wouldn't be able to save someone, but I wasn't prepared. I wasn't ready, and honestly, I never would be. I dreaded the day I wouldn't be fast enough, strong enough, or smart enough.

Today couldn't be that day.

Today _wouldn't_ be that day.

Clint was coming, I recalled, a surge of hope flooding through me. I just needed to stall. I just needed to keep their attention on me until he could get here. Everything would be fine once Clint showed up. He'd know what to do. He was trained for this sort of thing. He'd been a hero longer than I'd been alive probably, so everything would be okay.

A part of me recognized the childishness of my thoughts, but I had to believe them, or I wouldn't have been able to focus.

I was terrified. Not for myself, but for the people behind me. For my grandmother. For Thomas, who was just a kid. Everyone here was innocent and didn't deserve to die. It was my job to save them, and failure wasn't an option.

I just need to buy time.

I glanced back at Amanda and Mario, and they seemed to understand what I needed them to do. I needed them to protect the others as best they could while I did the best I could to protect them. Both looked as though they wanted to speak, but instead they just gave me single nods. Thomas was forcefully shoved to the back, the group instinctively preparing themselves for an attack.

"Kill all but the prince," Amara ordered casually as she made her way behind her people.

"Let's not over do it," she added. "I think two of you will suffice. We don't want any accidents."

My breathing rate increased, and I braced myself for the bullets I was about to take.

This would take the phrase 'over my dead body' to a whole new level, I thought morbidly.

My spider senses buzzed uncomfortably, but I ignored it.

The first two shots rang out, and time seem to slow. All fear and anxiety seemed to leave me. My only objective was stopping those bullets.

One hit the wall as I simply pulled Mario out of the way while the other I took in the bicep with barely a grunt. It burned, but I ignored it.

Amara let out a loud laugh of amusement and clapped her hands. "Oh, I see what your plan is, Spider-boy. You plan on taking the bullets until you what—until you die? So predictable and so amusing. I'm sure your adoptive parents will be proud."

"Let's finish this," she then instructed her people. "I know how it'll end, and I'm already bored."

I gritted my teeth at her blasé attitude but said nothing in response.

Guns were raised once more, but they never went off as Hawkeye had suddenly arrived. Arrows were shot from a hole in the ceiling embedding themselves in the two who were about to shoot. All hell broke loose at that point.

The other eight soldiers started shooting. I screamed at the people behind me to get down, which they did. Amanda and Mario shot back with their own guns as Clint literally landed on top of the soldiers. I immediately rushed into the fray, my main objective being to get the guns out of their hands. Interestingly enough, they didn't seem concerned when they'd lost their guns, and I realized it was because they all knew how to fight—and they fought really well.

Amara, who I'd expected to have run away, was eagerly calling Hawkeye out. Her eyes for the first time looked totally crazed. She seemed way too excited about fighting with him, but I didn't pay her any more mind. I let Clint deal with her while I focused on the rest.

They were definitely good fighters, but I'd been trained by better fighters. Then, just add my speed and strength, and it was almost too easy of a fight. With their focus on me, I found myself enjoying kicking their asses. Sadly, it took mere minutes before I had them either unconscious or moaning on the floor. I may have broken more bones than I normally would, but hey, they had been planning on killing me.

I looked over to Clint to see him and Amara still fighting. Amara didn't seem discouraged or upset when she noticed I'd beaten her soldiers. She just seemed amused. In fact, even though she was clearly losing the fight with Clint, she didn't look upset by that either. She looked like she was having the time of her life.

Who the hell was this woman?

It was only a few more minutes before Clint bested Amara, his arm wrapped around her neck. They were both panting from the exertion, but Amara still managed to sport a large grin.

"Well, clearly I know when I'm beat," she remarked between huffs of breath.

"If only all bad guys were as easy going as you," Clint commented drily, and Amara laughed lightly before looking at me.

"Tell your father I wish him pleasant dreams," she said, and I had barely furrowed my brow in confusion when she began to convulse and foam at the mouth.

"Son of a bitch!" Clint cursed, letting her fall with a harsh sigh. I watched her writhe on the floor for a little before going completely still. I knew she was dead.

"Cyanide pill," the older man informed me with a shake of his head. He yanked his arrows out of the two men he'd shot before muttering, "I should've known. God, I've been out of the game for too long. Nat is going to _kill_ me."

Honestly, I was happier with her dead than alive. Vengeance wasn't something I wanted right now. I just wanted this to be over.

I watched Clint cuff up the soldiers who were still conscious. He didn't see too interested or concerned in them.

"Peter!" Amanda yelled, and I turned to wrap my arms around her. Her hug was brief before she grabbed my head and placed several kisses to my hair.

"Let me see where you got hit," she demanded, and I noticed her face was frightfully pale. Glancing her over I didn't see any injuries, so I could only imagine that this entire situation had scared her. Well, it'd scared me too.

"You got shot?" Clint asked, concern and agitation clear in his tone.

I showed them my right bicep, and Clint gently held my arm while observing the wound.

"It's not bad," he informed us. "Through and through." I nodded, relieved that he thought it wasn't that bad. It hurt like a bitch, though, and I hoped "not bad" meant I'd be healed within a day. I honestly had no idea how long this would take as I'd never been shot.

"Here," Clint then stated, and he injected me with something that immediately helped soothe some of the pain. "I know with your metabolism it won't last long, but it's something." He then pulled gauze out of a pocket and bandaged me up.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I should've gotten to you faster."

"Don't worry about it," I immediately replied. "You saved us."

"You never should've gotten into a situation like this, though," he argued firmly, looking rather upset with himself. "I promised the others I'd get you back unharmed."

"I'll be healed in no time," I assured him with confidence. "Don't beat yourself up. Everything turned out just fine."

He let out a huff, patting my good shoulder before turning to check on the others.

Amanda pulled me back in for a hug, and I happily returned it.

"You are the bravest and most reckless young man I have ever known, Peter," she declared in a loving yet chastising tone. "I'm so proud of you," she then added, and my heart warmed.

Everyone was saved.

We were okay.

Nobody died.

I did it.

"Clint, where's my dad?" I now asked, and the archer frowned as he turned to me.

"Scott rescued him, but he's unconscious. They drugged him with something, and…, well, he'll be just fine," he told us. "You'll see him shortly."

I was both reassured and not reassured by his words. He was alive, _but_ he was hurt. He was hurt enough to be unconscious. They'd drugged him with something. What, though?

Clint took control at this point, and after making sure everyone was okay, he led the way, informing us as we walked that the situation was under control. Hand flying to my ear, I realized I'd lost the ear piece. I'd probably lost it in the explosion, I mused.

"Steve says the cops and ambulances are here," Clint continued to explain before looking at Thomas. "Your parents are on their way as we speak." The kid's responding smile was bright and full of thanks as he looked between him and then me.

"Unfortunately," Clint added, "the world now knows who exactly was kidnapped, _and_ they know who saved you all, so the media is waiting."

There were several frowns and annoyed sighs, but I think everyone was just happy to be alive, so no complaints were given. I could tell by the increase in noise that we were nearing other people, and that's when Amanda decided to stop everyone. I gave her a curious look.

"I know I don't have a right to ask or demand anything of any of you, but I must," she stated, and I raised a confused eyebrow. "The world doesn't know that Peter is Spider-man, and we would like to keep it that way. If you could _please_ not mention his secret identity to the press or to anyone, really, I would appreciate it."

I froze, staring first at her and then the others with wide eyes. I hadn't even thought about the consequences of revealing my identity. I'd accepted these people knowing, but I hadn't yet comprehended them telling anyone.

As I stared at them, all their eyes stared back.

"Your secret is safe with us," Mario declared immediately, and I was both shocked and relieved when everyone else nodded in agreement.

"You saved our lives, kid," Bree said with a disbelieving shake of her head. "If all you want in return is to have your identity kept secret, then I'm fine with that."

"Thank you," I whispered, my throat tight with emotion.

"Come on," Clint said with a kind smile. "There's a lot of people out there that are clamoring to see you, Pete."

I nodded before following him out of this hell hole and into the bright sun. Ignoring the medics, press, cops, and who knows who else, my eyes locked on my mother's, and I immediately ran into her open arms.

Everything was going to be just fine now…right?


	68. Chapter 68

**A/N: Howdy all! Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 68: Hard Road to Recovery**

 **Pepper's POV:**

The moments after I had Peter in my arms were a blur. All I could focus on was my sheer relief that he was alive and well…or, mostly well. I hadn't missed the blood-stained bandage around his arm. Still, though, he was _okay_.

From the moment I'd found out he, Tony, and Amanda had been kidnapped, I'd felt as though my heart had frozen. Only now, knowing all three were alive, did it begin to beat again.

I held Peter tightly, listening to him tell me over and over that he was okay and that I didn't need to worry. I only responded by kissing the top of his head several times before letting go. I held his face in my hands and just stared into his exhausted yet happy eyes.

He could've been killed. He could've been hurt like Tony.

But, he wasn't.

He's okay.

He's standing in front of you and smiling.

"I'm okay, Mom, I swear," he spoke earnestly, his hands gripping on to my arms. "I got a little injured, but I'll be fully healed in no time at all."

I nodded my head, fighting back the urge to start sobbing in relief. I wasn't going to be that kind of woman. Instead, I looked him over, inquiring as to how he'd been injured. He assured me that it was just a cut, so I relaxed before once more pulling him in for a bone crushing hug.

This place was filling with more and more people by the second. A literal media frenzy was occurring, and I suddenly realized we needed to leave. I wasn't in any condition to deal with reporters or politicians who wanted to discuss the rogue Avenges involvement, and I wasn't going to let them hassle Peter. Already, I could see cameras pointed our way, reporters attempting to get past the officers in order to interview us.

Officers and paramedics were talking to the other hostages, and I was shocked they hadn't approached us yet until I noticed Natasha, Vision, Rhodey, and Happy effectively stopping anyone from approaching.

"Where's Amanda?" I eventually asked, and he turned to scan the sea of faces. That's when I noticed Natasha making her way towards us, and I relaxed at seeing Amanda with her. She looked shaken, but otherwise unharmed, and I hugged her the second she was close enough. At the same time, Natasha was pulling Peter in for a hug in an uncharacteristic display of affection.

"Thank you for taking care of Peter," I told Amanda, and she gave a snort.

"You should thank Peter for taking care of himself. He's the hero of this story. He saved us all," she declared proudly, and I looked at my son to see him blushing at her praise.

"Hate to break up this moment, but you two need to leave," Natasha ordered, her expression serious and voice tight with stress.

"The quint jet is about to take off, and if you want to avoid this shit show and be with Tony, you should get moving," she urged, and I nodded in understanding.

"Are you coming?" I asked both women, and they shook their heads.

"Steve and Sam aren't leaving, and I'm representing the Avengers since Tony can't," Natasha explained succinctly, and I tensed.

"Should I stay?" I questioned in concern, and it was Amanda who answered.

"Go, Pepper," she stated firmly. "We will handle things here." Natasha gave her own nod of agreement, and I left without another word.

"Keep me up to date on Anthony's recovery," Amanda yelled, and I threw her a thumbs up before disappearing into the crowd.

The quint jet was close, but it was also surrounded by cops. The cops stared up at it warily, seeming unsure of what to do when they spotted Clint at the entrance, and then Peter and I rushing in. I gave them a little wave and an apologetic smile. They knew by law they were supposed to stop Clint from leaving, but they also knew they didn't have the means to do so. I also had a feeling they really didn't want to stop him.

The second we were in the jet, the doors closed, and the engines started. As we took off, I looked around, spotting Clint, Wanda, Scott, and Bruce standing over Tony.

Tony.

"Dad?" I heard Peter call out hesitantly, and part of me wanted to stop him from getting any closer. He didn't need to see how hurt he was.

As Peter moved closer, though, I didn't stop him. He had the right to see even if I knew how it would hurt him to see his father so injured. I moved with my son, heart cringing once more as I took in my fiancé's pained expression.

Tony was unconscious. According to Scott, he'd been drugged with something, which had caused him to pass out. We didn't know what the drug was, but we knew it was hurting him. He hadn't stopped groaning and whimpering since I'd first laid eyes on him.

"Oh my god," Peter gasped, mouth open in horror as he took in Tony's hands. His mouth opened and closed several times before he just looked at Bruce with wide, fearful eyes. I too looked to the scientist, hoping for some good news. One look at his helpless expression, and I felt myself stop breathing.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know what to do," he admitted wearily, rubbing a tired hand over his face. He looked absolutely exhausted as he hadn't slept since he'd found out about the kidnapping.

"I know only basic medicine, so the best thing I can do is try and disinfect his hands and wait for a real doctor to help," he explained. "As for the drug…I've taken a blood sample, but without any lab equipment, there's nothing I can do right now. I don't know what the drug is doing or what it's made of, so I can't even begin to come up with an idea on how to counteract it. I'm so sorry," he told us, sinking down into a nearby chair.

I managed to find my voice and immediately said, "It's okay, Bruce, you've done the best you could. We'll get him to a hospital and call in our own doctors to have a look at him. It will be okay," I assured him, Peter, and myself. I had to believe that he would be okay. There was no other option.

Tony let out a pained, "No," and I knelt down by head, smoothing his sweaty hair back while whispering loving and encouraging words into his ear. Unfortunately, my ministrations did nothing to help. He was becoming more and more agitated, beginning to twist and turn before letting out a horrific yell that shook me to the core. It'd been full of so much agony that tears welled up in my eyes. What was causing him to suffer so much?

Everyone in the jet stared at Tony with open mouthed shock, nobody seeming to know what to do. It took another horrifying yell before we all seemed to jerk into action.

"We're going to have to strap him down," Bruce declared, and I felt sick at the thought.

"How the hell is that going to help?!" Peter argued askance. "Look at his wrists! Obviously, he was held down by those sickos already, so how is us strapping him down going to be of any help?!" he roared furiously, his eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Peter," I addressed sternly, placing a calming hand on his shoulder. He turned his head and looked at me with hurt eyes. While I willed him to calm down, Bruce and Scott strapped down Tony's arms, torso, and legs.

Tony attempted to thrash, his head moving from side to side as a frustrated growl escaped his throat. Beads of sweat dripped down his face, and I could see how all his muscles were tensed.

Peter by now was at Tony's head, talking and then begging his father to wake up.

"Why isn't he waking up?" Peter asked aloud when several minutes had passed with no sign of Tony's condition changing.

"Something in the drug is keeping him asleep," Bruce sighed unhappily, and I bit my bottom lip to keep from letting out a cry of despair.

"Is he stuck in a nightmare? Is that why he's like this?" my son then asked despairingly. I felt sickened at the mere thought of Tony having to suffer through any of his nightmares.

"I don't know"—Bruce began to answer before Wanda spoke for the first time.

"I can check," she murmured, more to herself than us. Realizing she'd been heard, she looked at us all and then once more repeated, "I can check. I can look inside his head to see what he is seeing."

"Do it," I responded without thought, raising a sharp hand to cut off Peter's protest.

The young witch nodded once and then walked to Tony's head, placing a hand a few inches from each side of his head. Red light came off her hands and entered Tony's head, and I noticed Wanda immediately flinch. A few tense seconds passed before the red light disappeared and Wanda graced me with a sorrowful look.

"They are memories," she began softly, wiping away at a stray tear as she noisily cleared her throat. "Bad memories— _very_ bad memories," she expanded. "He does not have control over them, but I do know they are memories and not nightmares."

"How can you tell?" Bruce asked quietly.

"It's just a feeling," she answered with a mild shrug. "Memories feel different than nightmares, visions, or dreams."

"You can put visions in people's head's," Clint remarked, laying a hand on Wanda's shoulder. "Do you think you can implant some in Tony's head? Or, can you stop the memories? Maybe manipulate them to make them, er, positive?"

Wanda chewed on her inner cheek before saying she would try. Setting a chair down, she sat herself down and once more placed her hands on both sides of Tony's head. The red light began to flash once more, and Wanda's face tensed in determination. Eyes closed, we all remained silent as she did her thing. It wasn't long before she spoke.

"I can help, but it is difficult," she stated tensely, seeming to struggle. "I will have to maintain a constant connection, or the bad memories will come back."

I felt a wave of relief that she was able to help, but also deep concern as I wasn't sure how long she could keep this up. How long until that drug ran its course?

Dread coursed through me as I then contemplated how long Tony had been under that drug? Had he been subjected to that mental torture since he'd been kidnapped? My stomach twisted painfully at the mere thought of his suffering. What would be his mental state be when he woke up?

"Where should we head Bruce?" I heard Clint ask, his tone full of worry as he stared at my fiancé. "What doctor could help him? I mean the drug is one thing, but his _hands_ …" Clint's voice trailed off with a grimace, and he shot hesitant, regretful looks at both me and Peter before saying, "His hands are in really bad shape, and his right one…it's already decaying."

My eyes flashed towards Tony's hands in horror, breath stuck in my throat as I processed what that meant. Tony could not just lose use of his hands, but possibly have one amputated. I placed a trembling hand on my stomach as I felt sick.

Oh god, poor Tony. How would he survive without the use of his hands, or even worse, the loss of one of them?

"T-there's gotta be someplace we can take him," Peter spoke desperately. "There's gotta be _somebody_ that can help him! Dad _needs_ his hands! He'd never survive if he couldn't use them!"

Looks were exchanged, everyone clearly thinking of a solution. Whatever decision we made, we had to make it quick. The longer we took to decide where to go, the worse off Tony's hands would be.

"What about Helen Cho?" I suggested, and Bruce's expression turned contemplative.

"She could help, especially with the drug, but I don't know about his hands," he remarked.

"She has that cradle thing, though," Peter added, his strong desire to help his father evident in his posture and tone.

Bruce's lips pursed, and he nodded slowly. "I honestly don't know, but she is our best choice."

"Actually," Clint interjected thoughtfully, "we could take him to Wakanda."

Bruce, Peter, and I shot him confused looks while Wanda and Scott seemed in agreement.

"Yeah, their technology is way advanced, and aren't they helping Cap's friend with his mind problems?" Scott commented to which Clint nodded.

Looking more resolute, Clint stared at me and told me, "Wakanda's technology is far more advanced than anything you've ever seen—even more so than Tony's, and that's not an exaggeration. Their medicine is revolutionary, so if anybody could help Tones, it's them."

"You trust them?" I asked, knowing that if Clint had faith in them, then I would agree. I trusted the archer's judgment.

"I'd trust them with my _family's_ lives," he replied, and that spoke volumes.

"Wakanda it is," I declared, and Clint immediately headed to the controls.

My heart pounded as I stared down at Tony. I'd never met or spoken to Wakanda's king, T'Challa, but I knew Tony was on good terms with the man. I could only hope that their friendship would prove beneficial. I couldn't imagine what I'd do if they refused to help.

"They will help him, I guarantee it," Wanda voiced firmly, and I flicked my gaze to her's. Her face had a sheen of sweat on it now from how hard she was working to help Tony, but there was determination in her eyes.

"T'Challa is a good man, and I promise you that they will help Stark," she continued, and I graced her with a grateful look before turning my attention to Peter.

"Bruce, could you please look at Peter's wound," I addressed the scientist. "He says it's a scratch, but I'd feel better if you looked it over."

"What? No, you don't have to do that," Peter protested hastily. "I told you, it's fine. I heal fast, remember?"

"That may be true, but I'd feel better if Bruce looked at it, so just show him, Peter," I instructed, giving the teen a stern look. He frowned unhappily, and I felt a spark of confusion when I watched him fidget guiltily.

"I'm fine, don't worry, Bruce," Peter told Bruce as the man approached him, but Bruce just rolled his eyes as he began to undo the bandage.

"I'll be the judge of that," he responded mildly. Peter gave a groan, looking away guiltily, and I suddenly understood his odd behavior when I caught sight of the wound. That was no scratch.

"That's a gun shot wound!" I exclaimed in shock, closing the distance between my son and me in an instant. Fear coursed through me as I looked at him, but he steadily refused to meet my eyes as he replied.

"It's no big deal," he argued feebly. "Clint said it looked okay"—

"I never advised you not to get it looked at," Clint interjected loudly from the cockpit, "so don't drag me into this, Webs."

"It looks worse than it is," my son insisted, and Bruce graced him with a disappointed look, one that I mirrored.

"You should have told me about this immediately," Bruce told him as he began to clean the wound. "I can't believe you thought it'd be okay to keep this from us!"

"I heal quickly, though, and it was already bandaged," Peter countered stubbornly, and I felt my irritation mount. Bruce seemed to feel the same way judging by his response.

"I don't care what you think, Peter Benjamin Parker Stark!" the older man scolded sharply before administering a hard swat to the seat of the boy's pants. "Anytime you're injured, seek medical help. I thought you would have already learned your lesson now about keeping injuries form us."

Peter looked first shocked and then ashamed as he was reminded of his recent sickness. His face turned beet red and he looked down at his shoes before muttering a quiet apology.

I will admit to being taken aback by Bruce's harsh tone and the swat he'd given my son, but I wasn't upset as I was in complete agreement with everything he'd said. Crossing my arms and keeping a stern expression on my face, I kept my attention pinned on Peter the entire time Bruce attended to him, making sure the impetuous teen didn't make any more protests.

Bruce said nothing more as he disinfected and cleaned the wound before then applying stitches. When he made to give Peter a shot, Peter opened his mouth, but with a single raised eyebrow, Bruce shut down any complaints. I had to bite back a smirk at seeing my son gazing at Bruce with wariness. It seemed he'd never expected the normally mild-mannered doctor to be capable of being so strict with him.

When Bruce finished, he then gave Peter something to eat, and it was then that I felt I could leave them be. Bruce definitely had everything under control.

I turned my attention back to Tony and Wanda. The young girl really seemed to be struggling, and my heart went out to her when I saw stray tears falling down her face.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" I asked, unsure of how to properly comfort her. I didn't really know Wanda, and I wasn't sure she'd appreciate me laying a comforting hand on her let alone pulling her in for a hug. Not to mention, I didn't want to distract her from what she was doing as it seemed to be keeping Tony calm. Although…if she was suffering because of this, I wasn't sure I could ask her to continue trying to help Tony.

"No, thank you," Wanda replied, giving me a small smile. "I am fine. This is just…," she trailed off, biting her bottom lip before speaking again. "Stark—Tony has many painful memories. It is not—He is not who I expected. His life is not what I thought."

I nodded my head in understanding. I knew her story, and I knew what she'd thought of Tony. This was no doubt an eye-opener.

"If you need to stop," I felt the need to say, "then please do. I know Tony wouldn't want you to suffer for him, and I feel the same way."

Wanda stared at me in surprise for a moment before shaking her head.

"I am fine, Pepper," she declared, giving me a strong look. "I will not fail him. I can do this as long as necessary."

I didn't believe her, but I didn't argue. Super heroes were a stubborn lot.

"Thank you," I said instead, laying a light hand on one of her shoulders.

A tense, long hour passed before Clint notified us that we were entering Wakanda.

"Oh, you two should watch this," Scott stated, looking to me and Peter with an excited grin. Curious, I looked outside, gasping when I saw us hurtling towards a forested mountain side.

"We're going to crash!" I yelled, but Scott quickly assured me we wouldn't.

"It's a mirage, like a barrier," he explained. "Just watch."

I tensed as we neared the "barrier", and once more let out a gasp when we went through it and I laid eyes on Wakanda for the first time. Next to me, I heard Peter mumble a quiet, "wow". This place was incredible. Words couldn't begin to describe how beautiful it looked. My eyes roved over every bit of the approaching city, and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. They really did have technology far more advanced than ours.

"Dad would've loved this," Peter murmured sadly as we began to descend. I wrapped an arm around his shoulders, giving him a comforting squeeze as I replied, "He will see it when he wakes up, don't worry."  
Peter gave me a slow nod, taking in a deep breath as we gently touched down. He squared his shoulders and set his jaw as he looked first at his father and then at the opening doorway.

"T'Challa isn't here," Clint informed us as he walked over. "He's on his way to London to help out with everything. Seems like they're all going to try and undo the Accords using this latest stunt."

"Do you think it'll work?" I asked curiously, and the blonde gave a mild shrug.

"I don't know, but I sure hope it does," he admitted honestly before walking down the ramp towards a group of women. Scott, Peter, and I followed, Wanda staying behind with Tony.

"Sorry to just show up like this, especially as we only ever end up here when we need help, but I didn't know anybody better than you, Shuri, that could help Tony," Clint said in open honesty as he shook a young woman's hand. Well, woman was a bit of a stretch, as she looked to be about Peter's age. She was the youngest here but seeing as Clint had approached and spoken to her first, I knew she must be someone important. I knew better than to judge someone by age or gender.

"It is no problem, Clint, I am always happy to help heal another broken white man," Shuri replied with an amused smirk, and I wondered who else she'd healed. Then, I remembered Scott mentioning the Wakandan's had been able to help Steve's "friend with the mind problems", a friend who I could only assume was Bucky Barnes.

"Pepper, Peter," Clint addressed with a smile, "this here is Shuri, T'Challa's younger sister. Don't let her age fool you as she's an absolute genius and head of Wakanda's technology development department." My eyebrows rose in surprise as I reached out a hand.

"Shuri," Clint then addressed, "this here is Pepper Potts and Peter Parker Stark."

We exchanged pleasantries before we were then introduced to a woman named Okoye. She was clearly a warrior, and was head of the Dora Milaje, which was like an elite guard of Wakanda. Then, we were introduced to Ramonda, who was T'Challa's mother. She was a strong, regal looking woman, and was pleasant with us, but I had a feeling she wasn't really pleased by our presence. In fact, looking amongst the many people present, none of them looked very happy to see us, and I felt guilty. I was just glad Shuri didn't seem to harbor their same feelings.

Things moved quickly afterwards, two medics going into the plane and coming out with Tony on a floating stretcher. They, along with Shuri and Bruce rushed off and I immediately followed, cringing as I heard Tony begin to cry out. Without Wanda's abilities, his memories were no doubt haunting him once more.

We eventually arrived at their medical facility, and once again I was in awe of the technology I was witnessing. It'd been a long, _long_ time since I'd been shocked by a new piece of technology. Living with Tony, I was used to his constant updates that were always far ahead of the rest of the world. Here, though, I guess this was like regular people felt when they walked in to our home.

Peter's eyes were wide and his mouth open as he took in everything, and I knew if the situation hadn't been so dire with Tony, he would've been jabbering away, asking question after question.

The medics took Tony into a room that looked nothing like the kind of hospital room I was used to. Everything was metallic, even the stretcher he was on. The room was bare, or at least that's what I thought until I noticed different machines coming out of the walls as they were needed. Tony was scanned by _something_ , holographic scans of his entire body popping up, and I noticed Shuri enlarging the ones on his hands. I watched as she manipulated it and spoke with the medics in the room.

Blood was drawn, and Tony was injected with something that immediately quieted him. I had no idea how much time passed as they assessed Tony. It could've been minutes or hours. I only became aware when a doctor and Shuri emerged from the room, both solemn faced.

"I have good news and bad news," the doctor remarked calmly, and I felt Peter's shaky hand grab on to mine. On my other side, Bruce placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Let us start with the bad," the doctor suggested with a questioning look, and I nodded. "Mr. Stark's hands are obviously in bad shape. Every bone was broken, and his wounds were left untreated, which has made things harder for us. Had he come to us immediately after the injury, we would've been able to repair the damage without issue, but now both hands are infected severely, and his right hand has lost blood flow causing the flesh to begin to decay."

The doctor paused, allowing us time to digest the news. My heart sank with every second of the heavy silence.

"Can you save his hands?" Peter questioned in a small voice, suddenly sounding years younger than he was. I squeezed his hand in a dismal attempt to offer some comfort.

Shuri was the one who answered with a regretful tone. "We can repair the left hand, but not the right. Too much time has passed without blood flow, so it will have to be amputated."

I froze, a pounding noise sounding off in my ears. I could see her speaking, but I no longer heard what was being said as all I could focus on was that Tony was going to lose one of his hands. No. No, no, no! I knew Tony, and I knew how badly this would affect him. The man would rather lose a leg before losing a hand. He was an engineer. He was a builder. This would destroy him!

The pounding in my ears got louder, and black spots began to dance in front of my eyes. Belatedly, I seemed to realize that I needed to breathe, but I couldn't seem to muster the energy, so before I knew it, I'd fainted.

 **Peter's POV:**

My breaths came out in harsh gasps as I ran hard and fast. I was on the outskirts of the city running aimlessly, attempting fruitlessly to rid myself of the overwhelming sadness, anxiety, and guilt.

Dad was in an induced coma, a side effect of the antidote he'd been given to counteract the drug. Nobody knew when he'd wake up or what his mental state would be.

His left hand had already been operated on and would be back to normal by the time he woke up. His right hand had been amputated, and he was already being fitted with a new hand made of vibranium. Heavy discussions had taken place, and it'd been decided that giving him the prosthetic hand even without his permission was the best decision. Tony's hands were his life.

Mom had fainted the second she heard about the amputation, and she was still out of it. It'd been three hours. I felt for her and I felt for Dad.

In addition to his hands, Shuri and the doctors had questioned us about some of Dad's older injuries. His heart was in rough shape. It was scarred and working too hard. It was like he had the heart of a man who'd been through multiple heart attacks. The connecting arteries and veins were also damaged. None of this left him in danger, at least not now, but years from now…they figured his heart would give out earlier than it should.

I'd been the one to nearly pass out at hearing this, and it was only Bruce's steadying arm wrapped around me that kept me breathing.

Aside from his heart, they'd also noticed the damage to his lungs and his missing ribs, which was the only thing we'd already been aware of.

If all that hadn't been enough, there'd also been intermittent nerve damage throughout different parts of his body, which Bruce had said was probably a result of being electrocuted during his kidnapping, and then with that creep Electro.

Despair hit me hard, and I'd just wanted to curl up and cry and the unfairness of it all; but then, hope was given to us.

"We can fix most the damage," Shuri declared, her eyes trained on me particularly. There was sympathy and compassion, and I was sure she knew what I'd no doubt been thinking.

"Yes, we can," the doctor had agreed with a reassuring smile. "We'll remove the scarring from both his heart and lungs, and we'll repair any damage. We cannot restore the missing parts of his lung, but we can strengthen them along with his heart. The two missing ribs can be replaced easily, and the nerves can be repaired. As Shuri said, we can fix _most_ the damage. There are still things even our technology cannot fix, but Mr. Stark will no doubt feel healthier than he has in years. I have no doubt he's felt the strain on his heart and lungs, and that the damaged nerves have caused him pain."

I felt huge relief at how they'd be able to help my dad, but also concern that Dad had been hiding this pain. Or, maybe he'd been so used to feeling this way that he didn't even realize he shouldn't?

"Thank you," I had to say, shaking both the doctor's and Shuri's hands. "I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate what you're doing. If there's anything I can do to repay you"—

"No repayment is needed," Shuri declared firmly with a sharp shake of her head. "It is our pleasure to help Mr. Stark. He is a good friend to my brother," she informed us, sounding like that simple fact was reason enough to help Tony; and, maybe it was. Whatever their reasons for helping, they would have my eternal gratitude.

I'd been shooed away at that point, no one wanting me to watch as they performed surgery on Tony, especially the amputation. I'd fought, but when Bruce had voiced his agreement, I'd given in, not wanting to experience the older man's anger again. His earlier chastisement had hurt both emotionally and physically. Clearly, he didn't need a gauntlet to bust my tail.

So, here I was, running in an attempt to relieve or deal with my emotions.

I couldn't help but feel guilty for the torture Dad had endured. Logically, I knew if I'd attempted to rescue him earlier I would have failed, either getting caught or causing one of the hostages to get killed. Still, though, I was so angry with myself that I'd been unable to protect him or help him in any way.

Man, and how would he be when he woke up? Would he be okay even after suffering through so much emotional torment? What would he think about losing his hand and waking up to a prosthetic one, even if it was made of vibranium? What would he think of the surgeries he'd been through? It wasn't like we asked his permission like we should have. We all just assumed he'd want himself fixed up, but what if he hadn't? Would he be angry?

I wanted him to wake up. I wanted him to be without pain. I wanted him to be _okay_. I wished this stupid kidnapping had never happened, because I was terrified it might've broken him. Yeah, Dad was the strongest man I knew, but suffering continuously through all his terrible memories…well, Dad was still human, and everyone had their limits.

I slowed to a walk, decided to head back to the medical center. I was hoping the surgeries would be done, or that Mom would be awake. When I arrived, I tried not to squirm under the tense stare Okoye was giving me. That warrior lady looked badass, and I definitely didn't want to get on her bad side.

Inside the center, I was relieved to see that Dad wasn't only done being operated on, but that Mom was awake and at his bedside. Walking in to the room, she immediately stood up and pulled me in for an embrace.

"How are you doing?" she asked, her hands cupping my face.

"I'm fine, but what about you?" I asked in concern, and Mom actually blushed, looking embarrassed.

"I can't believe I did that," she sighed, sinking down into the seat by Dad.

"Well, that's what happens when you go days without eating," Bruce commented casually as he walked in to the room. I looked at my mom in shock. She was always scolding Dad about not eating, so it was crazy to imagine…or, maybe it wasn't. I couldn't begin to imagine the stress she'd been under since she found out about our kidnapping. My heart went out to her, so I wrapped my arms around her, nuzzling my face against the top of her head.

"Everything will be okay, Mom," I reassured her. "I'm totally fine, and Dad will wake up in no time."

She patted my hand lightly before focusing on Bruce, an inquiring expression on her face.

"They've all headed to London," he stated, and I looked between the two adults in complete confusion.

Noticing my confusion, Bruce expanded. "Clint, Scott, and Wanda. They've gone to London to work on repealing their status as rogues, and to hopefully nullify the Accords. The UN screwed up when they refused to allow us to help you all, and the whole world is realizing it," he explained. "Spain is in an uproar over the fact that their prince had been kidnapped and the UN had refused assistance. Their king and president are tearing the UN a new one while at the same time voicing their support of getting rid of the Accords. Countries are beginning to take sides. Some want to get rid of them, some want to modify them, and a few still want to keep them."

I couldn't believe that this was actually happening.

"Does this mean the others will be able to go home? That they won't be criminals anymore?" I asked hopefully.

"I can't answer that with absolute certainty, but I'm leaning towards yes," Bruce answered with a grin. "Even if the Accords still stand, I'm positive their status as criminals will be removed. Talks are happening, so everyone is appearing."

"Are you going to be going?" I then questioned, and he gave a frown as he shook his head.

"I'm still not everyone's favorite person," he replied with a sad smile. "People are afraid of the Hulk, so I think it's better I just stay away. I don't want things to turn south because some politician is afraid of me."

"That's bullshit," I grumbled. "You're perfectly safe, and anybody whose afraid of you is an ignorant asshole," I hissed furiously.

" _Peter_ ," Mom chastised lightly in regards to my language.

"It's true though," I argued with a pout, and she nodded her head.

"It is, but I still don't like you using that sort of language," she stated firmly, and I let out a sigh.

"Don't get so upset, Iron Spider," Bruce remarked, placing a gentle hand on my head. "I'm used to it—I know I shouldn't be," he added quickly when I made a move to protest, "but it's just the way things are. It's not okay, but _I'm_ okay with it. What matters to me is your guys' opinion of me, and I know what you all think. I don't need the world's approval."

I shot the man a dissatisfied expression, which only caused him to chuckle softly as he ruffled my hair.

He may be okay with all this, but I certainly wasn't. I refrained from arguing any further, though, knowing his mind was made up.

I turned my attention to Dad now, and I walked towards him until I was opposite from Mom. He was so still and pale. I was shocked to see no bandages or anything on him and wondered if they'd even done surgery on him; but, then I saw his hands. The left looked normal, and like it'd never been damaged.

I couldn't help but marvel at the Wakandan's skill and technology. If it wasn't for the dark grey, metal hand, Dad would look like he was simply sleeping. He certainly didn't look like he'd been through multiple major surgeries.

"Do they know when he'll wake up?" I asked quietly.

"No," Mom replied with a sad shake of her head. "Physically, there's nothing wrong with him. The drug is out of his system, so now it'll be up to Tony to decide. He'll wake up when he's ready."

That didn't sound good to me. If the drug was out of his system, then he should be awake. The fact that he was still asleep meant his mind wasn't okay, and that scared me.

I sank into a chair and placed a light hand on my dad's bicep.

Come on, Dad, please wake up. I need you.


	69. Chapter 69

**A/N: THANKS LOADS for the LOVELY reviews! I adore you all and appreciate all your remarks!**

 **Chapter 69: Waking Up**

 **Tony's POV:**

As I came to the first thing I noticed was how heavy and tired I felt. Hell, even my eyelids felt heavy, and the thought of opening them up sounded exhausting. My throat was so dry, though. Dry and sore, and my need for a drink of water gave me the necessary energy to at least open my eyes.

I took in my surroundings with bleary eyes, realizing pretty quickly that I had no idea where I was. I was in a bed, a comfortable bed, so this probably wasn't a hospital room. It was a large room with sparse decorations. Turning my head with a quiet groan I noticed a large window with moonlight shining through. From this distance I couldn't make out what was outside. Continuing to glance around, I noted a large wardrobe, some African-looking art, and a small table with two plush chairs.

Where the hell was I?

 _Why_ was I here?  
It took me only two seconds for my memories to catch up with me, and when they did, my entire body tensed as I quickly sat myself up.

I'd been kidnapped. My hands had been busted. I'd been drugged. Was I still—no, no, no. Scott. Yeah, I remember the Ant man guy showed up to rescue me. We'd been escaping or trying to at least when…when I'd been drugged again. Crap. Not only was I having to be rescued, but I'd gotten my stupid self knocked unconscious. I'd been useless.

As I took another look around the moonlit room, I took stock of my body, and was pleasantly surprised to find myself feeling no pain whatsoever. I felt tired, but considering what I'd been through, tired was expected. To not be in pain, though, that was a goddamn miracle. I would've at least expected my hands…

My internal musing was brought to a crashing halt when I looked down at my hands. The dim light didn't let me get a really good look, but I didn't need it, because I could damn well _feel_ what was wrong.

My left hand felt and looked fine. It didn't even feel like I'd ever been injured, and in the back of my mind I wondered how long I'd been unconscious for my hand to have healed so well.

My right hand, though…was _wrong_. It wasn't there. I mean, it was, but it wasn't. _It was, but it wasn't_!

My heart was beginning to race while my breathing rate increased. I needed light. I needed light _now._ I needed to see what—what _it_ was. My lack of energy meant nothing as I scrambled off the bed and towards the small table that had a lamp on it. With my left hand, I slammed the on switch, and bright light flooded the table. I placed my right…my right appendage on top of the table and just stared.

Oh god.

Oh god, oh god, oh god.

My hand was gone. _Gone_.

What was currently in its place was this-this dark-grey metal… _thing_.

Oh god.

My heart pounded loudly as I watched the metal thing move. I cringed at the robotic sound it made. It wasn't loud, but it wasn't silent either. It wasn't normal. It wasn't _human_. I continued to move the thing…okay, I should probably call it a hand…

I shuddered as I watched the hand react and move just as my flesh and bone hand used to. Whoever had attached this to me had known what they were doing. The movement was flawless, and there was no lag.

Still, it was wrong. It didn't feel right. It was foreign. It didn't _belong_.

I was suddenly reminded of waking up in an Afghan cave with an electromagnet stuck in my chest. It'd been to save my life. It'd led to the arc reactor. It'd led to Iron Man. However, I could still recall the sheer horror I'd felt upon having a foreign object inside of me. I felt nearly as much horror as I looked at the metal hand.

My breaths came out in heavy pants, and I fell to my knees, holding my right wrist as I continued to stare at the appendage that didn't belong.

Who had done this?

Why did they do this? Stupid question, I immediately answered with a mental scoff. Anybody that knew me knew how important my hands were to me. They no doubt thought they were doing me a favor.

Did they, though?

Logically, my answer was yes, but emotionally, my answer was no. Waking up to find something attached to my body that I hadn't given permission for was gut-wrenching; and, I knew it had all to do with Afghanistan.

This hand wasn't _mine_.

Would I have been happier waking up to no hand?

I let out a loud moan.

God, why had this happened? Why hadn't I been able to stop them? Why had I been so fucking weak?

I went to bury my head in my hands, only to flinch terribly when the cool metal touched my sweaty head.

A pathetic whimper escaped me as I once again stared at the hand.

What was this thing made of? Who did I know that could perform this sort of surgery?

I racked my mind for an answer and huffed in frustration at coming up with only Helen Cho. This wasn't her style, though. She didn't have the skill to do this, or at least that's what I thought. I continued to think, desperately focusing on these unanswered questions rather than on my new hand.

Who else, who else, who else?

T'Challa, I suddenly thought. In fact…this hand could be made of vibranium. I looked at the appendage with clinical eyes, feeling it with trembling fingers. It did remind me of Cap's shield, but a lot of different types of metal felt the same way. However, if this was T'Challla's work, it more than likely was vibranium.

I wasn't sure what to think about that. Should I be happy?

It was the strongest metal in the world. Nigh indestructible, but _still_ …it wasn't _mine_.

I balled the hand into a fist and resisted the sudden urge to slam it on the table or thrust it into the wall.

Standing up on shaky legs, I walked over to the window, and my hypothesis was confirmed. Although I'd never been here, the sight outside could only be Wakanda. Mouth open, I took in the sight of the beautiful city. Prior to this kidnapping, I no doubt would've been over the moon at this sight, and eager to investigate; but now…now, I was amazed, but I didn't care about how they'd done it. I didn't want to investigate. I didn't care to ask questions. I just wanted…

Where were Pepper and Peter?

How had we been saved?

Clearly, Cap had gotten involved, evidenced by Scott's presence. Were they okay? Had they been arrested?

How long had I been unconscious?

I looked around the room for some clue as to the date but found nothing. There was a clock that read 1:34 AM.

Where were Pepper and Peter, I thought again with more desperation. Were they okay? Why weren't they with me?

Feeling anxious, I decided the best way to find them would be to go and look for them. First, I went to the restroom and quenched my thirst using the sink. It wouldn't do for me to find someone only to not be able to talk.

I walked out the door and into a dimly lit hallway that was lined with more doors. Each door seemed to be labeled, so I looked at mine to see it marked, _Tony Stark: Unconscious indeterminate amount of time._ I raised my eyebrows in surprise before then reading what looked like instructions. _Administer nutritional injection twice daily. Remove waste at same time_.

Uh, yuck.

Jeez, I really wanted to know how long I'd been unconscious. Obviously long enough to need to be injected with food. I'll admit to being extremely pleased at not waking up to an IV and catheter. Clearly, I was in a hospital. Not like any hospital I'd ever been in, of course, but still a hospital.

I heard the sudden click of high heels, and tensed, fighting the instinct to run or hide. Whoever was approaching was no doubt a doctor or nurse. The lights suddenly brightened, and an African woman approached, a tablet in her hand and a pleased smile on her face.

"Mr. Stark," she greeted with a heavy accent, "I am very happy to see you up and walking about. I will ask, though, that you return to your room so that I can examine you, please.

I hesitated briefly, my urge to find my family weighing heavily on me. At the firm look I received, however, I reluctantly gave in, feeling she'd force me to obey whether I wanted to or not. She certainly looked like she could take me, especially in my weakened state.

I trudged over to my bed, sitting myself down while asking, "Where's my family? Are they okay?"

"They are perfectly fine, Mr. Stark, I assure you," she reassured me. "They are no doubt currently sleeping in one of the palace's guest rooms. They have been to visit you every day, and they barely left your room two hours ago."

I let out a relieved sigh at hearing they were okay, so I asked the next pressing question. "How long have I been here?"

"I am assuming you know you are in Wakanda," she remarked, and I nodded my head.

"You were brought here immediately after being rescued, which was five days ago," she finally answered, and I was shocked at how little time had passed. Based off my healed left hand, I would've expected I'd been here for weeks. Then again, I had to remind myself that this was Wakanda, and they obviously had superb medical technology.

Admittedly, I was pleased to know it'd only been a few days. I did worry, though, about how much may have happened in that time. What consequences had the rogues faced for getting involved in the rescue? Had they been caught? Did they manage to get away?

"My name is Kali, by the way, and I have been the one tending to you these past five days," the nurse informed me, and I gave her a brief smile of thanks. The adrenaline I'd felt upon waking was waning, and that along with the fact that I knew my family was safe meant I was exhausted and ready to pass out. I barely paid attention as Kali ran digital scans of me, not even commenting at the show of technology. There were literally 3-dimensional, manipulative holograms of my body up, and I barely spared them a glance. I gave brief answers to her questions, but when she began to inform me of the surgeries I'd been through, she gained my full and undivided attention.

"I'm sorry, _what_ surgeries have I undergone?" I questioned, a slight edge to my voice. What else had been done to me? My hands were the only part of me injured during the kidnapping.

"If you look here, sir, I can show you as I explain," Kali replied calmly, and there were suddenly two holographic images instead of one.

"This one is you before the surgeries, while this is you afterwards," she began, and my eyes quickly flicked back and forth, immediately noting some differences.

"You replaced my two missing ribs," I blurted out, staring at the hologram in disbelief before standing up. Lifting my shirt up, I poked at the new ribs with my left hand. Holy crap.

"Yes, we did, amongst other things," Kali informed me. "When we scanned you, we found several older injuries, your missing ribs being one of them. In addition to replacing them, we removed scarring tissue from both your lungs and heart. We repaired your damaged arteries and veins along with several nerves. You should notice an increase in energy, easier breathing capabilities, and less muscle pain."

Mouth open in complete shock, I circled the two holograms, taking in every miniscule difference before once more looking down at my chest. The arc reactor scar was still there, but there were no new ones. I took in several deep breaths but didn't really notice a difference from before. I did, however, notice the lack of muscle pain. I hadn't registered it until she mentioned it, but for the first time in a while, my heart hadn't fluttered painfully when I'd been panicking earlier, and my muscles hadn't spasmed randomly. I didn't feel sore as I normally did. It was odd, but also refreshing.

I wanted to be upset that they'd done all this without my permission, but I couldn't bring myself to when I hadn't felt so _good_ in a long time. I'd forgotten what it was like to live without pain ever since Afghanistan. This was unbelievable.

"Thank you," I eventually managed to choke out, giving the young medic a grateful look. She gave me a wide, understanding smile before asking me if I had any questions.

I sat back down on my bed, feeling rather overwhelmed, so I just shook my head. She asked me a few more questions, and I gave answers I didn't remember before she left me, letting me know she'd inform my family of my awakening in the morning. I simply nodded numbly.

Sitting alone in the room, I tried to digest what I'd been through. Thinking of the terrible memories I'd had to relive over and over again, I flinched horribly, shuddering pathetically before shaking my head. Best not to think of that.

Damn, even more reasons for me to be fucked up, I thought dejectedly, rubbing my face in exhaustion. The nightmares had been awful before, but now…all those memories were so _fresh_ in my mind. Where before they'd started to fade and not hurt as much, now they were crystal clear. Suffice to say, I'd be paying my therapist a lot of overtime. I couldn't let my past continue to hurt me so much. It was a weakness that had been used against me before, and I couldn't afford to be like this. I'd been useless in that kidnapping, and that could've ended tragically. Thankfully, they'd only hurt me, or, at least that's what I thought.

Why had we been kidnapped? Had I been the target? Had they taken everyone from the studio room?

It was then I noticed that Kali had left me a tablet. Despite how exhausted I was, I knew I wouldn't be falling back asleep, so I picked it up and dialed a number. It hadn't been a conscience thought. It'd been instinctual. I just needed to…okay, I had no idea what I needed. It was late, or really early, but somehow, I knew she'd pick up even if she didn't recognize the number.

"I swear to God almighty, that if you are another bloody reporter, I will reach through this phone and yank out your vocal chords and"—Amanda threatened before I cut her off.

"Hi, Mom," I greeted softly, and there was a sharp intake of breath before video mode was activated, Amanda's concerned face filling the screen. While relieved she was okay, I didn't fail to notice the bags under her eyes. How long had it been since she'd had a full night's sleep?

Just another person suffering because of me.

"Are you okay?" we both asked at the same time.

"I'm completely fine," Amanda answered before I did. "None of us were harmed. How are you, though? Pepper told me just hours ago that you still hadn't awoken."

"I, uh, just woke up not too long ago," I replied, "and I'm healthier than I've been in a long time. Forget me, though, what I need to know is _what happened_?" I then pressed before she could respond. "Who kidnapped us? Who was taken? Was I their target? How did we get out? What happened to Cap and the others?" I asked quickly, and she held up a hand to stave off any more questions.

"Okay, okay, sweetheart, slow down so I can answer your questions," she stated. "Does Pepper even know you're awake?"

I shook my head before giving her an imploring look. I needed to know what happened. She looked hesitant, probably more interested in discussing my health at this point, but at my pleading eyes, she relented.

"Very well," she sighed unhappily. "Let me explain everything, though, before you ask any more questions."

I nodded in understanding, and she began to recount everything I'd missed out on. I was shocked to find out that I hadn't been the target, but that the boy, Thomas had. Upon learning he was the prince of Spain, it was more understandable, but I couldn't help but feel for the boy. I was immensely relieved to learn that no one was harmed. In fact, they were treated rather well, being fed and given bathroom privileges. A huge weight was lifted off my shoulders at hearing this news. I'd been so terrified that Peter or Amanda could've been enduring the same torture as me.

The group that kidnapped us was called The Underground, and their goal had been money. The person in charge had been a woman named Amara, and she'd committed suicide rather than being taken alive. I was upset at hearing that. I wanted to know what she'd been aiming for with her torture of me. Had she wanted revenge? Had she wanted information? If I hadn't been her target, then why had she spent so much effort in breaking me?

Pride swelled in me when Amanda then explained their escape, and the critical role Peter played.

"He was amazing," Amanda gushed with a smile of pride. "He kept calm the entire time, not letting his emotions get the best of him. He followed orders, and he did everything in his power to protect us all. In fact," she added more somberly, "he would've given his life for us if Hawkeye had not appeared when he had." Well, I definitely wasn't happy to hear that. She explained a little more, and I had the desire to pull the archer in for an uncharacteristic hug in thanks for having saved my son's life.

I was really proud at hearing how Peter had behaved, but also concerned. He was fully prepared to sacrifice himself for others, and the thought of him dying was enough to send me into a near panic attack. I mean, I knew heroes were like that. Hell, I knew I would've done the same thing in his shoes, but Peter was still a kid. He was my son, and I didn't ever want him to be in a situation where he'd have to make the sacrifice play.

There was no way I could stop him, though. He was proving more and more that he was a capable hero, and I had to start loosening the reins a little. Maybe I could include him in some low-level Avenger missions.

I closed my eyes and let out a large breath. I could feel a headache beginning to build, but I ignored it.

Mom continued to speak, informing me now of what was going on with the Accords. To say I was shocked would have been an understatement. I was completely taken aback with my eyes wide and mouth wide open as she told me of the vote that was taking place.

"All the rogue and current Avengers barring you and Bruce are in Madrid, and they are voting on two matters," Amanda informed me. "The first vote is on clearing the rogues of all charges, and so far, it looks like that will be a pretty unanimous yes."

"That's incredible!" I exclaimed, a large smile spreading on my face. They'd be free again. They could come home to their families!

"Yes, it is," Mom agreed, mirroring my smile.

"Is the second vote on repealing the Accords?" I questioned eagerly, and she shook her head.

"Not quite," she answered, but as there was still a smile on her face, I was sure the news wasn't bad. "The Accords will remain, but the vote is to create a specific organization to be in charge of any and all super hero and enhanced activities, kind of like SHIELD was; which, by the way, Natasha has informed me that SHIELD is the model they're using. They want it smaller, though, and with the council made up of UN approved members, but otherwise, SHIELD is basically being brought back to life. Now, that's all I know. I'm sure Pepper can give you more information later."

I stayed silent for several moments, digesting the ramifications of what she'd said. It was almost too good to be true. Yeah, the Accords weren't being trashed, but having another SHIELD might not be a bad thing, especially if the Avengers had a role in putting it together and helping to choose who was on the council.

"Wait, you said you're speaking with Natasha," I suddenly remarked, recalling her earlier comment. "Is she with you? Have you seen any of the others?"

"Natasha spent the night here yesterday, which is when she brought me up to date with everything. Aside from the day we were rescued, I haven't seen any of the others," she replied.

I nodded, the urge to be in London right now growing. I wanted to be there for the vote, and I wanted to see how the others were doing.

"Anthony," Mom called, and my eyes flicked to hers instantly as I heard the deep concern in her tone. "How are you really? I heard what was—I heard what was done to you, both by the kidnappers and then the medics in Wakanda."

Her words were spoken gently, and she fell silent afterwards, waiting for me to say something. I didn't know what to say, though. My thoughts were once again on the shiny, new, hand I was sporting.

I shook my head before forcing a grin on my face. "I'm fine, I promise you. Honestly, I'm probably in better shape than I've been in years. You should see the technology they"—

"Your hand, sweetheart," Amanda interjected deliberately. "Let me see it, please."

I hesitated for a moment before holding the right hand up for her to see. There was a brief widening of her eyes, but anything else she felt was masked immediately. All I could see was her concern for me.

"It's not mine," I whispered, giving the thing a bewildered look. "I don't know what to think," I then admitted in a small voice. "Waking up to find something metal—something inhuman that doesn't belong wasn't very pleasant. It reminded me too much of waking up in that godforsaken cave again." My mother remained silent, but her expression was encouraging.

As I moved the fingers on the hand and then clenched it into a fist, I said, "It doesn't feel right. It doesn't look right. I get why they did it, but…I don't know why I'm so bothered. I should be grateful, and yeah, I am, but…" I trailed off with a shrug, unsure of what I was trying to say.

"You lost a hand, son, a part of yourself," Amanda responded kindly. "It's perfectly reasonable for you to feel confused or upset. Are you in any pain?"

I shook my head as I stared at the hand. My hand. _My hand_. This was a part of me now, and I needed to stop thinking about it like it was its own separate entity. It wasn't an alien. It was a part of me now. It was my hand.

"I think my brains moving a little slowly right now," I mumbled, internally scoffing at my ridiculous thought process.

"You need sleep," my mom voiced, and I raised both eyebrows at her.

"Yeah, I just had like five days of that, so I think I'm good," I retorted sarcastically, the thought of sleeping sounding absolutely awful. I didn't want to imagine what sorts of nightmares I'd have.

"You're not good, and we both know that," was Amanda's responding argument, her tone knowing. I guess she did know me rather well by now. "Sleep will help both your body and mind heal," she insisted.

"Not if I'm plagued with nightmares," I grumbled before blinking in momentary shock. Had I actually said that out loud? Judging by Amanda's sorrowful expression I'd have to say yes. Oh, well, I thought tiredly. Honestly, I wasn't as bothered by this slip as I thought I'd be. I mean, she already knew I suffered from nightmares.

"Talking about them will help," Amanda advised, but I could tell from her tone that she knew I wouldn't take her up on that offer. She was right on both accounts. I shrugged at her words, pursing my lips before informing her, "I do plan on seeing my therapist when we get home. Probably be seeing a lot of him," I murmured to myself.

"I'm happy to hear that," Mom responded in a relieved tone. "Just remember, that I'm available whenever you need me. Doesn't matter the time of day or night. We can text, talk on the phone, or I can come to you. Just say the word and I'll be there. Okay?"  
I smiled, her words flowing through me like a soothing balm. She'd said this to me a week ago (felt more like a year ago), and I still felt immensely touched by her obvious love and care for me.

"Thank you," I said gratefully. "I may take you up on that sometime." It was possible I really would. I mean, I did call her right now. Still wasn't sure why I did it, but it definitely felt good to talk to her.

"I'm gonna go," I now said. "You look like you could use a good night's sleep, and I probably should attempt to rest."

"I suppose I could use some shut eye," was her reply. "Sleep well, Anthony. I love you."

"Love you too, Mom. Bye," I said, and we both hung up.

Having no intentions of sleeping, I used the tablet to search up information on the kidnapping and the Accords. With little difficulty, I managed to hack into official reports and documents, frowning at how little we seemed to know on The Underground. Where the hell had that group come from? We also seemed to have little information on Amara, the supposed ring leader. That was disappointing.

Focusing next on the Accords, I pulled up the official documents that included the changes and the reinstatement of SHIELD. I was rather taken aback that they were keeping the name. I'd been sure after the whole Hydra fiasco years ago, that they wouldn't want to be associated with SHIELD's epic fall from grace. From the minutes on the discussions had by the UN delegates, however, it seemed despite that huge failing, many countries felt SHIELD had done a good job and was needed. The fact that they were basically still operating, but on a much smaller scale out of New York also helped as there were already trained agents. Loads of people liked Maria Hill, and her name was already up for the new director. I wondered what Fury thought of all this. I had no doubt he'd already been brought up to date.

As I noticed the sun peeking into my window, I decided it was time to track down my family. Looking around the room, I went in search of clothes. I didn't want to be seen wandering the streets of Wakanda in pajamas. Thankfully, it seemed someone, probably Pepper, had thought ahead, and there was already a change of clothes for me. After a quick shower, I changed, and when I went to grab the tablet, my new hand caught my eye, causing me to cringe. Looking around, I grabbed a roll of bandages and wrapped it up, feeling ridiculous, but just not wanting to look at it anymore. I then exited my room, looking left and right.

Now, where the hell would the exit be?

 **Peter's POV:**

I sat on the roof of the palace, looking over the entire city, watching the sun rise. My concern over Dad had made sleeping difficult. I was waiting anxiously for Mom to get up so that we could head back to the hospital and see if he was any better. Maybe today would be the day…hopefully.

My stomach grumbled, and I let out a sigh knowing I should eat something. I didn't want another lecture from Mom and Bruce on not taking care of myself. When they'd found out two days ago that I hadn't been eating, they blown up at me. Personally, I felt they were overreacting and that the stress of recent events were weighing on them as well, but when I'd shared my opinion I'd been given two dark looks. Mom had then threatened me with a spanking if she caught me skipping meals again, so I'd wisely kept my mouth shut and expressed my understanding. Like I said, total overreaction, but I didn't voice my opinion again.

Letting out another sigh, I began to crawl down the side of the building, and right before I was about to enter through a window, I felt the urge to look down. I did, and a grin began to spread on my face when I saw Dad _walking_ and _talking_ with Shuri, clearly on their way here.

"DAD!" I hollered in excited relief, jumping down the rest of the way to the ground. I rolled as I landed before getting to my feet and hurling myself into my father's arms. I hugged him tightly, but only briefly because I suddenly realized that he'd only just come out of a coma.

"Oh god, are you okay? I didn't hurt you, did I? I'm so, so glad you're awake!" I exclaimed before falling silent as I took him in. The first thing I noticed was that he looked exhausted, and I wondered when he'd woken up. I then noticed his right hand was bandaged, which I thought was odd as it hadn't been bandaged sine he'd had the prosthetic put on. Aside from these two things, he looked like his normal self.

"Hey, pal," Dad greeted, pulling me back in for another tight hug. He held on longer than I expected, taking in a deep breath. He was taking in my scent, I realized. He must've been worried, I thought, recalling that he'd been knocked unconscious halfway through the escape.

"I'm doing just fine, how about you?" he remarked after letting me go.

"I'm good, Dad," I responded, elated at seeing him awake and relatively well. "Mom and I were with you until late last night. When did you wake up?" I asked curiously.

"Uh, around 1 AM," he answered. "Already got myself checked over and updated on everything that's been going on. When the sun came up, I decided to come and find you and Pep. Shuri here found me wandering the halls of the hospital, and kindly offered to take me to you."

I shot Shuri a grateful look to which she just shrugged. "As amusing as it would have been to see him wander my city aimlessly, I figured it wouldn't be very kind of me to do so," she remarked with a teasing look, which caused Dad to snort in amusement.

"Anyhow," Shuri continued, "I will leave you here, Mr. Stark, seeing as you are in good hands."

"Thank you, Shuri," Dad said kindly, and Shuri was beginning to walk away before Dad blurted out, "Can I see your lab at some time?"

The princess raised an eyebrow, eyeing Tony up and down with a contemplative look. She took so long to respond that I thought she'd say no, but instead she gave a swift nod before walking away as she said, "Sure, why not."

I found her behavior to be a little weird seeing as she'd eagerly offered to show me her lab several days ago. I'd turned her down, though, because I hadn't wanted to leave Tony's side. I wondered if she was nervous to have someone of Tony's caliber see her stuff, or if she didn't trust him. Maybe both?

"Come on, kiddo, let's go see your mom," Dad eagerly, motioning for me to lead the way, and I happily did so.

"Mom and Bruce are gonna be stoked to see you awake," I told him, a light hop in my steps as I quickly headed to our quarters. "We've all been super worried about you. I mean, health-wise, you were good days ago, so nobody really knew why you were still sleeping. We all kind of figured it was because of, er, the…whatever that drug did to you," I stated awkwardly, regretting having mentioned it at all upon seeing Dad's eyes turn haunted. With a blink, though, that expression was gone, and he placed an arm around me, assuring me that he was perfectly fine. Suffice to say I didn't believe him, but I didn't bother to press either.

We arrived at our little suite, and I opened the door with a slam, eliciting a short shriek from Mom, who'd been about to serve herself some coffee.

"Peter Benjamin"—she'd started to yell before noticing who was standing behind me.

"Hey, Pep," Dad greeted way too casually for someone who'd been in a coma for five days.

"Oh," was all Mom managed to say before running over and throwing her arms around Dad, much the same way I had earlier. They held on to each other tightly, and then Mom was pulling Dad in for a kiss that I deemed far too passionate in my presence. I loudly cleared my throat so that they'd remember that I was still here.

"You're awake!" Mom exclaimed happily, before once more going in for another kiss.

"Okay, okay, save that stuff for when I'm not around," I grumbled, causing Mom to roll her eyes and Dad to laugh loudly.

"When did you wake up?" Mom asked, and Dad responded as he had with me.

"Are you hungry?" she asked afterwards. "Or, are you tired? Do you need something specific? Did the doctors even say you're allowed to leave?" she pressed, sounding more and more concerned.

"Yes, I'm hungry. I'm kind of tired. I'd like a shower, truthfully, and I haven't technically been released, but I was checked over and deemed fit," Dad answered calmly and with a smile. Mom narrowed her eyes, looking him up and down. Her gaze paused momentarily on his hand, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she led him over to the kitchenette, sitting him down before pulling food out from our fridge.

I sat myself down next to Dad, taking him in again. Something was off, but I couldn't quite tell what it was. He looked well. A little tired, but that's what he normally looked like. I didn't get why his hand was bandaged, but I didn't know if I should ask or not.

"So, uh, did the doctors tell you everything that they fixed?" I settled with asking, and Dad nodded his head as he sipped water.

"Yup," he answered, and I waited for him to say something else, but he didn't.

"Tony," Pepper called out apprehensively, "I hope you're not angry about what they did. I was the one that approved the procedures."

"I'm not mad, Pepper," Dad spoke reassuringly. "It was just unexpected, but I'm not mad," he repeated. "I mean, I'm healthier than I've been in years, so thank you." He smiled at her, and while I could tell his thanks was genuine, I could still see that something was bothering him. I didn't think pressing the matter would get me anywhere.

"Y'know, a little birdie told me that you kicked butt, spiderling," Dad commented with a grin.

"A British birdie?" I questioned knowingly, and his grin widened.

"How about you fill me in on your heroic escapade," he suggested, and I immediately began recounting what happened. I glossed over the terror I'd felt upon seeing all those guns pointed at me, and I minimized the gun shot to a graze. Mom gave me a pointed look, but she didn't interrupt, thankfully.

"I'm so proud of you," Dad stated when I'd finished, putting an arm around me. "You acted maturely and heroically. Amanda told me you saved everybody's lives. I know it must've been scary at times, but you did everything right."

My heart soared at the praise. "So, does this mean I can go on missions with the Avengers sometimes?" I asked cheekily, already anticipating a no; which, was why I was immensely surprised when he nodded.

"What?" I gasped in shock, excitement building in me. "Really?!"

"Yeah, really," Dad replied with a satisfied smile. "Only _sometimes_ , and missions of my choosing within the United States," he added, shooting a placating look at my currently outraged mother. "You've shown maturity, so I'll put some more trust in you. Just don't bug me about this. When the time comes and I need you, I'll let you know."

I couldn't believe my ears. "This is—thank you, I won't let you down, I swear, Dad," I assured him, giving him an honest look. "You can trust me."

"I know," he replied, gripping my shoulder.

Conversation ceased as Mom served us breakfast. I could tell she wasn't quite pleased with what Dad had said to me, but she refrained from saying anything in front of me. We ate in silence that was broken up by a knock on the door.

"It's open!" I yelled through a mouth full of eggs, throwing Mom an apologetic look when she chided me for lack of manners.

Bruce opened the door, eyes immediately landing on Tony. He immediately walked over and pulled my dad in for a hug.

"Good to see you awake and healthy, man," Bruce told him before letting go. He didn't seem surprised that Dad was here, so I figured word had to be making its round that he was up.

"Good to see you too, Brucie," Dad responded genuinely.

"I spoke with your doctor," Bruce informed him. "She's not really pleased you left without being released, but she's willing to let this go if you go in for another check up in the evening."

Dad rolled in his eyes in response while Mom firmly declared, "He'll be there," all the while throwing Dad a threatening look. I bit back a laugh.

"So, Bruce," Dad spoke before Mom could say anything, "Fill me in on The Accords. Amanda filled me in some, but I want to hear it from you."

I listened attentively as Bruce explained what was going on. It was exciting to hear that the rogue Avengers would most likely be cleared of charges, meaning they'd be free to come home. I wondered idly if some of them would move in to the tower.

"I want to be there for the vote," Dad asserted. "This is huge, and I want to be involved from the get go, especially in revamping SHIELD."

"Tony, you literally just woke up from a coma," Mom protested, "you shouldn't even be out of the hospital. You should be in bed resting and"—

"Pepper, I love you, but seriously, you do know who I am, right?" Dad retorted in mild disbelief. "I'll go back for a check up tonight, but I'm not spending another night in a hospital, and I'll rest when I'm dead. I've been involved with the Accords for two years now, and I'm going to be there when this vote takes place. I have to."

Mom pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head before letting out a long sigh. "God, you're impossible at times, I just can't…," she trailed off, turning her head away before looking back. "Okay, do what you want." She very clearly wasn't happy, but behind her concern I was sure she understood Dad's reasoning.

Dad gave her a thankful look before turning back to Bruce. "What's up with Cap and his team? They're not being held captive, are they?" he asked darkly. My eyebrows rose in shock, hoping they weren't.

"No," Bruce answered. "The media is all over this, so could you imagine the outcry if they found out Captain America was in prison?" he asked rhetorically. "They're being housed at Spain's embassy as thanks for rescuing their prince."

"How is Thomas?" I voiced concernedly. "Is he okay?"

"Uh, I'm not sure," Bruce replied. "I'm sure he'll be fine, though. His parents really seemed to care, so I assume they'll get him help if he needs it."

I nodded, hoping the kid would be alright. Looking at Dad again, I hoped he'd be alright as well. He'd suffered extensive mental torture and he'd lost his hand. Right now, he was acting like nothing had happened, and everything was cool. I knew that was a lie, though. He no doubt would have nightmares that he'd refuse to talk about. Not to mention, coming to terms with having a metal hand. I still didn't know how he felt about that, but judging by the fact that it was wrapped up, I was afraid he wasn't taking it well.

Time would tell, I supposed.


	70. Chapter 70

**A/N: Hello my lovely readers! Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 70: Coming to Terms**

 **Pepper's POV:**

I watched my fiancé walk out of the restroom in only a pair of cotton shorts. Shortly after breakfast and chatting with Bruce regarding the Accords, I'd dragged him to the bedroom I was using so that he could shower and sleep. He'd resisted and complained, of course, but I told him I hadn't been sleeping well since he'd been kidnapped, and that I'd like to start catching up on all those missed hours. Never one to deny helping me, he'd immediately acquiesced.

It hadn't been a lie. I hadn't been sleeping well since the kidnapping. Peter being okay helped a little, but when Tony had been in a coma and no one had been able to tell me when he'd wake up, my nights had been restless and full of worries. Most specifically, I was worried about what his mental state would be when he finally awoke. One look into his eyes when I'd first seen him, and I knew he was suffering.

Tony looked over at me, quirked a small smile and lay himself down next to me with a huff. We stared at each other for several moments before I softly asked, "How are you?" My expression and tone conveyed that I was expecting complete honesty. There was no one here but him and me.

It was a testament to our relationship that he didn't automatically brush my question off or even close off his expression. Instead, his mask seemed to melt off his face, and I very clearly saw the hurt, fear, and concern he was feeling. I saw his exhaustion, and even a plea for help before he hid his face against my chest.

My hand automatically came up to cup the back of his head, my own head resting on the top of his. After several moments of him taking slow, deep breaths, he turned his head so that I could hear him speak.

"I don't know how I am," he admitted, and I could hear the honesty in his tone. I wasn't surprised. He'd been through so much since the kidnapping, and he'd only awoken half a day ago. No doubt he was still trying to process what had happened during the kidnapping, but also what had been done to him medically along with everything going on with the Accords and other Avengers.

I played with his damp hair lightly before saying, "Tell me about waking up earlier today." I figured requesting he talk about the kidnapping right off the bat wouldn't be the best. I'd try and lead to that eventually.

Tony didn't respond right away, but I remained silent, allowing him whatever time he needed.

"Confused," was the first word he said. "It didn't take me long to remember what happened, but I was confused as to what had happened and where I was. I was also worried about Peter and Amanda," he recounted in a quiet voice. "It was then that…that I saw it, or, uh, saw my new _hand_." He held up the now unbandaged appendage, moving the vibranium fingers.

I reached out and grabbed hold of the hand, not letting go even when his hand jerked his muscles tensed. I passed my fingers over every part of the hand, memorizing the feel and look of it as I had his flesh and bone hand before.

"Breathe, Tony," I instructed, having noted that he hadn't taken a breath since I began examining the hand. He took in a shaky breath before looking up at me with vulnerable eyes.

"Can you feel with it?" I asked curiously, and he gave a half nod.

"It's different," he attempted to explain. "Things don't feel the same. It's more like the— _my_ hand has sensors on it that trigger a sensation of touch in my brain. Like, I can feel as your fingers move on the hand, but it doesn't feel right. It doesn't feel like it would on my other hand. I don't feel your soft skin. I just…feel _something_. I'm not sure how to explain it well," he spoke with frustration. "I'd really like to know how they did it. Anyways, what—what do _you_ think about it?"

"I love it just as much as I love every part of you," I immediately replied genuinely, and he looked to me with slight awe.

"Really?" he pressed in a small, disbelieving voice, so uncharacteristic of him.

"Really," I answered firmly, grabbing hold of his new hand and giving it a kiss. "It's a part of you, so why wouldn't I?"

"Cuz it's a freaky colored vibranium thing that looks and feels nothing like a human hand?" he mumbled, and I laughed lightly.

"Would you have preferred waking up to no hand?" I asked curiously.

"Hmmm, I guess not," he answered after a long pause. "It's just…I guess I'm not used to it. It's not _human_ , Pepper, and I don't really feel like it's a part of me. I mean, see, I still refer to my own hand as an it, like it's some alien creature," he grumbled.

I withheld a sad sigh, mulling over how to respond as I caressed Tony's hair. I didn't know what it was like to lose a limb. I didn't know what it was like to wake up with something that—Oh, I thought in sudden understanding.

"This reminded you of waking up in that cave in Afghanistan with the electromagnet in your chest," I stated rather than asked, and Tony made a noise of agreement.

"You could always have the hand removed, love, if you don't want it; but, I honestly feel you'll be happier with two hands rather than one," I told him after placing a kiss to the top of his head.

"True," he replied simply as he continued to stare at his hand.

"If you don't like the way it looks, you can ask about having a layer of synthetic skin put over it, or even make it a different color, like red and gold, maybe," I suggested with a slight grin, glad to have elicited a snort of amusement from him.

"I guess," he remarked, a smirk forming on his mouth before he said, "I guess I won't need the gauntlet anymore to spank spider-boy."

I was the one to snort this time. "Not to mention, it can only help you when fighting," I added.

"Huh, that's true," he responded, he thought clearly not having come to him earlier. "I'll have to test it out and see how strong it is while also learning to control my strength. I don't want to accidentally hurt anyone."

We talked a little more about what the changes of his hand would mean, and the more we spoke, the more comfortable I could see him becoming. Instead of feeling fear from having something unknown, he was beginning to become excited. He was beginning to see the positives to come out of his new hand, and I was relieved. Tony had enough to stress about in his life already, such as the torture he endured at the hand of those sadists. I can't image what it must have felt like to have both his hands shattered, and then to have endured terrifying memories over and over again.

"Are you up to talking about what happened?" I eventually asked, feeling as his body stiffened. I once again began to run a soothing hand through his hair. I wouldn't force him to talk, but I'd push for him to tell someone. He couldn't bottle this up.

"I, uh, Pep, you know what happened," he remarked in an even tone. "They took mallets to my hands, chained me up to a table, and kept me drugged continuously. What more do you want to know?" he asked, and I frowned, withholding a sigh. He knew exactly what I wanted to know. I wanted to know how he felt. I wanted to know what he thought. I wanted to know what memories he saw.

Deciding to take a direct approach, I outright asked him, "What memories were you forced to see; and, were they real memories or distorted?" Tony froze in my arms before separating himself from me. He sat himself up, leaning against the back board with a deep frown on his face. I didn't like not having my arms wrapped around him, so I grabbed his new hand and held onto it tightly. He tried feebly to pull away, but when I refused to let go, he just huffed. I knew he wasn't upset with me, though, because of the look of affection he threw my way.

"Talk to me, Tony, _please_ ," I outright begged, allowing him to see my intense concern for him. "You went through a traumatic experience—and Lord knows you've been through enough of those—but, you can't keep your feelings bottled up. You have nightmares all the time, love, and it breaks my heart every time you do. I want to help you, so _please let me_. I'm your fiancé, your soon to be wife," I added with a loving smile, "so I need you to trust me."

"I do trust you," he protested, a brief look of outrage crossing his expression. I disagreed as there were many, _many_ things he kept from me, but I chose not to argue.

"Then, talk to me," I stated instead.

Tony stared at me with his brown eyes full of vulnerability and hurt, an expression he wouldn't normally allow me to see. I was afraid as I looked into those eyes, that this was what they always looked like when his mask was down. Just into those eyes I felt like I already wanted to start crying. I wouldn't, though. I couldn't allow him to see how much I was affected, because I knew he'd shut down if he thought I was hurting too badly.

"The memories were mostly real, interspersed here and there with some parts that weren't," he began softly. "When I was going through it, they all felt real, however, and it wasn't like I was just watching a video reel of my life. It was like I was reliving every horrible memory I'd ever been through, and there's a lot of them, y'know. There were memories from when I was a kid, like-like-like when I was bullied for being a Stark or being too smart or the clothes I wore or how small I was, and…and nobody seemed to _care_ until I tried to do something about it. Then, I'd get in trouble, and my parents would be angry which _hurt_ ," he recounted with increasing speed and desperation, as if he just needed to get this all off his chest.

"I remembered all the crappy things my dad told me, and how I always felt that he didn't love me," he continued. "I remember the stupid shit I did to get his attention, which only seemed to cause him to be more disappointed in me. I started to resent him and his damned obsession with finding Captain America. Mom hated how he were always at each other's throats, and I guess she figured she couldn't change her husband, so she always got on me to be better and to stop being such a screw up." His expression was now full of hurt and anger, and his tone was bitter. I reached out a hand to massage the back of his neck, easing some of the tension I felt.

"I saw Jarvis die in front of me again and again," he whispered, and my heart broke at hearing the crack in his voice, a single tear cascading down his face that he didn't seem to notice. "He loved me so much, and it didn't matter what I did he was _always_ there for me. He never yelled or berated me. He made sure to tell me how proud he was of me and that he loved me every day, Pep, and I downright adored him. He was the best thing in my life, and losing him tore me up, and that drug made me feel that again and again," he informed me, his left hand momentarily covering his eyes as he no doubt attempted to get control of his emotions. I took that time to quickly wipe away my tears, so that he wouldn't see.

"My parents death, of course, made a show again, and then it was the idiotic ways I tried to cope," he explained in a self-deprecating tone. "Jeez, reliving that, and reliving the sense of _loneliness_ I felt…," he trailed off with a shake of his head. "I could feel it and I could feel the numbing effect of the alcohol that I drowned myself in. Then, I was reliving being made CEO of Stark Industries, and I don't know if I ever told you, but I _never_ wanted my dad's company," he informed me, and my eyebrows rose in surprise. He'd never told me this, and I honestly hadn't ever thought about it.

"Obie convinced me by using my parents against me, and I felt obligated to live up to whatever expectations they supposedly had for me," he described in a tense voice. A humorless grin appeared on his face then as he said, "I totally sucked at being a CEO. I mean, you know that, of course, but I was even worse then. I had no clue what I was doing or how to talk to business people, and Obie would chew me out all the time on how much of a disappointment I was. It hurt to hear that, because I always thought he loved me. He always treated me better than my dad had—hell, he'd been a better father to me than Howard had, and Obie ended up being the one to hire terrorists to kill me." He gave a dark laugh, and I had to close my eyes to fight back tears of sorrow and anger over his words. Instead, I just pressed myself up right next to him, attempting to offer as much comfort as I could.

"Besides not wanting to be CEO, I never wanted to build weapons either," he admitted, and this time I wasn't so shocked. I'd always felt that he didn't enjoy that part of the job, doing it only as a means to keep his company running. He never held the same excitement when discussing the weapons he'd created as when he'd talk to me about something JARVIS had done, or when he made his first holographic screen.

"The first time I saw the aftermath of what one of my weapons did I threw up," he confessed, his voice barely above a whisper. "The soldiers laughed at me, and while that was definitely humiliating, I felt more horror by what something _I'd_ created could do. I went to Obadiah that same day to tell him I didn't want to make any more weapons, and he totally flipped. I'd…I'd never seen him so furious, at least not with me. He went ballistic, and I-I was _scared_ ," he recounted, his wide eyes meeting mine. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Well, the part of him being horrified I could, but not the part about how angry Obadiah seemed to have gotten. I mean, he hadn't reacted like that after Afghanistan, but then again, there had been more things for the older man to worry about than that. For example, the fact that his attempt at killing Tony had failed, I thought darkly.

"Did he hurt you?" I felt the need to ask, and he immediately shook his head.

"Nah, that wasn't his thing," he answered, and I relaxed somewhat. "Truthfully, sometimes I wish he would've, cuz his words could be more painful than a whooping or even a beating would've been. He was always good at dealing with me, the conniving bastard. The day after he'd verbally torn me apart he showed up to apologize and tell me that he just wanted what was best for me and yadda yadda yadda," he griped. "He played me like a fiddle."

I inwardly sighed as I began to massage Tony's shoulders, attempting to ease some of the tension. "Obadiah was a manipulative bastard who fooled everyone around him, including your parents and your aunt Peggy," I had to say. "You can't blame yourself for the way he used you, especially considering the fact that he was your godfather and you grew up with him."

Tony made a noise as he nodded once, and my heart clenched as I noticed tears welling up in his eyes. We hadn't even talked about any Iron Man memories, and he was already this affected. I realized, though, that while he'd talked to people about his kidnapping and the things he'd suffered since becoming Iron Man, he'd _never_ talked to anyone about what he'd been through before that time.

"Hey, Pepper," he choked out hoarsely, "I can't—can we call it quits for right now?"

"Of course," I quickly agreed, recognizing that he was emotionally worn out. Admittedly, so was I. Hearing and seeing him in so much emotional turmoil tore me up, especially when I didn't know how to help. I didn't know what I could say to make it better, so I did the only thing I could do. I'd be here for him and let him know how much I loved him.

I watched Tony's left hand clench tightly over the scar on his chest, a clear sign that he was feeling anxious. He was breathing more heavily now, his eyes clenched shut in an obvious attempt at keeping himself from breaking down. I normally gave him time to do this, but this time I felt that he needed to let go. He needed to break down or his emotions would continue to get the best of him.

Reaching out, I grabbed hold of him and gently pulled him close so that his head was once more lying on my chest. I kissed the top of his head before telling him, "You need to let go, love. Don't keep this bottled up. I'm here and I've got you."

Tony's response was to let out a groan as he turned his face to bury it against my shoulder so that I couldn't see his face. I did feel though as he wrapped his arms around me and his shoulders began to shake. I rested my cheek on the top of his head, holding him close as his grip on me tightened.

"I love you so much, Tony," I told him emotionally. "Peter loves you. Rhodey, Happy, Bruce, Natasha, and Vision love you. You have a family now that loves you unconditionally and that will be there for you through the good times and the bad times."

My words seemed to be the last push he needed, for my shirt began to dampen from his silent tears. He gave a shuddering breath and a few gasps, but he remained relatively silent. I refrained from saying anything more, instead focusing on offering him all the comfort I could. I didn't know how long he cried, but eventually exhaustion took over, sleep claiming him. I finally allowed my own tears to fall at this point, holding my sleeping fiancé until I too fell asleep.

 **Tony's POV:**

My eyes opened slowly, and I blinked a few times before realizing that I was lying in Pepper's arms. I carefully extricated myself from them and sat up, rubbing at my gritty eyes as I yawned widely. Recalling what I'd confessed to Pepper before falling asleep, I blushed in embarrassment. Admittedly, I was also grateful. I didn't know how long I'd slept, but it'd been nightmare free, a rarity for me. I felt rested and lighter, and while I was embarrassed at breaking into tears, I knew she'd never hold it against me. In fact, she'd be proud of me for trusting her enough to let go.

I looked at the love of my life and just smiled. I didn't deserve her, but I wasn't going to argue with whatever force out there decided I could have her in my life. I resisted the urge to lean in and kiss her as I didn't want to wake her. I knew she hadn't been lying when she said she hadn't been sleeping well, so I would let her sleep.

Getting up, I washed my face before throwing on some clothes. Heading out into the living room, I greeted Bruce with a smile, and was surprised when he got up and pulled me in for a quick hug.

"I'm glad you're okay," he said, and I felt a lump in my throat at his obvious love for me. Pepper had been right. I did have a family. I wasn't alone.

"Me too, Brucie," I replied with a wide grin. "So, where's my spider child?" I asked curiously.

"He's hanging out with Shuri," Bruce answered, and I raised an eyebrow, which caused Bruce to chuckle.

"I think she's showing him her lab," he informed me, and I raised another eyebrow.

"She's showing him her _lab_?" I pressed suggestively, a teasing grin on my face.

Laughing, Bruce said, "Get your mind out of the gutter, Tony, there's nothing going on."

I smirked before asking him for directions. I missed my little spider, and I was immensely curious to see Shuri's lab. T'Challa always sang high praises for his younger sister, insisting that she was probably smarter than me; and, he hadn't been joking. It was time to meet this young prodigy.

Walking out of the compound and in the direction of Shuri's lab, I ignored the wary eyes and glares the Wakandans were giving me. I hadn't personally done anything to these people, but clearly they didn't trust me, and I wasn't quite sure why. Just another instance where my past mistakes defined me, I supposed. Instead of putting on a charming grin to smile in the face of adversity as I normally did, I simply settled for giving polite smiles and walking quicker. I didn't want to cause any problems with T'Challa for having taken me into his home. Wakanda was a very secretive country, and few knew how technologically advanced they really were.

Thankfully, the lab was close to our current living quarters, so I arrived in about ten minutes. Walking to the entrance, I was met by two Dora Milaje, and I withheld a heavy sigh at the mistrusting looks they gave me.

"Why are you here?" one demanded.

"I was told my son, Peter was with Shuri, so I was hoping to see him," I informed them before deciding to add, "Shuri informed me earlier that I was welcome to come see her lab."

Skeptical looks were exchanged between the two women before one of them lifted their wrist and flicked one of the large beads on their bracelet. I was shocked when I saw the bead move to the center of her palm, and a holographic Shuri appear in her palm.

"My princess, apologies for the intrusion, but Mr. Stark is asking to see his son," the woman stated. "He is also claiming you gave him permission to visit your lab?" she asked rather than stated. I barely refrained from rolling my eyes.

"Yes, it is fine, let him in," Shuri responded, and her image promptly disappeared, the bead rolling back onto the bracelet.

That is the coolest thing ever, I couldn't help but think in amazement. I immediately filed away that I needed to ask Shuri how this worked.

Looking disapproving, the two women allowed me to enter, one of them choosing to lead me to the lab. Even though I knew she did it because she didn't trust me, I did appreciate her assistance, because I would no doubt have gotten lost.

I knew we were close to the lab when I heard my son's excited voice followed by Shuri's excited voice. I didn't know what they were talking about, but both were clearly enthralled.

Arriving in the lab, my eyebrows shot up in shock, and I stared around the large space with awe and growing excitement. My inner child immediately wanted to run around and see what everything did, but I held myself back with some difficulty.

Shuri and Peter noticed our presence, and Peter bounded over to me with a huge smile on his face. The guard thankfully left, and Peter babbled a mile a minute, little of which I understood.

"Okay, kid, slow down because I honestly have no idea what you just said," I remarked in amusement.

Looking put out, the boy inhaled a big breath before exclaiming, "This place is freaking awesome!"

"I told you," Shuri stated smugly, nudging Peter with her arm playfully. When the young woman's eyes turned to me, they lost their playfulness, and became guarded. I groaned internally at the abrupt change. While she didn't seem mistrusting, she seemed uncertain of what to expect of me. In fact, she seemed almost defensive, her head now held up high. Peter seemed to sense the sudden tension in the air because he looked between Shuri and me with apprehension.

"You have an impressive lab," I decided to say kindly. "Would you mind showing me around?"

Shuri pursed her lips, but she also gave a nod before motioning for me to follow. I stayed silent as she described what her machines did and the inventions she had lying around. Peter interjected his opinion, having already seen most of this stuff in action. Both kids eyed me oddly periodically, no doubt because I had yet to say anything. There were two reasons I was silent. One was that I could tell Shuri was becoming more defensive the longer she spoke. In fact, she seemed angry with me for some reason. The second reason I didn't speak was because I was overwhelmed. Nearly everything she showed me I'd never seen let alone heard or thought of. It took all my considerable brain power to just take everything in.

It took at least an hour for Shuri to show me everything, and when she was finished, she jutted her chin out, placed her hands on her hips and just gave me a hard stare. I was confused for just a moment by her attitude before realization hit me: she's expecting me to attack her. Not physically, of course, but she no doubt felt I'd put down her work, belittle her, or feel threatened by her obvious genius. Realizing this, my muscles relaxed, and I couldn't help the soft smile I graced the girl with.

"I think I finally know what people normally feel like around me," I stated, "because that's definitely how I'm feeling right now. Shuri, would you mind explaining some things again to me, but slower and a little more in depth, please?" I asked politely, amusement flooding through me at her taken aback expression.

Peter's smile was wide as he looked between the two of us. He was the one to playfully nudge Shuri this time, breaking her out of her surprise. A hesitant smile spread across her face before she asked what specifically I wanted to know about.

"Well, can you start by explaining those nifty bracelets of yours?" I asked, and she immediately launched into an explanation. We spent the next few hours playing with some of her gadgets, and Peter and I both grew excited when she decided to show us improvements she'd made to T'Challa's Black Panther suit.

"Instead of wasting time having to change into the suit, my brother now only needs to wear this necklace and the suit will appear on his body when he needs it," Shuri explained proudly, showing us how the suit appeared on a mannequin. She then showed us how the suit would absorb hits, allowing the user to expel the power back on its opponents. This was the highlight of the day because she used Peter to demonstrate this ability. Watching him fly back onto the floor I knew he was fine, so I couldn't help but burst into laughter, glad Shuri had given me the heads up to film this.

"I did the same thing to my brother," Shuri whispered to me before showing me the video. "Don't tell him I kept it," she added with a smirk, and I assured her I would keep her secret.

Looking at her inventions, already tons of ideas were coming to my mind on things I could incorporate or tweak to work with me seeing as I didn't have vibranium. Viewing T'Challa's new suit, I had to bite my tongue to keep from begging she make one for Peter. I didn't think we were there yet.

But damn, this girl was something else. I couldn't even begin to describe how impressed I was by her ingenuity, and she was only sixteen!

"Can I adopt you?" I blurted out as I examined the suit more closely.

"Dad," Peter yelled, "She's not even an orphan!"

"So?" I asked back with a shrug, looking over to the young lady, who appeared highly amused.

"Apologies, Mr. Stark," she said with a smile, "but I am happy where I am."

"That's a shame," I replied in mock disappointment. "What about a part-time adoption or joint-custody?" I pressed, and Peter groaned loudly while Shuri laughed and shook her head.

"Well, then you definitely have to visit," I declared, "and I won't take no for an answer. I need you in my lab ASAP, so I can show off my cool toys. Maybe, just _maybe_ I can teach you a thing or two."

"It would be awesome if you could visit," Peter added excitedly. "Have you ever been to New York? Or, maybe you can come to our house in California during the summer so we can swim at the beach," the boy prattled on, and I noticed Shuri seemed surprised, pleased and embarrassed by our words.

"I will have to ask my mother and brother if I could visit, but I would love to," she finally said a bit shyly, and Peter gave a whoop before throwing an arm around her. I smiled fondly at the sight, marveling at how easily Peter made friends. He had such a big heart.

I took note of the time and realized I should get ready to head to London. I needed to get in touch with Cap, but I could do that on the way there. Oh, and I'd have to talk to Pepper before I left to convince her that I was well enough to travel.

"Alright, my young mad scientists," I announced, clapping my hands to get their attention, "I'm gonna head out. I've got to meet up with the others in London to deal with the Accords, so I need to get ready. Petey, make sure you eat and don't stay out too long or your mom will worry."

"I won't, but can't I come, Dad?" Peter asked, giving me a pleading look.

"Sorry, but no," I responded firmly. "You're not a politician and Spider man has no reason to be involved. I'd have no where to leave you, anyways. Just stay here with your mom, and maybe Shuri here can help you come up with improvements for your spider suit," I suggested, shooting the girl a questioning look. She nodded energetically, looking excited at the prospect of seeing Peter's suit.

Looking disappointed, the spiderling gave a morose nod before coming and giving me a crushing hug. "Let me know how things go, okay?" he pressed, and I nodded my head before ruffling his hair. Shooting Shuri a wink, I bowed dramatically before thanking her for showing me around. She laughed loudly as she bid me farewell.

I left and as I was headed to my suite, I suddenly realized I'd never once asked about my new hand. In fact, I'd forgotten I'd even had it. Huh. I guess there will be time for that later.

Walking into the suite, I was greeted by Pepper, whose eyes were narrowed in accusation. She no doubt thought I was exerting myself too much. Pulling her into my arms before she could begin scolding me, I informed her of what I'd been up to, and by the time I finished she was rolling her eyes in exasperation.

"You can't just ask random children if you can adopt them," she chided with a light slap to my arm. "I don't care how smart they are," she added when I opened my mouth to argue. I just grinned charmingly, which caused any irritation she felt to vanish. She walked towards me and wrapped her arms around my neck, playing with my hair as she pulled me in for a kiss.

"How are you?" she asked in concern.

"Better," I replied honestly, giving her another light kiss as I whispered, "thanks to you." Foreheads touching, we just soaked in each other's presence.

"You know there's still more to talk about," she remarked, and I nodded.

"Yeah, but not today. I've got to go to London," I asserted, and she closed her eyes briefly before nodding. She didn't look happy, but she didn't put up an argument like I'd assumed she would.

"You look much better than you did earlier," she stated upon seeing my questioning look. "Try to not tire yourself out too much, okay? And, keep me updated, please."

Smiling lovingly, I gave her another kiss before nodding in agreement. We said our goodbyes then, and after a quick chat with Bruce, I put my Iron Man suit on and took off.

My first call was to Amanda, asking if I could stay at her place. After scolding me for being in the suit when I should be resting, she told me, "Of course you can stay here, you never need to ask." I grinned before requesting that she pick me up a suit. I'd already placed a call earlier today to a shop, and she only needed to pick it up.

My next call was to Natasha, who thankfully didn't berate me for not taking care of myself. So what if I'd only awoken from a 5-day coma less than 24 hours ago? Okay, now saying that in my head it sounded pretty bad. I knew I wasn't 100% right now, but I didn't need to be in order to attend a political meeting. It wasn't like I was going out and fighting aliens. After we got this Accords business taken care of, then I'd relax.

Yeah, right, a voice in the back of my head said sarcastically.

Whatever.

Natasha brought me up to speed, adding to what I'd already been told by Amanda and Bruce.

"Clint, Steve, Wanda, Sam, and Scott being pardoned is pretty much a done deal," Natasha stated with open relief and happiness. "Tomorrow's vote is basically a formality. In terms of changes to the Accords, we're confident that changes will be happening. What changes, however, we're not sure of. The idea of SHIELD being reinstated has been met with mixed reactions, but tomorrow we'll hear the final revisions and make the vote. I'm glad you can make it, Tony, even if you should be resting," she spoke with a smirk, and I rolled my eyes. So much for her not berating me.

"I'm going to be staying with my mom, but I'd like to meet up with the others prior to the meeting," I told her.

"Okay, I'll meet you at Amanda's place, and then take you to them. Let me know when you're going to get there," she responded.

"Uh, meet me there in about 2 hours," I replied, and we hung up.

It ended up only taking another hour to arrive, but I'd wanted time to meet with Amanda alone. I had a feeling she was just as concerned about me as Pepper had been, and I wanted her to know that I was already getting better than when we'd last spoke.

Deciding it'd be best to land some distance away from my mother's home, she drove to me before driving me back to her place. The ride was silent, but the second we were in her townhouse her arms were wrapped around me. I returned the hug, finding it curious how comforting I found her hugs to be. It was different hugging her than hugging Pepper, Peter, or one of my friends. It was a mother's hug, I realized, hazy memories of my adoptive mother coming to me. I hugged Amanda even tighter, resting my face in the crook of her neck.

That fucking drug had brought out all my worst memories, and to make things worse, it'd caused any good memories, most especially those of my childhood to become hazy.

Amanda caressed the back of my head until I released the hug, at which point her hands came to rest on the sides of my face. She turned my head from side to side and then up and down, feeling for any injuries. She then looked my body up and down, finally grabbing hold of both my hands in hers. She zeroed in on my new vibranium hand, caressing her fingers over it before letting me go, seemingly satisfied that I was physically okay.

"You look better than you did last night," she commented in relief.

"Yeah, I talked a bit with Pepper, and got some sleep," I informed her with a reassuring smile. Her relief became even more paramount, and she pulled me in for another hug that I cherished as much as the first. Being with her, I couldn't help but feel that childish hopefulness that everything would be okay. I allowed that feeling to envelop me and smiled.

 **A/N: Downloaded digital copy of Infinity War and watched it again. Man, my emotions go all over the place as I watch that movie, but I can't help but love it! Anyhow, PLEASE REVIEW!**


	71. Chapter 71

**A/N: Sincerest apologies for the looooonnnnnggggg wait. Work started again, and things have been really rough and stressful, which has made me not want to write. Rest assured I am not cancelling my story. I will never stop writing without giving you some sort of ending, and at this point, I still have more ideas on what I want to do.**

 **Chapter 71: Let Freedom Ring**

 **Steve's POV:**

There was a knock on my hotel suite, and I quickly went to open it, smiling in both happiness and relief at seeing both Tony and Natasha.

"Steven," Nat greeted with a smirk, patting me on the chest before strolling on in casually. I watched her go in bemusement before turning to Tony, who was just throwing the assassin a fond look. Those two had really gotten close these past couple years.

"Tony," I addressed kindly, "it's so good to see you. I've been really worried."

He blinked once in response before looking away in mild embarrassment. He never had been very good with emotions, especially with me. Ignoring his embarrassment, I pulled the man into a hug, and was pleasantly surprised when he didn't even tense up. Instead, he hugged me back, slapping my back a few times before letting go.

"I see you finally shaved the beard. You've got that boyish charm back," he remarked with a grin, and I rolled my eyes.

"I want to look presentable tomorrow, and I don't think the whole 'I haven't shaved in two years' look will go over well with people," I shot back, running a hand over my newly shaven face. It felt odd to be without a beard now. I'd kind of liked it and would probably let it grow back if all went well tomorrow.

"Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in," Clint proclaimed giving Tony a cheesy wink before giving Natasha a side-armed hug. Scott, Wanda, and Sam appeared to say their hellos, and Clint actually came over and gave Tony a hug. Judging by Tony's wide eyes, he was as shocked as the rest of us, but pleasantly so, because he promptly returned the hug. It was a relief to see whatever hard feelings there were between those two seemed to be gone. Slowly but surely our relationships were being repaired.

"God man, it's good to see you awake and walking around," Clint stated, giving Tony a friendly shove. "Don't scare me like that again."

"Er, sorry," the genius replied awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I was the one to fly you to Wakanda," Clint informed Tony, and Tony's eyes rose in surprise before grimacing in understanding.

"Who else was on that plane ride?" he pressed reluctantly. I could understand his reluctance. Tony, or for the matter any of us, didn't like showing weakness, and when we'd come upon Scott dragging an unconscious Tony out of that compound, he'd looked awful. He'd been moaning and whimpering, and then there'd been his hands. I held back a shudder at the memory.

"Well, Bruce, Pepper, and Peter were there, of course," Clint answered, "and then me, Wanda, and Scott."

"Ugh," Tony groaned, shooting Wanda and Scott apologetic looks. "I'm sorry you had to see that," he said, cheeks reddening.

"What are _you_ apologizing for?" Scott exclaimed in confusion. "I'm sorry for not getting you out of there fast enough. If I'd gotten there sooner or been a better fighter, I could've stopped you from being drugged again."

"It's not your,"—Tony began to argue, but I cut him off by holding up a hand.

"Look, what happened wasn't anyone's faults but the kidnappers," I declared, looking everyone in the face before settling on Tony. "Nothing that happened was your fault, Tony. You did the best you could in that situation, and from what Scott said, you'd already gotten yourself out of the restraints before he'd even shown up. Don't be embarrassed because of what they did to you."

"Yeah, man, I can't imagine how screwed up I would've been if they'd done to me what they'd done to you," Clint said with a shake of his head. "That drug sounds awful enough but add that to the state of your hands—I mean, I totally get it. By the way, how are your hands? I heard you had one, uh, amputated…," he spoke before trailing off as he realized he was coming off a little insensitive. Before he could say anything else, Tony held up both his hands with a wry smile, and all are eyes took in his right hand.

"Vibranium?" I asked softly, recognizing the material as I saw it every time I looked at my shield.

"Yup," the engineer replied.

"Woah, that's crazy," Scott murmured in shock before catching himself. "It's a cool hand. Like, can it punch through walls like"—he cut himself off at our pointed looks.

"I actually haven't tried that," Tony replied in good humor. "Kind of focused on just getting used to it."

"Hey, Tones, you should be real proud of your kid," Clint decided to say genuinely. "When I showed up, he was standing protectively in front of all the hostages with two guys ready to shoot. Actually, they'd already shot twice, and the kid took one to the arm like a champ," the blonde recounted, looking impressed. Tony, on the other hand went from looking proud to alarmed.

"He was shot?!" he gasped in shock. "What the—where?! Why did nobody tell me that?" the man demanded, and Clint immediately held up his hands.

"Woah, chill, dude, the kid is totally fine," Clint told him firmly. "It was a through and through, and Bruce checked him over and stitched him up. The doctors in Wakanda also looked it over, so I'm sure he's fine. Sorry for freaking you out, I thought they would've told you."

I could tell Tony was clenching his teeth, his eyes full of anger and concern. "No, they didn't tell me," he growled, looking rather put out for several moments before letting out a huff of air. "Probably didn't want to worry me," he now grumbled.

"Wonder where they learned that from," Natasha commented rhetorically, reaching out to ruffle the engineer's hair affectionately.

"Er, point is," Clint decided to continue, "your kid kicked ass. As I took out that bitch, Amara, he took out the rest of the guards easily. Your training has definitely paid off."

Tony's responding smile was soft now, his expression once more filled with pride. "Thanks, Feathers," the man said. "He is pretty special, and I told him that I'd consider taking him on some Avenger missions—strictly in the US, at least."

I nodded my head in agreement. Peter was only sixteen, but he'd shown himself to be responsible and dependable. "I'm in agreement. He was calm and helpful when I was in contact with him, and he followed orders. He'll make an excellent Avenger one day, but I'm glad you're not planning on having him work with us full time."

"Me too," Natasha spoke up. "Skilled as he is, he still needs to have a childhood and live his life."

Comfortable silence fell for a few moments before Tony began speaking. "Look, I know I probably don't need to say it, but thanks for your help," he told us, gratitude shining in his eyes. "I was completely useless," he admitted, looking down at the floor in apparent shame that I didn't feel was deserved. "If you hadn't shown up I don't know what would've happened, and I just…" Tony's voice trailed off, and he cleared his throat noisily, looking everywhere but at one of us. I was taken aback when I noticed his eyes were filled with unshed tears. I took a step closer, wanting to tell him he didn't need to do this, but he held out a hand to stop me in place.

"My family means the world to me, and I honestly don't know how I'd live without them," he confessed. "If anything had happened to Peter or Amanda I would've never forgiven myself. So, once again, thanks. You not just rescued us, but you also got me to Wakanda, where I got the best care for my wounds. This new hand may be freaking weird, but I feel better having it than not; so, I can only imagine what I would've been like if I woke up to no right hand." Tony fell silent at that point, hands stuffed in his pockets as he stared down at the floor. I looked at my companions to see them both caught off guard but also touched by Tony's words. I was glad they got to see this side to Tony, because besides Clint, they barely knew the man Clint and I had come to see as a brother.

I decided I should be the one to respond, so walking over and squeezing the shorter man's shoulder, I said, "You owe us no thanks, but you're welcome, anyways. You guys are our family, and we fight for our family."

Nods were given, and Tony looked up, his mouth quirking up into a small smile. He cleared his throat once more, rubbed his hands over his face before promptly smoothing out his expression. "Anyways, as much as I love attention, I'd prefer we prepare for tomorrow," he stated, obviously wanting to move away from all the emotion.

"Sure thing," I immediately stated.

"Run me through what you plan on saying, Cap," Tony instructed, sitting himself down next to Nat on the armrest of her couch.

I sighed heavily as I sat down. I really hated public speaking, but as the supposed leader, it was always left up to me. "I actually haven't thought about it much," I admitted, turning sheepish when Tony gave me an incredulous look before glaring.

"Good thing you've got me, then," Tony boasted with a cocky grin, causing many in the room to roll their eyes. "So, you're supposed to be convincing the ambassadors that you're not a danger to anyone, and that you're willing to sign the Accords."  
I pursed my lips at that bit, and Tony immediately said, "I'll push for discussion of the amendments before focusing on your pardon. I know what needs to happen before you'll agree to sign."

I nodded, some relief flowing through me. I still wasn't willing to compromise unless changes were made.

We spent some time talking through what I would say, and Tony scrawled out main points for me to hit on, which he gave to me on note cards. I thanked him for his help, looking them over and mentally preparing myself for tomorrow. I really hoped things went well. Everyone seemed certain we'd be pardoned, but what if we weren't? It seemed I wasn't the only one feeling this way when Sam spoke up.

"Look, I like how confident you guys are that things will get better, but what if they don't?" Sam, ever the cynic, asked the room. "Are we going to be arrested? I doubt they'll just let us waltz on out of there."

"Should we all attend, then?" Wanda asked worriedly. "Perhaps some of us should stay away in case things go wrong. That way we will be able to help you escape if they attempt to arrest you."

"Hey, hey," Tony protested as he stood to his feet, "that is not going to happen. I'll all for being cautious, but I won't let it come to that. I promise you, hell or high water, you will be coming home as free men and women," he asserted with utter confidence. He made eye contact with each one of us, and I was sure he still saw doubt in us, so in a more pleading tone he said, "Trust me guys, _please_. I know I've made mistakes, some pretty big ones. I know I've failed you and hurt you before, but I need you to believe me. I need you to trust me."

I was the one looking around the room this time, curious as to my teammates reactions. Tony wasn't one to plead or open himself up like this, and I think they realized that as well, because glances were exchanged before they nodded at him. I turned to Sam, knowing he would be the most difficult to convince. I was happy to see a small, wary smile on his face though as he stated, "Alright, Stark, we'll trust you."

Tony let out a breath of relief, smiling as he nodded his head. "Thank you," he told us. "I won't let you down."

"We know that," I spoke up, wanting him to know he too had my trust. His eyes seemed to light up briefly before he rolled his eyes in mock exasperation, no doubt trying to display his normal aloofness. I held back a snort of amusement.

Conversation went late into the night as we caught each other up on what we'd all been up to. Some news was good, such as Tony's growing relationship with his biological mother, Amanda. I'd met her briefly the day of the rescue and I'd instantly taken a liking to her. I could definitely see in that short time resemblances between her and Tony in both physical looks and personality.

"Awww, I knew you were a mama's boy," Clint teased, patting Tony's head. Tony slapped the hand away, but Clint then tried to pinch his cheeks, which ended up with him getting a kick in the shins from the billionaire.

Laughter ensued as Clint hopped up and down on one foot while rubbing at his shin.

The news we spent most time on was the bad news, such as when Peter got sick and nearly died.

"He didn't nearly die, he did," Tony informed us, eyes closed in memory. "His heart stopped, and I swear to God, my heart stopped with him. I don't know what I would've done if he hadn't woken up again."

My heart went out to him, Peter, and the others that had been there. I could see that Natasha looked shaken, and she seemed to nudge Tony as a show of comfort. I couldn't imagine what they'd been feeling, let alone what Peter had felt. That kid was so young, and he'd already been through so much loss and pain. Not to mention, he was also a super hero, and that life guaranteed he would suffer more of both in the future. I could only hope that Tony and Pepper would always be there for him, just as I hoped Peter would always be around for them.

The second bit of bad news we got was something that happened immediately prior to the kidnapping. Peter, it seemed, took a leaf out of his dad's book and got himself drunk, into a fight, and filmed while doing it.

"No way," Scott expressed in disbelief. "I just can't see Peter doing that."

"Yeah, really," Clint commented teasingly. "Figured he had more sense than you, Shell head."

"Thanks, Katniss," Tony replied sarcastically.

"He's a teenager," Sam argued with a shrug, "he's going to make stupid choices. Admittedly, this was a little stupider than I expected from him, but he's young. Honestly, show of hands of those who got into a drunken brawl while under the age of 21," Sam requested, already holding up his hand. Tony's hand was the second to go up, which everyone expected, followed by Clint, Wanda, and then Nat, who sported a stony look, meaning we shouldn't ask her for a story. Scott's hand went up next, a sheepish look on his face, and when all eyes turned to me, I grinned mischievously before raising my hand as well.

"Liar!" Clint cried out.

"Come on, are you for real? America's golden boy broke the law?" Sam asked in mock disbelief.

"Naughty boy, Stevie," Natasha remarked with a smirk, while Tony wiped away a fake tear as he said, "I'm so proud."

I scoffed. "Why is everybody ribbing me when all of you did it as well?"

Clint cleared his throat noisily before pointing at himself, "Raised in a circus," pointing at Nat, "raised as an assassin", pointing at Wanda, "orphaned and nobody gave a damn", and then pointing at Tony, "emancipated and nobody gave a damn". His comments were received with glares from Natasha, Wanda and Tony.

"My excuse is older brothers," Sam stated with a small smile.

"Yeah, I have no excuse," Scott added. "It just sounded like fun."

"Well, my excuse would be Bucky," I informed them before realizing who was in the room. My eyes looked to Tony, but he seemed uncaring as he was currently slapping Clint upside the head. I wasn't sure if that meant he was past his hate, or just not blaming me for what happened. I wondered now if he knew that Bucky was in Wakanda.

Conversation now flowed to happier topics, discussions on what we would do upon returning to the United States.

"You guys are always welcome at the tower," Tony had immediately told us. "Those of you that had rooms, they're still there. Wanda, I put you with Clint, if that's okay, but I can give you your own floor if you'd like."

Wanda looked surprised at having a room let alone having the choice of having a whole floor. "Thank you, but I will be fine with just a room," she eventually replied, looking immensely touched. "Scott and Sam," Tony then addressed, "I can give you guys just a room or an entire floor. Happy, Rhodes, and Vision all share a floor, but that's because they're not always there."

"Um, wow," Scott muttered before answering. "I think just a room would be cool. I mean, I've got friends I can stay with, and I really want to spend time with Cassie."

"She's always welcome," Tony replied helpfully, "and I can always make her a room."

Scott's mouth dropped open, and he seemed to be struck mute for the moment.

"Let's settle on you thinking it over, then," Tony remarked with an amused grin. "What about you, Sam?" he pressed, and I looked over at my friend, who seemed a little overwhelmed.

"I'm a low maintenance guy, so just a room would be cool," he said, looking unsure of how to deal with Tony's generosity.

"He can be on my floor," I interjected, and Sam gave me a relieved look.

"Cool," Tony said, slapping his hands on his thighs before abruptly standing up. "Well, this has been fun, but I'd like to get at least a couple hours of shut eye before tomorrow, so I'll bid you all goodnight."

"Where are you staying?" I asked him curiously as I stood up to walk him to the door.

The billionaire's reaction was interesting, because he blushed while eyeing Clint with a glare. "I'm staying with Amanda," he mumbled, and I immediately understood his reaction when Clint's loud voice was heard.

"Awwww, that's so cute!" Clint exclaimed in a high pitched voice, ignoring Tony's growl of annoyance. "Tony is staying at his mama's house!"

"Bird brain, I swear to god, I am going to take one of your arrows and shove it up your"—

"Okay, okay" I interrupted, placing a hand on Tony's shoulder, "It was good to see you." I guided him out the door, shooting him an apologetic look on behalf of Clint. "Sorry about him. You know he doesn't mean anything about it. He really is happy for you," I told the embarrassed genius.

Tony just harrumphed, still blushing as he waved away my words. "Yeah, whatever. See you tomorrow, old man."

I shook my head before closing my door, smiling widely when I heard a yell from behind me from Clint.

"Dammit, Nat, what the hell was that for?!" the blonde screeched in pain.

I just shook my head in fondness. Things were definitely getting back to normal.

 **Tony's POV:**

I was pacing outside the embassy, hidden from the media and distanced from the politicians. Thankfully, no one had attempted to approach me, but that was probably because the dark vibe I was giving off. My thoughts weren't on today's momentous meeting, but on memories of my kidnapping and how useless I'd been. My little spider, hero that he was, should never have been in charge of any escape attempts, and he most certainly should never have been injured. I'd failed him miserably, and I could never do that again. I could never be caught off guard as I'd been that night. Ideas began swirling in my mind. Ideas for a better suit that would always be on me.

"Tony!" I heard someone call out, pulling me from my morose thoughts. Knowing that only friends called me Tony, I plastered a smile on my face as I turned to see who it was. The smile became more genuine when I saw it was my oldest friend.

"Hey, idiot, you know you should be resting," Rhodey greeted as he pulled me in for a hug.

"Is that how you greet a friend who spent five days in a coma?" I asked in outrage.

Rhodey shot me a mild glare before eyeing me up and down. "No, this is how I'd greet that friend," he then said before giving me a hard punch in the arm. "You're a fucking idiot and I should kick the shit out of you before dragging your ass back to Wakanda and forcing you to sleep." I had enough sense to give him an apologetic look, which immediately caused his stern expression to soften.

"Is that what you would have preferred?" he now asked with a teasing smirk.

I laughed loudly as I shook my head. "No. God, no, that is so much worse," I answered, and he simply shrugged.

"Pepper says I'm on babysitting duty, so I'll be sticking close," he informed me, and I let out a groan.

"Come on, man, you don't have to"—I began to complain, but I was cut off.

"Nope!" Happy interrupted loudly. "Don't you dare listen to him, Rhodey! Pepper threatened to sign me up for boxing lessons with Natasha if I didn't make sure Rhodey was taking care of you."

"She did what?!" both Rhodey and I gasped.

"Yes," Vision spoke, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, "she threatened me as well. I am to make sure Happy is making sure the colonel is taking care of Mr. Stark, and if I am to fail in my duties, then she will allow Mr. Stark to conduct whatever experiments he wants on me for an entire day…Somehow, I feel I've gotten the worst deal," he remarked good naturedly.

Staring at each of my friends, I couldn't stop from bursting out into laughter. I couldn't believe Pepper would—okay, maybe I could. Oh, man, I loved that woman more and more every day.

"You better not screw up, Tony, or I'll set your mother on you," Rhodey warned, and I immediately sobered, giving him an outraged look.

"Low blow, Rhodes," I grumbled, throwing on my sunglasses to hide my embarrassment. Rhodey just graced me with a smug smile.

"Mr. Stark, Mr. Stark, Mr. Stark!" a young voice yelled, and I curiously turned to see Thomas walking over, hand pulling at someone I assumed to be his father. I briefly wondered what he was doing here before I remembered that he was actually the prince of Spain, which would obviously make his father king of Spain. From what I'd been told, his father and the president of Spain were instrumental in what was happening today.

"Thomas, hey, how are you?" I addressed the boy as I easily accepted his hug. I had only Peter to thank for the fact that I didn't immediately stiffen or shove the boy away.

"I am excellent, sir, and you?" he responded politely, and I noticed his eyes lock on my vibranium hand.

"I'm doing great, kiddo, and I think I have you and your father to thank for that," I remarked, looking now at who I assumed was the boy's father.

Pleasantries were exchanged before the king expressed his profound thanks for having saved his son before expressing his fury at the UN keeping the Avengers from coming to his rescue. Listening to him I had to keep from confessing that I had nothing to do with the rescue, and just graciously accept both his compliments and his help. The king gave me his opinion on the changes being proposed for the Accords, and I was relieved to know he was fully in agreement with me. I was also relieved when he assured me Spain's president would be talking in front of the assembly, echoing the same opinion.

The king's presence seemed to show other politicians that I was now approachable, and they all happily began to make their way over to me. They wanted to discuss the Accords, of course, and tell me their opinions, not even bothering to ask mine. To make things worse, they also wanted to know details about the kidnapping as it'd been rumored that I'd been injured. Unfortunately, I couldn't play this off as my goddamn vibranium hand was visible for all to see.

I felt nothing but growing discomfort and unease as more and more questions where thrown my way, personal questions that I had no desire to discuss with anyone let alone them. Thankfully, Cap decided this was a good time to make his entrance, and with the sudden appearance of the infamous fugitives, attention was quickly drawn towards them.

I let out a shaky sigh, resisting the urge to cover my chest scar protectively. Rhodey came up and nudged me, giving me a look of concern, one that both Happy and Vision mirrored as well. Rhodes looked like he wanted to say several things, but in the end did nothing more than slap my back lightly, mentioning that we should probably head on in.

I was grateful he didn't press as I agreed. Truthfully, I wanted to meet with Cap, but seeing as he and the others were now being bombarded, I decided that going inside would be best. I felt bad as I usually was the one to rescue our crew from the press, but I knew I wasn't up for it. I wasn't sure why, but that thought scared me. I felt like I was becoming more and more useless. I was a pro at dealing with people, and I'd nearly panicked moments ago.

Forcing these thoughts from my head, I focused on the present. Finding my seat, I was glad to see they put me right next to Rhodey and Cap. I didn't like being crowded, but I trusted those two, so I'd be okay. Looking at the name cards, I was glad to see our entire row was the Avengers, and even better, we were the last row, meaning nobody breathing down my neck.

An agenda was set at every seat and I noticed that they'd switched the schedule around as I'd asked (ordered), deciding to discuss changes to the Accords before getting on the subject of the Avengers. Cap would be pleased about that, although, it would mean he nor the other rogues would be allowed to participate in the discussion regarding changes. I could only hope they trusted Rhodes, Vis, Nat, and I to speak in their stead…and T'Challa, wherever he was sitting. Huh, where was that overgrown cat?

I sat myself down and leaned back in my chair, closing my eyes to try and gather myself. This was supposed to be my element. Why did I feel so anxious, then? Why was my heart fluttering? I forced myself to take slow and steady breaths, but it was difficult when my mind was whirling with anxiety over the outcome of this meeting.

Jeez, I was acting really pathetic, I couldn't help but think. This was my arena. Where was the cool, confident, suave Tony Stark? The Avengers needed me to be on my game. That's why I was here, to help, not to crumble into a ball of nerves.

A hand on my shoulder caused me to jerk, and I opened my eyes to see Rhodey looking at me with concern. He pursed his lips before leaning forward and asking, "Should you really be here? Before you argue, I gotta tell you, bro, you don't look well. I know why you want to be here, but you don't have to be. I know it may sound like empty words, but I totally mean it when I say everything is going to be okay."

I heard him, and I maybe even believed him, but I couldn't bring myself to give in. I was here, so I would stay.

"Quit being such a worrywart, platypus," I retorted with a cheeky grin. "I'm totally fine. Just nursing a little headache from all those annoying reporters, y'know."

"Sure, sure," Rhodey replied, but I knew he didn't believe me. Thankfully, he chose not to press the matter recognizing I wasn't going to give in or cooperate. I slapped him once on the back, giving his shoulder a light squeeze, my way of letting him know I appreciated his concern without having to voice it. I knew my message was received when he shot me a look of fond exasperation.

People began milling in, and I greeted my fellow Avengers happily pleased that they'd all shown up. It showed their trust in me, and that warmed my heart.

"You all ready for this?" I asked, and I received a chorus of "yeah" and "definitely". Confident though their responses were, I could see some uncertainty and wariness in their eyes. I felt for them but didn't bother with false platitudes. I settled with saying, "Whatever the outcome, I've got your back."

"We know," Cap replied softly as he took his seat next to me.

Small talk was exchanged as we waited for things to start. I finally spotted T'Challa, but we exchanged only polite nods as it was time. Here we go, I thought, readying myself as though I were going into battle.

Things started off slow and absolutely boring. People were introduced, people and countries were thanked for a multitude of reasons, and then somebody felt it was a good idea to recap what the Accords were and why there were put in place as if we all didn't already know. An entire freaking hour was wasted on this, and I had to fight the urge to play on my phone or just leave. This wasn't about me, so I'd actually have to be a mature adult and feign interest. Ugh.

It was two hours before current events were brought up and the ball started rolling. Different ambassadors began to explain why they felt changes were needed. No one was putting forth suggestions yet. It was all just back and forth arguments on whether or not we should. T'Challa and I both gave our two cents but refrained from giving any impassioned speeches as it wasn't yet time. We knew the outcome of this argument.

As expected, a consensus was reached that yes, the Accords were faulty as they were, so changes needed to be made. Now, a longer and more heated debate began on what changes should be made. I realized right away that this was an argument that would not be settled today. In fact, it would take many, _many_ more sessions for this to be figured out.

Something had to be decided today, though, and the biggest change being proposed was the reinstalling SHIELD as a global police force to be in charge of the Avengers. I allowed the politicians to argue this out for a bit before giving my own impassioned speech. Rhodes followed with a military perspective, and T'Challa followed him with the perspective of a foreign country. Let's face it, the Avengers was kind of an American thing even if not all our members were American or, uh, human.

Being the amazing persuasive speakers that we were, it took only another hour before the motion was made and passed. It wasn't unanimous, but I honestly didn't care. SHIELD was back in charge, and things were about to change…for the better, I hoped. I'd never been a huge SHIELD fan, but I'll admit to trusting them more now than I did prior to the Hydra fiasco. I could see myself following Maria Hill with only some complaining. Maybe.

At the passing of the motion, there was a lot of hand shaking, back slapping, and hugs. Someone suggested taking a break, but I shot it down, proposing we immediately discuss the status of the "rogue Avengers". I didn't want to wait any longer to get my friends' names cleared.

The first to speak was Spain's president, who expressed his disappointment with the UN, and his extreme gratefulness to the rogues for saving his citizens. The King got up with him and gave an emotional speech that only a father could. Emotional arguments weren't usually welcomed or considered, but I could see the man's words touched many people. Many people here were parents, and all of us could imagine the horror we'd feel at hearing our child had been kidnapped.

I debated whether getting involved in this argument, knowing I had a rather biased opinion. However, seeing as I was one of the people they'd rescued when the UN had forbidden my other friends, I supposed I had a right to speak.

"Hate to sound dramatic," I began abruptly, "but I'd probably be dead if these guys hadn't come to my rescue." (ugh, way to sound like a damsel in distress. Too bad, I wasn't lying.) "The people that kidnapped us weren't looking to ransom me. Their interest was purely torture, so I owe them a big thanks," I remarked sincerely.

"The Avengers have had their differences," I continued seriously. "We're not perfect, I know that. We've made costly mistakes, but the world does need us. Call me arrogant, but it's the truth. There are things out there that most our world isn't cut out to deal with. The Avengers were brought together so we could fight the battles that no one else could." I paused, letting that sink in.

"They broke the law, I get that," I admitted. "There were extenuating circumstances, but all of us handled the Accords badly in the beginning. They understand"—I spoke before being cut off by Steve. With an apologetic look at me, he began to speak.

"I'm sorry about all the trouble this issue is causing," he stated. "I'm not sorry about refusing to sign the original Accords, though," he added, and I had to smirk at his blatant honesty even though it caused people to frown disapprovingly.

"The Avengers aren't soldiers. We don't fight wars and we don't fight _for_ countries. We fight for the world," he declared, and dammit if he didn't look majestic as fuck when he spoke those corny words.

"There are things in this world that you're not ready to deal with. That's what the Avengers are for. When there are aliens, alien technology, enhanced individuals, or situations that your people aren't equipped to handle…that's what the Avengers are for," Cap stated firmly. "We deal with things you'd never imagined existing, which is why I couldn't stand by and allow inexperienced politicians and generals dictate our actions. You don't get it. You don't understand what we fight or why we fight. This isn't a game to us. We didn't decide to become the Avengers because it sounded like fun. We came together because the world needed us, and we've stayed together because the world needed us. Mistakes have been made, I know that. Innocent people have been killed, I know that too. I'm not trying to minimize the damages or losses any of your countries have suffered, but ask yourselves this: what would the outcome have been had the Avengers not been there?" With those words, Cap sat down, and I sat down as well, deciding he'd said more than enough. Looking over the silent crowd, I couldn't help but throw Steve a proud smile that hilariously caused the blonde to blush.

Cap's words, simple as they were seemed to settle things as no one really spoke afterwards. Deliberations began, politicians talking to one another rather than to the room at large, and within the hour Steve, Clint, Wanda, Sam, and Scott were free. No restrictions, no probation. The only stipulation was that they needed to sign the Accords, and after the changes made today, they all did so. More changes would come eventually, but we'd gotten our way in the end. The day was a success.

The second the vote passed everything became a blur. My friends were, of course, elated, hollering and hugging each other tightly. Honestly, I was a bit stunned. Despite what everyone had said, I had still had a bit of doubt that things would turn out so well. They were coming home. They were coming home _free_ men and women.

As soon as I'd given my friends their congratulations and accepted their thanks, I slipped out and wandered into the first abandoned room I could find. I threw myself down onto a chair and just let out a heavy sigh. The Avengers had just had a huge victory, and I couldn't find it in me to celebrate for some reason. I should be ecstatic, and a part of me was, I guess, but I also felt a little numb.

I removed my tie and jacket and threw them on a table before just leaning back in the chair.

What was wrong with me?

A knock sounded on the door, and before I could say anything, Wakanda's Black Panther walked in alone.

"Should you not be out there celebrating?" he asked kindly as he shut the door behind him. "You— _we_ have won a great victory today."

"We have," I agreed, and when the young king sat himself down I asked back, "Shouldn't _you_ be out and celebrating?"

He just smiled and shrugged but said nothing. I wondered why he was here, but minutes went by without him saying a word.

"Thank you," I decided to say, "for allowing my family into your country. Your doctors are amazing," I complimented, holding up my vibranium hand as evidence.

"You are most welcome, Tony, but no thanks are necessary," T'Challa replied solemnly. "You are my friend, and I know if our situations were in reverse, you would do the same."

My lip quirked up and I nodded my head in agreement and appreciation.

"How do you feel about the new hand?" the man asked curiously. Looking at him, I wondered how honest I should be.

"It's amazing," I admitted. "Definitely better than waking up with no hand."

"But," T'Challa supplied.

"But, it'll take some getting used to," I confessed. "It's…different," I finally settled on saying, and he nodded his head.

"I am sorry my doctors could not save your hand," T'Challa apologized, but I waved it away.

"Your doctors did more for me than any other doctor I know could have," I argued. "I'm healthier than I ever have been. I mean, they gave me my ribs back, and they took care of my lungs and heart. I'm honestly grateful."

"I am glad they were able to help," the younger man responded seriously before a teasing look entered his eyes. "I spoke with Shuri last night and she told me you visited her lab."

I grinned widely as I nodded. "You weren't lying about that girl. She's an absolute genius! Her inventions are amazing, and I would love for her to come visit me in the States."

T'Challa chuckled before pressing, "And is it true you asked to adopt her?"

"Sure did," I replied unabashedly, and T'Challa's chuckle turned into outright laughter.

"I'm not sure the world can survive you two teaming up," he asserted, and I shot him a look of mock offense.

"Well, if I can't have joint custody, then at least allow her to visit," I settled for saying. "You can come too, if you want," I tacked on with a smirk, and the man just smiled in amusement.

"I may take you up on that offer some time. I know Shuri would enjoy going on a trip that did not involve politics," he remarked, and I felt a flash of happiness that he was considering my offer.

"Oh, mind if I hitch a ride back to Wakanda with you?" I questioned curiously.

"Of course," T'Challa replied before standing up. "We will be leaving tomorrow morning."

I nodded my thanks, and T'Challa began to leave before pausing once he'd opened the door. He looked back at me with a look of concern, which caused me to raise an eyebrow.

"Are you alright, Tony?" he pressed, and I immediately nodded while at the same time wondering what had tipped him off. I used to be better at hiding my emotions.

T'Challa stared at me for a few seconds before giving a single nod. "I will see you tomorrow," he stated before walking out. I hummed in agreement, sitting for a few minutes before getting up as well.

This was one of those times where I wished I wasn't so famous, because I was surrounded shortly after entering the hallway, people wanting to know where I'd disappeared to and what my thoughts were, and yadda yadda yadda. I forced a smile on my face, ignoring the questions regarding my disappearance while expressing my delight in today's outcomes. I gave them what they wanted while leading them outside, and that's when Rhodey showed up, an exasperated expression on his face. He looked ready to strangle me, so I shot him a cheeky grin.

My friend and I pushed our way through the crowds and into a waiting car. Happy glared at me through the rear-view mirror before taking off.

"We weren't lying about Pepper's threats, Tony," he grumbled, and I shot him a semi-apologetic look.

"Sorry guys, but I just needed a few moments to myself," I admitted, and both his and Rhode's expression softened. They thankfully didn't press for more information.

"The others are planning a big celebration tonight," Rhodey informed me happily. "You want to get some rest before meeting them at their hotel?"

"Yeah, sure," I replied automatically, even though I really wasn't feeling it. Surprising, I know. Tony Stark doesn't want to go to a party. It was expected, though. Questions would be asked if I didn't go, and I didn't want to deal with that. I didn't want anybody worried about me…but I really didn't want to go.

Rhodey eyed me curiously, raising his eyebrow as he remarked, "You don't sound very enthusiastic. You've been working towards this moment forever, man. Where's the excitement? You should be proud of yourself."

"Yeah, I am," I told him, internally grimacing as my voice came out tired, and his curiosity now turned to concern.

"You feeling okay?" he pressed before declaring, "You need rest. I'm sure you'll feel better after taking a nap."

I couldn't help but grace him with an affronted look at his suggestion that I take a nap, which only caused him to chuckle. I wanted to snap at him, but if I honestly was tired and sleep sounded like a great idea.

I let out a sigh, leaning my head back in my seat before mumbling, "Maybe I do need a nap."

Silence greeted my words, and even though I couldn't see it, I knew my friend had to be sporting a shocked expression.

"Okay, now I'm really worried. Tony, what's going on? Are you in pain?" he questioned in increasing concern. "I knew you shouldn't have come. God, Pepper is going to kill me for letting you overexert yourself."

"Rhodey, chill," I demanded firmly. "I'm fine, just tired."

Rhode's responding expression was one of doubt, and I saw his eyes meeting Happy's in the rear-view mirror. I couldn't really bring myself to care. In fact, I couldn't really bring myself to even pretend today.

"Hap, take me to Amanda's," I ordered, and feel free to head home if you'd like. Turning towards Rhodey, I told him, "I'm gonna skip out on the party. Just tell the others that…I have no idea," I ended up murmuring, more to myself than him.

"Uh, okay Tones," Rhodey choked out quietly. "Probably a good idea anyhow. I'll come up with something to tell the others."

I gave him a brief smile in thanks before once more leaning my head back. I closed my eyes and said nothing more the rest of the ride. I felt my friends' eyes on me multiple times, but they respected my privacy enough to not pry anymore.

Arriving at Amanda's condo, I clapped Rhodey on the shoulder and bid both him and Happy farewell. Rhodey asked me to call Pepper and let her know he'd kept his promise, which brought a short laugh from me.

"Sure, sure," I responded airily as I closed the door.

Walking into the condo, I was instantly accosted by my mother, her arms wrapping around me as she congratulated me for a job well done.

"It's already in the news?" I asked, and she nodded her head, a bright smile of both happiness and pride on her face. Her smile quickly fell, though, as her eyes looked me up and down. I couldn't hold in the groan as she immediately looked worried.

"I just need sleep," I reassured her before she could either start questioning or lecturing me. At my words, she instead just nodded in agreement, allowing me to make my way into the guest room, where I happily collapsed on the bed. 

**A/N: Kind of a random ending, but I think I may be echoing my own exhaustion on poor Tony. Expect some angst from him in the future as he begins to mull over his inability to protect or even save Peter during the kidnapping.**


	72. Chapter 72

**A/N: Yeah, it's been a while. As a sorry, I have made this chapter longer than the past several ones. I hope you enjoy!**

 **Chapter 72: Everything is Not Okay**

 **Peter's POV:**

The Avengers had been cleared two weeks ago. You think that'd be cause for celebration, right? Well, not here apparently. I mean, it was a good thing—a fantastic thing, and I was really happy for them, but the joy of their freedom was severely dampened by one person: Tony Stark.

Things were weird. Not good. I wouldn't go as far as to say things were _bad_ , but there was something wrong…with _him_.

We'd come home a week and a half ago, arriving a day before the newly reinstated Avengers. We had one big dinner together before many of them had scattered to the four winds. I couldn't blame them as it'd been years since they'd been home, but I was disappointed. I guess I had this childish fantasy that all of us would live together like one big happy family, having movie nights, Avenger training sessions, and big family dinners. I heard that's what the Avengers were like before their civil war.

Clint and Scott were the first to leave, and I totally got it. They both had families they'd left behind, and Scott hadn't seen his daughter in years. They promised to stop by every once in a while, but they both just wanted to spend time with their families. Clint went back into retirement, and Scott said he'd be here if we needed him, but that he wasn't ready to be a full-time Avenger.

Wanda went with Clint. Apparently those two had gotten pretty close, Clint treating Wanda like she was his kid and everything.

Sam was another who didn't stay. He said he didn't feel comfortable enough to live in the tower yet. He wanted to get settled in and used to being a free man before he joined back up with the Avengers. Maybe down the line he'd move in, or maybe not.

Steve was the only one to stay, quickly taking up in his old floor. It was cool having him around, but also a little weird. It wasn't that we didn't all get along, it was just that Steve was adjusting, I think. He said things felt off to him, and that it'd take some time for him to get used to not having to look over his shoulder every day. He tended to stick to himself and wander out in the city a lot, no doubt acclimating himself to his home again.

Anyways, back to my dad. Something was just not right with him. I couldn't pinpoint what exactly, but only because I barely saw him. He'd been there for the meeting with my school regarding the events at Oxford. They'd decided to only suspend me, and luck was with me as they counted the week I'd been absent as time served. Honestly, I think my kidnapping worked in my favor as the principal and vice principal had looked at me with deep concern and sympathy.

Other than that time, I didn't really see much of Dad. He seemed to always be in his lab, and he accepted no visitors, not even Bruce. Sometimes he came out for meals, but then again, I wasn't always around at meal time either. I'd been busy catching up with my friends, who'd been worried sick about me. Then, I was back at school again, and I was away from home longer. I had a lot of work to catch up on, having unfortunately come back to big projects and missed tests.

In addition, I had also realized that the anniversary of my aunt's death was coming up next week, and I wasn't ready for it. I wasn't ready for all the memories of her to be surfacing again. Many times, I couldn't help but feel like an awful nephew for how easily I'd seemed to have moved on. What would May think of my life right now and the things I'd done? Would she be proud? Would she be upset? Would she be angry with me for not visiting her grave even once since her funeral?

Well, I guess all these reasons are why it took me two weeks to realize something was off with Dad; and, I only realized it when I walked in on a full-blown argument between him and Mom. I'd been hanging with MJ all afternoon when I realized I'd be late for dinner. Mom had extracted a promise from me this morning to be on time because she wanted a family dinner, so when I noted the time I rushed on home. I had been preparing to spew out a heartfelt apology as I stepped out of the elevator but had instantly been taken aback by the glares my parents were giving each other.

Now, I knew couples argued, and I was sure that had to be true for my parents who both had strong personalities, but I could honestly say I'd never seen them argue. Yeah, they had small disagreements, but there'd never been any anger then. I wondered briefly if they'd made a point to never argue in front of me. Whatever the answer, I found myself feeling sick to my stomach as the two people I loved most in the world verbally lashed out at each other.

"I thought we were past this," Mom sighed tiredly, pinching the bridge of her nose. I dimly wondered how long this argument had been going on.

"Past what?" Dad retorted, hands being thrown up in exasperation.

"This!" Mom snapped irritably. "This part where you shut everyone out—where you shut _me_ out!"

"I'm not shutting anyone out," Dad replied angrily. "I've just been busy!"

"No, you've been hiding," Mom countered, her face and tone basically saying, 'I'm not an idiot'.

Dad shook his head, rolling his eyes as if he felt she was being ridiculous. "You know what, Pep, I've got things to do, and arguing with you isn't one of them." He made to walk past her, but she grabbed hold of his arm, her expression one of disbelief and disappointment.

"I don't understand why you're acting like this, Tony Stark, but fine, shut me out," she ground out with controlled anger, "but don't you _dare_ shut out our son. He's thankfully been too busy to notice your absence, but unlike everyone else in your life, he won't understand why you're not around anymore."

Dad actually yanked his arm out of Mom's grasp, eyes narrowed as he hissed, "You have no idea what you're talking about. Now, if you're done acting like some hysterical woman, I'll be on my way."

My mouth fell open, stunned that he could speak to Mom like that. She, however, only looked more disappointed, a deep frown marring her face. Her lips were pursed tightly, and she seemed to mull over what she wanted to say. She settled for taking a deep breath before calmly saying, "Peter should be here any second, and I don't want him to see us like this. I planned a family dinner for us, so if you're not too busy, would you please stay and eat with us?" I had to hand it to her because her question held barely an ounce of anger. She was definitely taking the higher ground here, and I looked to my dad to see how he would react, hoping that he'd respond just as calmly, and everything would be okay again.

One look at Dad, however, and I knew nothing was okay. His whole body was tense, and as I looked closer, I could see his face was pale, making the dark circles under his eyes stand out even more.

"I'm not hungry," was his curt, almost childish reply, and as he turned to walk away, my presence was finally noted. Dad's face went blank while Mom's was both shocked and dismayed.

"How much did you hear?" she asked sadly, and instead of answering her, I focused on Dad instead.

"What's wrong with you?" I questioned, wincing internally at how rude the question sounded.

"Nothing," was the automatic reply I received, and Dad plastered a bright, fake smile on his face as he added, "Your moms just being overdramatic."

"I am not," Mom snapped in sudden fury, and Dad shot her a shocked look. I assumed he was surprised that she'd knowingly continue an argument in my presence. I think Mom was fed up, though, because her former calmness was completely absent, her face heating up.

"I won't let you to lie to him like you do to everyone else," she declared firmly.

"I'm not," he began to retort, but she cut him off was a wave of her hand.

"You are," she challenged. "You're not okay, not in the slightest. You aren't eating. You aren't sleeping. You've been hiding out in your lab. What is wr"—

" _Nothing_!" Dad roared, his right hand slamming down so hard on the counter that he broke off a corner of it. Mom flinched at the sight, and I tensed as I rushed forward. It wasn't that I thought he would hurt Mom, but I felt the need to intervene. Before I could say or do anything, though, Dad turned around and quickly walked past me and into the elevator.

As soon as I heard the elevator moving I looked at Mom with concern and confusion. "What the hell was that?" I couldn't keep from asking. I'd never seen them fight like that, and I'd never seen Dad treat Mom so dismissively.

Mom closed her eyes briefly before offering me a small smile. Walking over, she pulled me in for a hug before saying, "I'm so sorry you had to see that." I shrugged her apology away while impatiently waiting for her to say more. I still didn't understand how this argument had come about. When Mom simply walked to the dinner table and gestured for me to sit, I decided to ask another question.

"What's going on with Dad? I've never seen you guys fight like that," I told her, giving her a serious look. I wasn't a little kid. She couldn't brush what happened under the table and just hope I'd pretend this never happened.

As she served us dinner, Mom let out a soft, sad sigh. "Eat your food and then I'll explain," she directed, and sensing arguing would get me nowhere, I inhaled my first and second plate before giving her an expectant look.

"Ever since we came back from Wakanda, Tony has been…distant," she informed me. "You've been really busy, which is why you haven't noticed that he just hasn't been around. If he's not working on Avengers or Stark Industries business, then he's by himself in his lab. I have no idea if he's eating and Friday won't tell me, so I suspect he isn't. I'm positive he isn't really sleeping as he hasn't been to bed for days. He hasn't allowed anyone into his lab, not even Bruce."

I looked at her in shock, not realizing things were so bad. I had noticed he seemed to not be around much, but then again, I hadn't been around much either. Noting my guilty expression, Mom quickly added, "Don't feel guilty for not being around, Peter, it's not the same. You've been busy catching up with friends and going to school, which are perfectly good reasons. You're not deliberately hiding or harming yourself in any way."

"Why is he acting like this?" I questioned in mounting concern and guilt. Even if I had been busy, I still should've noticed _something_.

Mom's lips were pursed, and her brow furrowed as she stared over at the cracked counter top. Her eyes were distant when she answered, "I can only guess that this has something to do with your guys' kidnapping. Your father…it's been a while since he's gotten this bad, but something is clearly bothering him, so he's fallen back on old coping methods."

"Which are?" I prompted, causing Mom to look at me with a frown.

"Throwing himself into his work," she stated. "He'll lose himself in his work so that he doesn't have to focus on what's bothering him. He's not eating or sleeping most likely because he's losing track of time rather than just not wanting to. He used to do this all the time, but ever since you came along he hasn't felt the need to. I don't really know what's going through his head right now," she mused aloud.

"What if I go talk to him?" I suggested, surprised when she immediately shot down the idea with a sharp, "No, absolutely not."

"Why not?" I pressed in bewilderment.

Giving me a sympathetic yet firm look she explained, "When he gets into these moods, Tony can…he can say cruel things that he doesn't mean. Nobody knows better than him how to get under someone's skin, and when he's feeling the need to hide like this, he'll say or do anything to push people away."

"Okay, so I won't take what he says seriously," I argued. "I should at least take a stab at it." No way could I stand by and do nothing.

Shaking her head once more, Mom countered my argument by saying, "It's not just because I want to protect you from his words, honey, but I also want to protect Tony. Whenever he drags himself out of this mood, he will feel awful if he knew he'd treated you horribly. He's no doubt hating himself enough as it is right now without adding you into the mix. Promise me you'll leave him alone for now, please?" she pleaded.

I really wanted to say no, but the look in her eyes and her argument made sense. I still didn't agree, though.

"Fine, but if he isn't himself by Saturday morning, then I reserve the right to kick his ass," I asserted, and Mom's lip quirked in amusement as she nodded her head in agreement.

The conversation ended there, and even though I wanted to ask more questions, I kept them to myself. The more I watched my mom, the more I realized how bothered she was by the argument. She did a good job of pretending everything was fine every time she looked at me, but when I'd look at her out of the corner of my eyes, I could see her expression turn worried and upset.

"Let's go out for ice cream!" I suddenly announced, giving Mom a wide grin.

"Peter, we literally just ate," she laughed, "how could you still be—never mind, I forgot who I was talking to."

"Come on," I cajoled with pleading eyes. "Just me and you…and Anthony. Let's go for a walk or something. We don't have to get ice cream, but let's just get out of the house. You look like you could use a break." Though my words were spoken more in jest, I was dead serious. She looked tired and stressed. If we stayed here and watched a movie or something, she would no doubt focus on Dad, but if we got outside, maybe I could get her mind off things.

"Oh, alright," Mom agreed with a smile, "go round up Anthony and we'll go for some ice cream."

"Yes!" I roared in delight, racing off to drag my lazy mongrel out of his bed. He gave me a disgruntled look until he saw his leash, at which point he happily jumped to his feet. He yipped in excitement, tail wagging rapidly as I hooked his leash to his collar. He gave me one huge lick to the face before dragging me down the hall and to the elevator.

The walk took about twenty minutes, and I spent the entire time talking to Mom about what was going on in school. Minute by minute she seemed to become more engaged, and by the time we were eating our ice cream, she was fully immersed in my tale of how my date with MJ went last night. Yes, I was so determined to cheer her up that I gave her more details on my date than I would've ever wanted to.

"You are such a gentleman, Peter, MJ is so lucky to have you," she gushed, and I couldn't help but blush. "Thank god you haven't picked up any of Tony's habits with women," she then grumbled with slightly narrowed eyes, and my blush only deepened.

"Uh, well, my aunt and uncle raised me to treat women with respect—I mean, not that Tony's parents didn't raise him like that, but, uh, I would never be like him—like he used to be. I mean, I just couldn't, er…" I stammered, my face hot as Mom seemed to grow more and more amused with my every word.

"Okay, relax, honey, I didn't mean to embarrass you," she told me with a light laugh. "It was an offhand comment."

I squirmed for a moment, biting into my cone before forcing myself to ask an uncomfortable question. "Dad treats you right…doesn't he?" I asked slowly, dreading receiving a negative response.

Mom blinked in surprise before immediately nodding her head and giving me a reassuring look. "Oh, of course he does! Tony is a complete gentleman. Even before we became a couple he never mistreated a woman, and he certainly has never mistreated me. That man treats me like a queen," she expressed with a loving smile. "I'm sorry, Peter, for making you doubt him. I'm just a little angry and spoke thoughtlessly."

"Well, he wasn't very nice to you," I stated, feeling angry on her behalf. "Whatever he's going through he had no right to yell at you."

Pepper looked at me with a sad smile and gripped one of my hands in hers. "Despite whatever arguments we have, Tony and I will always love one another. What you saw is, sadly, not the worst disagreement we've had with each other, and I doubt it will be the last. Couples argue, and"—

"Yeah, I know," I quickly interjected, recalling arguments between my aunt and uncle. "Still doesn't mean I like seeing it."  
"Of course not," she agreed, her eyes turning morose. "We will be fine, though. I'll talk with him again tomorrow, so don't you worry."

I withheld a sigh, settling for just giving her a nod. I wanted to argue that I wasn't five and so easily pacified, but I didn't see the point in continuing this conversation. I had brought her here to make her feel better, not worse.

Conversation moved to lighter topics again, Mom and I discussing what I might be interested in majoring in. While my Oxford trip had turned into a fiasco, it didn't mean I hadn't stopped thinking about college. Before we'd been sent home, I had looked into different majors, finding many of them enticing.

"There's just so many things I want to study," I told her. "Like I love building things like Dad, but I'm also way interested in the kind of work Bruce does. I was thinking maybe a bioengineering or chemical engineering major would be cool. Or, maybe I could double major? I could do something with chemistry and then something with technology or computers…I dunno," I sighed, feeling stressed about the impending decision. "How am I supposed to choose a college if I don't know what I want to do? And, what if Dad doesn't like what major or school I choose? I don't want to disappoint him," I admitted.

"Peter," Mom sighed, giving me a motherly look, "Tony would be happy with _any_ decision you made. He won't care what major or school you choose just as long as you're happy."

"If you say so," I mumbled doubtfully. Personally, I wasn't so sure. The man seemed rather adamant about me going to MIT.

"As for what major to choose, well, I can help you with that," she declared, and I looked at her with hopeful eyes. "We should first look at everything you're interested in, and then what sorts of majors fit your interests. Then, we should go through each major, seeing what courses you would take, and what sorts of jobs people with that major are getting. When we've narrowed it down to about five majors, then we can start choosing schools."

"That sounds like a lot of work," I said, feeling sudden guilt. "You don't have to help me with this, you know. I know you're busy with your job, and I really should be able to"—

"Stop that line of thought right now," Mom interrupted sternly. "Peter, you are my number one priority. You come before anything else in my life, especially my job. Helping you brings me immense pleasure, and it really is no trouble. Anyways, helping you won't stress me or take away time from my job, so relax. I'm certain we can get Friday to help out as well, which will make things much easier."

I relaxed, feeling relieved. "Thanks, Mom," I told her gratefully.

The rest of the evening passed quickly, and we only left the ice cream parlor because it was closing. Once we arrived home, I headed to bed, glad to see Mom looking happier than she had earlier.

The next morning came, and I awoke with a purpose. I normally went on a morning run with Natasha and Anthony, but today I convinced her to wake Steve to come with us. I was surprised to see her agree without even a look of curiosity. While we were running, I informed both Avengers of what had happened last night. Neither one's expression gave away what they were thinking as I spoke, and once I finished, they only exchanged a glance before Steve let out a heavy sigh.

"Let's cut our run short today," Natasha stated, and she immediately began running in the direction of our regular breakfast spot. Anthony whined at the change in direction.

"What? Why?" I asked in confusion, and she merely replied, "So, we can talk." I smiled in response, glad to know she was taking this seriously. Not that I thought she wouldn't, but I was happy she didn't just dismiss my concerns and assure me everything would be okay.

As Nat ate her bagel and Steve and I inhaled our breakfast sandwiches, they both asked me for more details regarding last night, such as what exactly was said and what Tony's expressions were. They then asked me for details of how Tony had been lately, but I guiltily admitted that I hadn't been around much which meant I hadn't noticed anything was wrong.

Both fell silent at this point, seeming to mull over what I'd said. Anthony stealthily used this time to steal the last half of Steve's breakfast sandwich.

Steve was the first to begin speaking, leaning back in his chair with crossed arms and a deep frown. Instead of speaking to me, though, he addressed Natasha.

"Is this normal?" he asked her, and Natasha shook her head negatively. Turning to me, Steve then said, "Tony has always had a tendency to get so lost in his work that he forgets to take care of himself. When the Avengers first started living together, we saw him maybe once a week. Things got better the more we got to know each other, and right before we…well, we had our ways to get him out of his lab," he stated.

"Pepper was always the best, though," Natasha added before throwing back her coffee like it was a shot of tequila or something. "If he won't come out even for her, then he must really be in a bad place."

"What could be bothering him, though?" I questioned them, feeling helpless. Steve and Natasha just stared at each other again, seeming to communicate silently. I withheld a sigh of irritation. I'd seen Nat do this with Tony and while at the time I thought it was cool that they could speak without words, right now it was just annoying. Anthony, my garbage tank, used Nat's distraction this time to steal the rest of her bagel. Serves her right, I thought moodily.

"He's guilty," Steve eventually told me softly, and I just shot him a confused look. The captain's eyes were sad yet gentle as he explained, "He's guilty because he wasn't able to save you or even himself during the kidnapping."

"Tony hates having to be rescued," Natasha added grimly before shooting Anthony a mild glare.

"We rescued him in Turkey, though, and he didn't act like this," I argued, and Steve's eyebrows rose. I remembered that while he knew about Dad's kidnapping, I hadn't exactly given him any details on what happened.

"No, he didn't," Natasha agreed, "but Turkey was different. He was the only one kidnapped, and nobody was hurt but him. When it came to the rescue, he was able to aid in his own escape, and he was able to protect you. This time he no doubt feels he was completely useless. You are his world, Peter, and he couldn't protect you." This was the second time in the past day someone had referred to me as their world, and while touched, I wished they didn't feel so responsible for me.

"It's not his fault, though!" I shouted, instantly blushing when the few patrons in the restaurant turned to look at me. "It's not his fault," I repeated much more quietly, absentmindedly patting Anthony's head as he nuzzled my hand comfortingly.

"We know that," Nat replied, "but he doesn't."

I huffed, feeling both angry and sorry for Dad. "How can I help him, then?" I asked both adults. I was far from reassured when both grimaced.

"It's hard to help someone who doesn't want help," Steve remarked wearily. "I'll try and talk to Tony, but I can't promise you anything, Pete. I'm still trying to repair my relationship with him, so if he refuses my help, then I have no right to force him to do anything."

I nodded, glad that he was willing to at least talk to Dad.

"I'll try and talk to him as well," Nat asserted, "but I'm not sure how much help I'll be. Emotions aren't really my forte. I should have better luck at getting him out of the lab at least for a training session."

"Try knocking him unconscious," Steve suggested, and I looked at the mild-mannered man in shock. Steve looked at me with slight sheepishness before saying, "It's one way to get him to sleep."

"We've done it in the past," Natasha stated, sounding as though I should be reassured. I was more alarmed, to be honest, that they'd felt the only way to get my dad to sleep was to knock him unconscious.

"We tried sleeping pills once, but he wasn't really happy with us when he woke up," Steve informed me, giving a mild shudder. A glance at Natasha showed her give a wince as she nodded her head.

"Clint locked him in a bathroom once, and he caused the pipes to explode in order to escape," Natasha recalled with mild amusement. My eyes widened while Steve snorted, looking as though the memory were a fond one.

"Why'd Clint lock him in a bathroom?" I had to ask.

"To get him to sleep," Natasha answered as if it should've been obvious. At my continuous confusion, she elaborated. "He set up the bath tub with blankets and pillows, and he figured Tony would eventually get bored enough to just sleep since there was nothing to entertain him in the bathroom."

"Obviously that didn't work," Steve commented with a chuckle. "I still don't know how he managed to get those pipes to burst."

"He's Tony," Natasha declared as though that was explanation enough. Apparently, it was, because Steve just grinned at her in understanding.

"You know," I felt the need to say, "from what little I've heard about your guys' time living together, it sounds like the Avengers are freaking nuts."

Steve opened his mouth looking like he wanted to argue, but then closed it and just nodded his head, a rueful grin on his face. "We kind of were," he admitted, a slight blush on his cheeks. "Pepper used to tell us we were like a bunch of frat boys in college."

I laughed aloud at that, filing away that I wanted stories later. "I'm glad you guys are going to try and talk to Dad, but what can _I_ do to help? Mom told me not to talk to him, but I can't just sit back and do nothing," I declared helplessly.

Steve let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his long hair as he responded, "Your mom's right, champ. Tony can be a bit, uh, abrasive when he's in one of these moods."

"He means Tony is an asshole when he wants to be left alone," Natasha stated drily. "He's kind of like a cranky toddler who doesn't like to be told what to do, except with the vocabulary of a sailor."

Steve shot her a disapproving look, no doubt for her choice of words, but I appreciated her honesty.

"Okay, I get that, but I still gotta try," I insisted. "Besides, I'm not you guys. I'm his son. He may listen to me better than he would any of you."

"He does have a point," Natasha remarked, a pensive look on her face. Steve just made a noise of agreement, although his face showed he still didn't think it was a good idea.

"Alright, just let us take a first stab, and then you can speak with him," Cap declared diplomatically. "You just have to bear in mind that"—

"I know," I stated seriously, already knowing what he was going to say. "Dad can be a jerk and say cruel things. I'm a big boy, Cap, I can handle it."

The older man didn't look convinced, but he said nothing more.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. I went to school, had Decathlon practice, and then went home. Despite what the others had warned me not to do, I was going to try and talk to Dad. I wouldn't outright question him about what was wrong, but I'd at least try and spend some time with him. He'd given me blueprints of the original arc reactor months ago, and I'd started working on it before I'd gotten sick. Maybe I could show him what I'd done so far.

Once home, I headed straight to my floor, smiling when I saw Mom working in the living room. She had paper spread all over the floor, and she was studying them intently, a pen stuck between her teeth.

I gave a mock gasp. "Actual paper?!" I exclaimed in feigned shock. "You cavewoman! This is what we have technology for!"

Mom looked up in surprise before bursting into laughter at my words. "Hush you," she responded in amusement. "I just find holding actual papers to be easier than flipping through a tablet or multiple screens. I don't have Tony's ability to process so much information at once."

"What're you working on?" I asked curiously.

"Wedding plans," she informed me, and my eyebrows rose in surprise. Honestly, I figured she would've hired someone to take care of this. Correctly interpreting my expression, she rolled her eyes before explaining, "I did hire someone, but he wanted me to look over everything like décor, food, entertainment, guests, seating, and, well, you get the drift."

I nodded.

"It's not too long from now," I remarked, remembering that it was only about five weeks away.

"Yes," she replied tensely, and I could see the lines of stress in her eyes. She chewed on the pen cap as her eyes glanced between two sheets. "There's still so much to do." Looking at me with a frown, she added, "We still haven't gotten you a tux or anything."

I was about to say I didn't need one, but Mom immediately declared, "We'll go tomorrow."

"Uh, what…okay, I guess," I responded, hoping it'd be a quick and easy process. I didn't fancy spending hours trying clothes on.

"Wait," I stated in sudden recollection, "weren't Dad and I supposed to do this together?"

Mom's lips pursed, her eyes staring intently at the paper in front of her as she answered with forced casualness, "Well, he's been pretty busy, and when I asked him earlier, he said he'd already ordered his."

I blinked in surprise and disappointment. He got one without me?

"Oh, that's cool," I said in the same tone as Pepper, internally telling myself this wasn't a big deal. It's not like this was something important. It's just picking out an outfit. So what if he already got his without me?

"Peter," Mom called out softly, and I locked eyes with hers. She looked apologetic and understanding, but also unsure of what to say, so she instead settled with giving my cheek a soft caress. She graced me with a loving smile before shooing me to finish my homework.

 **Tony's POV:**

I stared down at the arc reactor that was newly installed back on my chest: key word being _on_ rather than _in_ my chest. I'd finally completed my non-tech suit, and it was combat ready. Now, I wouldn't ever have to worry about not having the suit near me anymore, because it would always be on me. Now, I'd never be caught unawares again.

Even though the arc reactor wasn't inside my body, it was attached to my skin, and only I could remove it. This meant nobody would be able to remove the suit from me, whether I was unconscious or dead.

I felt a surge of pride, satisfaction, and relief as I activated the reactor and watched the nanites crawl over my body. Using only my mind I could control every single nanite, willing it to become whatever I wanted, whether it was a shield, sword, or a blaster. I could even will the nanites away from my body and use them to protect someone (like my reckless spiderling).

Deactivating the suit, I felt a sudden weariness overcome me, and I found myself suddenly stumbling into a nearby chair. God, I felt worn out. I rubbed my hands over my face, feeling an intense urge to just sleep.

When _was_ the last time I'd slept?

I tried to remember, but my mind was working a little sluggishly at the moment. That alone told me it had to have been a while.

"Friday, what time is it?" I asked, frowning at how exhausted even my voice sounded.

"It is 4:55 PM, sir," she promptly informed me. "I would like to remind you that Ms. Potts has requested you join her and Peter for dinner tonight."

"Uh, now?" I mumbled, looking down at my rumpled, stained tank top and grimy hands. I could only imagine what my face or hair looked like.

"Dinner will be ready at 5:30, sir, so you have time to clean up and make yourself presentable," Friday stated, and I rolled my eyes good naturedly.

Standing up, I tried to stretch out my sore muscles, but quickly realized a stretch wasn't what my muscles needed. I needed sleep.

I needed food too, I reminded myself as I trudged into the lab's bathroom, grateful that it had a shower. When had I last eaten? I searched my memories, dimly recalling drinking a protein shake a few hours ago…or, well, I think it was a few hours ago. All I knew was that my stomach felt empty and like it was feeding on itself. Hunger pangs hit me just as abruptly as exhaustion did, and I wearily went through the motions as I showered off the grime and sweat.

The hot water felt so good, and it was only Friday's prompting that spurred me into finishing and getting dressed in clean clothes. As I took the short elevator ride my hand tapped absentmindedly on the arc reactor. Looking down at the dim glow shining through the shirt I realized I was going to have to get use to being a walking flashlight again. Getting used to sleeping with this would also be a pain, not just because of the bright light, but also the feel of it on my chest. Well, at least it wasn't inside of me. I shuddered at the mere thought. I ould deal with the reactor being on top of my chest, but if I'd had to put it back in me…I didn't think I would've been able to do it.

The elevator doors opened, and I stepped out onto the floor, smiling softly as I heard Pepper and Peter talking. No doubt having heard the elevator, I saw Peter rush over from the direction of the kitchen, a large smile splitting across his face when he saw it was me.

"Dad!" he exclaimed happily, "Are you joining us?"

"Yup," I replied simply, giving the boy a smile in return. I felt a yearning to pull him in for a hug and promptly acted on it when he was near enough. I'd missed him, I realized, as I held him close and placed a kiss to his head. How long had I been wrapped up in my work that I now felt like I hadn't seen my kid in ages?

Peter immediately returned the hug, as eager as always for affection from me; which, is why I was surprised when I felt him stiffen. He pulled away and I understood his reaction when he looked down at my chest with widening eyes.

"What is—is that"—he began to stammer, but before he could get his words we heard Pepper give a loud gasp.

"What in god's name is _that_?!" Pepper yelled, staring at me in disbelief. I was opening my mouth to tell her, with a shaking head she began to mutter, "No, no, no, you didn't. Tell me you didn't do it," she nearly begged, and I frowned deeply, feeling she was being a little over dramatic.

"Honey," I addressed calmly, "relax, will you? It's a new arc reactor, but"—

"Why?!" she shrieked, her eyes uncomprehending as she took a step towards me. "Why would you do this, Tony? You don't need it!"

"Pepper!" I shouted back, frustrated by her overreaction. What was her problem? "Will you calm down for a sec? Yes, it's an arc reactor, but it's not in my chest. It's just on top of it."

She stared back, but instead of calming down, she seemed to grow more incensed. "I don't care if it's just on your chest, you don't need it! I can't believe you!"

I found myself growing angry now, unable to understand why she was acting like this was a big deal. I dimly noticed Peter staring between Pepper and I with worry.

"What is your problem?!" I snapped, stepping around Peter to get closer to Pepper. "I made this to protect us! To protect you and Peter! My suit is in here, so I'll always be able to protect you guys no matter what!"

Pepper froze at my words, some of her anger seeming to leave her. "Protect us? That's what this has all been about? You've been holed up in that lab of yours ignoring your family because you were trying to figure out a better way to protect us?" she questioned in disbelief and disappointment.

I bristled at the tone, my teeth clenching to keep from snapping. "Yes," I answered stiffly. "I've been coming up with a better way to protect you. Is that such a bad thing? You should be happy or relieved or something, not"—

"Tony," Pepper sighed heavily, "you don't need that to protect us. You don't need to constantly worry about"—

"Are you really so goddamn naïve?" I roared harshly, ignoring the twinge my heart gave at her taken aback, hurt expression. "I'm Tony _fucking_ Stark! People are trying to hurt or kill me all the time, and they have no qualms with using you against me!" I roared furiously, chest heaving as I thought back to our recent kidnapping and how useless I'd been. "Why are you making such a big deal out of this when I did this for you?!" I asked desperately, unable to comprehend her feelings.

My heart beat widely and my mind buzzed in anger. The headache that had been a consistent dull throb for days was now turning into a full-blown migraine. My fists were clenched, and I realized I was trembling, whether from anger or sheer exhaustion I didn't know.

I didn't get it. I didn't understand her. I was doing this for her and for our son. I needed to be able to protect them. I couldn't afford to ever be taken like I was in London. I couldn't afford to be that weak and useless! Peter had almost died! He'd been shot, and I'd been unconscious. This couldn't happen again. It just couldn't.

"You didn't do this for us," Pepper retorted heatedly, tears gleaming in her eyes, "you did it for yourself…just like you always do."

I stiffened at her words, a wave of fury coursing through me. She thought I did this for me? _For me_?! Really?!

Pepper turned away from me, beginning to walk back towards the kitchen, which only served to further incense me. No, we were _not_ done with this conversation.

"Pepper!" I called. "Stop walking and turn around because we are not finished!" I ordered, and she immediately whirled around, giving me an icy look. Her lips were pursed tightly, and right when I thought she was going to say something, she simply turned around and began to walk away once more.

"Hey!" I yelled hotly, stalking towards her, but I only made it two steps before Peter was in front of me shouting, "Dad, stop!" His eyes were full of concern, sadness, and even some anger as he stood between me and his mom. Pepper was turned around again and looking suddenly ashamed. I looked back to Peter, and I finally took notice of his posture. He had one hand outstretched towards me while the other was pointed towards Pepper to keep her from moving towards me. His body was tense, and he looked ready to fight.

Fight who?

Me, I realized. He was ready to fight me. He was worried I was going to hurt Pepper. Did he really think I was capable of that? Hurt welled up inside of me along with shame, and without saying a single word, I simply turned and walked away. Walking into the elevator, I ordered Friday to take me to the roof, activated my suit, and took off into the night the second the doors opened.

I flew hard and fast with no destination in mind except away from home.

"Sir, is there a particular destination you have in mind?" Friday asked.

"No," I replied tersely, closing my eyes tightly as flashbacks of the kidnapping started to hit me.

Helplessness.

Out of everything that happened, that was the worst. The feeling of being unable to do anything to help. Not knowing if Peter and Amanda were still alive or not. Being subject to some psycho bitch's torture and not knowing why.

Being weak.

 _Being afraid_.

"Sir," Friday spoke again, concern evident in her tone, "your heart rate is rapidly rising. I know the Wakandans repaired old damage done from the shrapnel, but this is still an unhealthy heart rate. May I suggest you"—

"No!" I snapped, and I suddenly found myself feeling out of breath. Oh no.

" _Sir_ ," Friday addressed again with a bit of a stern edge to her tone, "I recommend you land before you pass out. At the very least take some deep breaths."

I growled irritably as I said, "Who asked you?" Despite my irritation with her, though, I didn't really want to pass out in the suit, even if I knew Friday would just take over. Looking below me, I headed for the tallest building and landed heavily on the roof. Deactivating my suit, I sank to my knees, hands on the floor as I struggled to catch my breath.

What the hell is wrong with me?

Why am I so messed up?

Why can't I be okay?

Why can't I be normal?

I let out a loud laugh at that thought. Normal? Me? Yeah, right! I didn't know the meaning of the word. Besides, normal was boring. I didn't really want to be normal, did I?

No. No, I didn't.

I found myself breathing easier as I followed this ridiculous train of thought.

Good.

Yeah, let's not focus on my insecurities. Way too many of those.

And, let's not focus on traumatic memories. Too many of those as well.

Think about something else. _Anything else_.

 **Rhodey's POV:**

I flew in the War Machine suit looking for Tony. According to Friday I should be nearing his destination.

Yup, there he is.

I landed the suit, observing a motionless Tony lying on the cold, wet ground. He was staring up at the sky with an emotionless face, and he didn't even twitch when I'd landed or as I stepped out of the suit. He was shivering, and I dismally noted he was only in jeans and a short-sleeved t-shirt. _Idiot_.

I sighed internally, my heart aching at the emptiness I saw in his eyes. He was completely closed off. This wasn't good. I should have approached him earlier. I knew he wasn't okay since London, but I just figured he'd deal with it…healthily. He'd gotten better at coping lately. He actually talked to Pepper and Amanda, and Peter had helped loads with just being here. Unfortunately, it seemed to me like Tony was falling back on some old habits, specifically isolation, not eating, and not sleeping. At least he hadn't resorted to drinking…yet.

Standing above Tony, I had to fight to keep my expression pleasant, because all I wanted to do was frown in both sadness and disapproval.

"You know, if you wanted to star gaze, you could've done that at the tower," I remarked conversationally.

Tony blinked once before frowning. "I don't like stars."

I raised an incredulous eyebrow at his comment. "What happened to the guy who had all the constellations memorized and who would pester me all the time to leave the city so we could better see the stars?"

Tony blinked again, his frown deepening as he mumbled, "I don't like space."

Oh, I thought in realization. I guess that explained some things. How had I not noticed this? I really had been a horrible friend—a horrible brother to not have noticed or done something to help him. Granted, he hated accepting help, but still…

Tony's eyes shifted to mine now, and my heart ached at the sadness I saw in them. I found myself suddenly transported back to MIT where I'd stumbled upon a scrawny kid doing his homework under a table in a deserted corner. He'd had the same eyes then too along with loneliness. At least he didn't have that, I attempted to reassure myself.

I held a hand out to the younger man, hoping he'd take it. If it wasn't for my stupid legs, I'd sit on the ground with him, but the braces wouldn't allow for that movement.

Unlike the day I'd met him, Tony's eyes were full of trust as he took my hand, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet. I led him over to an electric unit, where we both sat down.

"What are you doing here?" he asked dully.

"Peter sent me," I answered honestly. "Kid was pretty worried about you."

He made a noise of acknowledgment before asking in the same dull tone, "You here to yell at me? Tell me how I've screwed up _again_?" Bitterness had seeped into his tone at this point, and I longed for the days back at MIT where a simple hug and the promise of doing something together were enough to cheer him up. That kid was gone, though. Had been ever since his parents died.

"Nah," I responded, giving his shoulder a squeeze, "I'm here to listen." He raised a skeptical eyebrow at me, and I reached into my pocket, pulling out some peanut M&Ms.

"Want some?" I offered after opening the bag and popping a couple into my mouth.

Both his eyebrows rose, his mouth twitching as he allowed me to pour some into his hand.

I may or may not have had an unhealthy addiction with the candy, an addiction Tony has gladly exploited over our many years of friendship.

We sat for several minutes, munching on the candy before Tony spoke again.

"What makes you think I need or even want to talk?" he asked airily, and I just snorted.

"I always know when you need to," I admitted. "I just rarely push. Tonight, however, I am pushing, something I should've done ages ago."

"You think pushing is going to make me talk?" he pressed in slight disbelief, his eyes refusing to meet mine.

"Yup," I responded confidently. "You're going to talk because you need to, and you know that I'm here to help, not judge. We're brothers, man, and I…care about you…a lot," I forced myself to confess. "You're not okay, and we both know that, so please let me help."

"Peppers mad at me," he whispered, taking in a shaky breath. "And, I guess—I mean, I don't know what I did. I'm mad too, but I said some stupid stuff, and-and, what if she…what if she doesn't want me anymore? What if this was the last straw, and she's finally tired of me?" he asked dejectedly, his tone full of so much fear and sorrow that I couldn't keep from wrapping an arm around his shoulder. He, thankfully, allowed it, and I let out a breath of relief. There was a time where he would've shoved me away at any attempt to comfort him. This was definitely a positive change.

"Pepper loves you, like really, really loves you, and it doesn't matter what you two fought about because that's not going to change," I spoke confidently. "Every couple fights, and I'm warning you now that this won't be the last time you two get into it, but I can promise you that you'll get past it. You two have been through so much together, and she's stuck by you through it all. Yeah, there's been some rocky times, but she's always come back. You're stuck with each other," I declared with a soft smile, rubbing an arm up and down Tony's arm to offer him some warmth. I could feel him shivering against me, but I knew he'd refuse any offer to go anywhere else.

"I guarantee you that Pepper is worried out of her mind about you right now, no doubt wondering if you're going to do something stupid," I continued, and he grimaced at my words.

"I'm always doing stupid things," he confessed forlornly, and my heart ached at seeing him like this. While I was pleased he was talking to me, it hurt to see how much he was beating himself up. I knew he wasn't as confident as he liked to portray himself, but I'd thought we'd gotten past this self-hatred.

"No, you're not," I refuted with a scoff, letting him know with a look how ridiculous that statement had been. He pursed his lips in response, rolling his shoulder to shake my arm off. I reluctantly let go, watching as he pulled up a knee, wrapping an arm around it.

"I noticed you got your night light back," I decided to remark, noticing as the engineer stiffened, hand immediately covering it protectively.

"It's not in me," he blurted out defensively. "It's on top of my chest, and it houses my suit. You see, this way I can always have it on me, Rhodes. This way I'll always be able to protect my family. Nobody will be able to catch me unguarded again," he declared, a dark look passing over his face.

"Pepper doesn't get it," he argued, looking up at me with fierce, challenging eyes. "I made this to protect them, but she insists that I don't need this, and that I only made it for myself. She-she accused me of being selfish!" he exclaimed, disbelief coloring his tone.

Aw, Pepper, I thought in disappointment. I could see where she was coming from, though. She was just as afraid as Tony, but while he coped by prepping himself for a future fight, Pepper wanted him to stop fighting. She yearned for the day he didn't have to fight anymore, or that he'd retire. She had come to accept that Iron Man was who Tony was now, but there was always that bit of her that feared he'd one day not come home.

"You know why she reacted that way, don't you?" I questioned kindly and frowned heavily as he looked away in slight defiance. I had to bite my inside cheek to keep from smiling fondly as he once again reminded me of his teenage self. I'd been seeing this expression on his face since the day we met when I told him he couldn't live forever under a table.

"Watch me," he'd simply replied, pulling a blanket around himself and failing to hide the flashlight under it before curling up into a pathetic ball.

I shook my head of the memory, telling myself to focus on the present. Dwelling on the past wasn't going to help anything.

I allowed Tony a few moments to respond, before rolling my eyes at his stubbornness. "She's scared," I bluntly informed him, "just like you are. She gets why you did this, Tones, but she's just terrified of you getting yourself killed."

"It's part of the job, and she knows that," Tony asserted, and I nodded my head in agreement.

"It is, but answer me this: Do you ever stop worrying about Peter when he's out as Spider-man? Do you ever stop wishing that he'd give it up and just live a normal, teenage life?" I pressed, knowing my point had been made when he flinched.

"Okay, I get it, but I'm not getting rid of this," he insisted, giving me a serious, yet desperate look. "I need it. I need to be able to protect them. I can't ever be as helpless and useless as I was in London. You understand, right?"

"I do," I replied, "but what happened in London wasn't your fault. You can't keep beating yourself up over what happened."

Tony scoffed loudly, standing to his feet abruptly before saying, "It was my fault, though. I'm Iron Man, and I couldn't protect a single person!" he yelled, his voice thick with guilt. "I couldn't protect my son or mom. Peter—my _kid_ , had to rescue himself. He almost died, Rhodey, and I wasn't there for him. I was completely helpless"—

"And that's not your fault!" I shouted, frustrated and upset that he felt this way. "Tony, you were chained up and pumped full of drugs to keep you sedated. You were tortured, man! There is no shame whatsoever in what you went through, and nobody thinks any less of you!" I stood up, and placed both my hands on his shoulders, gripping tightly when he attempted to shake me off.

"No, listen to me, man," I ordered, waiting for him to look me in the eyes. "You are Iron Man. You are a hero, but you're not invincible. You're human, and as such, you can be hurt. You can be helpless, and I know that feeling sucks, but that's no reason to feel ashamed. I know you want to protect your family, and I get why you feel guilty about not being able to rescue Peter yourself, but there was nothing you could do. You were being tortured," I had to remind him.

"Besides," I added with a humorless laugh, "you managed to get out of the restraints and almost out of your cell all on your own. That's pretty badass, and I honestly can admit that I don't think I could've done that. With the shit they were pumping into you, I don't think I would've been able to think clearly let alone move."

I watched Tony's face go through a multitude of expressions before settling on sadness. His face and body seemed to sag, and he leaned forward, his forehead coming to rest on my shoulder. I tensed briefly out of shock before quickly relaxing and wrapping my arms around him. I heard him give several shuddering breaths, and I felt his body shaking, but I said nothing. I just moved one hand up to cup the back of his head, the other wrapped around him tightly and protectively. I felt Tony's hands grip onto my shirt, an almost whimper escaping his tone, and I only tightened my hold.

I honestly couldn't remember the last time Tony had allowed me to comfort him like this. Yeah, we'd hugged before, but those had been brief. Not like this. My mind suddenly flashed back ten years to when I found him in the deserts of Afghanistan, half-dead and covered in dirt and blood. He'd collapsed to his knees when I'd gotten to him, his head falling to my shoulder like it did now. Unlike now, though, he'd only allowed himself a minute of comfort before forcing himself to his feet, a weak smile on his face.

In all actuality, the last time Tony had allowed me to comfort him like this was shortly after his parents died. After that, he'd begun building huge, impenetrable walls around himself that he'd rarely allow me to bypass. Who knew it'd take a scrawny kid to break through all those barriers?

Minutes passed, and even though I was shivering from cold, and my back was aching, I wouldn't give up this moment. Tony, my brother, needed me, and for once he was allowing me to help. Eventually, though, the moment passed, and with a huge sniff, Tony extricated himself from my arms, hastily wiping at his face as he turned away from me. I couldn't keep from smiling at his embarrassment. I refrained from saying anything, though, still appreciative of how much he'd just let me in. I could only hope that I hadn't let him down.

Loudly clearing his throat, Tony awkwardly said, "Uh, we should probably head back. I'm kind of freezing my ass off, and like you said, Pete and Pep are worried. I shouldn't keep them waiting."

I just nodded before heading back to my suit. Stepping in, it closed around me, and I let out a sigh as warmth seeped into me. I watched in first curiosity and then amazement as Tony pressed his arc reactor, and what looked like liquid metal encased his entire body. His new suit was sleek, so unlike the previous, bulky models.

"I just gotta say, that's freaking cool," I commented, and Tony grinned cockily before his face became covered with the helmet.

We both took off, content to stay quiet as we flew home. It didn't take long to land on the roof of the tower, and it was as we entered the elevator that Tony once again spoke.

"Hey, Rhodey," he addressed nervously, and I raised an eyebrow at how uncomfortable he suddenly looked.

"What's up?" I asked curiously. The younger man shifted a little bit before gazing at me with serious eyes.

"Thank you," he stated, and I could see both his sincerity and affection.

"No problem," I responded with a smile. "What are brothers for?"

Tony immediately looked to his feet, a smile adorning his face, his cheeks reddening. We arrived at his floor, and I simply shoved him out of the elevator.

"Go to bed," I ordered, and Tony just rolled his eyes at me in exasperation before the doors closed once more.

Smiling in amusement, I let out a relieved sigh. He'd be alright. He always was.

 **A/N:** I'm sorry it took this long for me to update the story, but life has been a struggle lately, and I haven't felt like writing. I do promise you that I will NEVER abandon this story, but updates will be inconsistent from here on out. Thank you for continuing to stick with this story, and for the amazing reviews! They always make my day.


	73. Chapter 73

**A/N: Can't really say this chapter is worth the wait, but it's pretty much a filler, and I wanted to get something out to you. Life has been rough, but I think it's getting better. Know that I will NEVER ABANDON this story without giving you a proper ending. No matter how long I take to update, I WILL finish this story some day.**

 **Chapter 73: In Remembrance**

 **Peter's POV:**

I fiddled with the tie in my hand, trying to knot it around my neck and failing for the umpteenth time. Come on, Peter, you already know how to do this. Dad taught you months ago. Why can't I do this? I tried once more, but my hands trembled, causing me to fumble and screw up once more.

"Screw this stupid tie!" I yelled yanking it off my neck and throwing it onto my bed.

A soft knock sounded on my door and I turned to see a concerned Tony staring in. "Everything alright, pal?" he asked softly

"No," I huffed irritably, gesturing towards the ridiculous tie on my bed. "I can't get this dumb tie to work, and I know you taught me how to do it, but I just can't get it on right, and I wanna look nice for May, and I know she'd love to see me in a tie, and I just can't—why are these things so complicated anyways?!" I exclaimed exasperatedly, tears of frustration welling up in my eyes. This only caused me to become more upset as I wasn't sure why I was so bothered. It was just a tie.

"Hey," Dad called, his quiet footsteps quickly making their way towards me. "Hey, hey, hey," he spoke soothingly, his hands coming to rest on my tense shoulders.

"Take a few deep breaths for me, spiderling," he ordered calmly. "Atta boy," he encouraged as I followed his directions.

"Come on, take a seat," he then directed, gently pushing me down onto the bed. Picking my discarded tie up, he knelt and looked up at me with kind eyes.

"Now, I know it's not this tie that's got you so upset. Tell me what's going on," he requested, and I let out a sad sigh.

"I just want to look good for Aunt May," I asserted, and he nodded his head.

"Yeah, I get that," he replied, "but you know that May would never care if you were wearing a suit and tie or jeans and a t-shirt. She'd just be glad to hear from you."

Guilt hit me hard, and I fought back the urge to embarrassingly break out into tears as I told him, "I should've visited her sooner. What if she hates me? What if she's mad I've never gone to her grave?"

"Aww, kiddo," Dad sighed, reaching a hand out and gripping my shoulder comfortingly. "You've got no need to feel guilty for that, and I promise you now, that there's no way in hell May would ever feel anything other than love and pride for you. Tell me," he requested, "why do you want to go visit your aunt and uncle's grave? Guilt? Obligation? Or, is it because you want to?"

"It's because...well, I want to," I told him. "I want to visit her and Uncle Ben. I do," I insisted, and he patted my knee softly.

"Okay, we'll go," he responded, "but please try not to feel guilty about not having visited their graves before today. They'd want you to live your life, and there's nothing wrong with that. Besides, you don't need to visit their graves to honor their memory," he informed me with a smile that I hesitantly returned.

His smile widened, and he held up my tie with a questioning look. "You know you don't have to wear this hang noose," he remarked with a teasing look.

I snorted, before grabbing the offending item and putting it in. "No, I'm gonna show my aunt that I finally learned how to put one of these nuisances on," I declared, finally managing to put it on correctly. Dad stood up, giving me a proud look before pulling me in for a hug that I very happily returned.

"Why're you all dressed up?" I asked when we parted, and he grinned as he replied, "I'm always dressed up."

"No," I countered, giving him a look. "You're normally in jeans and some grease-stained old t-shirt."

"Hey!" the older man protested in mock offense, "Not all my shirts are grease-stained."

"That's true," I quipped, "some of them have burn holes or coffee stains." Dad responded maturely by sticking out his tongue.

"Come on," he said, motioning for me to head out. "The others are waiting for us."

"Others?" I asked in confusion, and he said nothing, simply leading me to the kitchen where I was greeted by not just Mom, but Rhodey, Happy, Natasha, Bruce, and Steve.

"W-what are you guys doing here?" I asked in confusion. No way could they all be here for me. I mean, they were all dressed up, but that probably meant there was some sort of Avenger meeting or something.

"They're here for you, Peter," Mom answered as she came over and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"For me?" I asked in disbelief. "But, why? I mean, I appreciate it, but you really don't have to. You didn't even know my aunt," I addressed Bruce and Steve.

"No, we didn't," Steve replied, "but we know you, and we'd love to honor the woman who raised you."

"We know that today is the one-year anniversary, kid, and we're here for you just as we were back then," Happy stated with an easy grin.

I felt my heart warm with affection for every person here. I was about to thank them all when a yell from Mom pulled my attention.

"No! Absolutely not!" I heard Pepper screech, and I turned to see her swipe a cup of coffee out of Tony's outraged hands.

"Come on, Pep, it's been a whole week! How long is this punishment going to last?" he whined, giving Mom a desperate look.

"As long as I say," the red-head snapped with little bite. "You were the one who decided not taking care of yourself was okay. I'm just trying to keep you healthy, and _we agreed_ to cut off your caffeine intake."

Dad's face was crest-fallen as he watched her dump out his coffee into the sink, and I swore he was pouting. "Come on, have a heart, love," he begged. "I _need_ coffee to survive," he explained, and I smothered a laugh as I watched his fingers deftly crawl over towards Natasha's of all people's coffee cups.

3, 2, 1.

"Ow!" Dad yelped, cradling his hand that Natasha had smacked with the flat side of a knife.

"No caffeine, Shell head," she scolded with a smirk, and this time nobody could keep their laughter quiet at Tony's wounded expression.

"So unfair," he muttered as he sank into a bar stool looking utterly miserable. "How am I going to make it through today with no caffeine?" he asked aloud before burrowing his head into his arms. Mom rolled her eyes at his antics, though she did rub the back of his neck in compassion.

"The same way you've made it through the last week," she replied dryly. "Now, let's eat breakfast, and then head out."

Breakfast was pleasant, and I felt contentment at watching my family all together. They conversed easily with one another, teasing interspersed throughout casual and serious conversation.

Once breakfast ended, we all got into a limo, Happy driving us. My earlier contentment began to vanish, my palms becoming sweaty as my anxiety shot up. My parents didn't say anything, but Dad did wrap an arm around me while Mom took hold of one of my hands. I gave them both a weak smile, feeling myself relax at their touch.

We arrived quicker than I expected, and after stepping out of the limo, I froze. Memories of May's funeral hit me like a ton of bricks. Nearly one year ago I'd exited this same limo to attend her funeral. My heart clenched painfully, a sudden longing for May surging through me. Yeah, I missed her, but I hadn't missed her this much in a while.

I felt Dad's arm wrap around me once more, and his gentle and reassuring presence was the only thing that kept me walking. Even though I hadn't been here in a while my feet automatically knew where to go, and within minutes I spotted both Aunt May and Uncle Ben's graves.

I took several deep breaths before looking at my parents. "I'd, uh, like to go alone first—I mean, if that's okay?" I stammered.

"Sure thing, honey," Mom replied, giving me a light kiss on top of my head. "Take all the time you need."

Taking in another deep breath, I closed the remaining distance between me and May and Ben's graves. Standing before them, I found myself mute, unsure of what to say.

"Um, hi," I eventually choked out. "It's been a while, I know, and I, uh…," I sighed, feeling like an idiot. I fidgeted uncomfortably before huffing and just taking a seat on the grass.

"I miss you guys," I confessed hoarsely, reaching my hands out and placing them on top of their graves. "A lot has happened since you've both died," I remarked. "I'm sure you know about me being spider man by now, Uncle Ben," I addressed, "and I hope you're proud. I'm living with Tony now," I continued, "but I think you guys already know that." My thoughts went back to the time I'd gotten really sick and almost died, dim memories of seeing my aunt and uncle filtering through my mind. I didn't know if those memories were real or a hallucination, but I preferred to think they were real.

A sense of calm coursed through me, and I would've sworn I smelled Aunt May's shampoo and Uncle Ben's cologne. I wasn't a huge believer of the supernatural, but it was almost as they were both here with me right now, and I fought back tears as I smiled widely. Sniffing, I rapidly wiped at my eyes before launching into a tale of everything I'd been up to, both the good and the bad. I didn't know how long I spoke, but by the time I finished my heart felt lighter, and I actually felt happy and content.

"So-so, I'm doing great, and you don't have to worry," I assured my aunt and uncle. "I've got a huge family to take care of me and they love me. I know that'd make you happy." I looked behind me for the first time since I arrived to see the concerned faces of the aforementioned family. Giving them all a bright smile, I waved them over, noting as they all seemed to let out breaths of relief. I guessed they'd been worried.

Mom pulled me in for a hug the second she reached me, hands cupping my face as she inquired how I was feeling.

"I'm good," I reassured her with a smile. "I just finished telling them about everything I'd been up to, so…yeah," I mumbled, cheeks reddening in sudden embarrassment. Would they think it was childish of me to be talking to them?

"That's wonderful," Mom proclaimed with a widening smile, and I relaxed as I noted no one making fun of me.

"Would you mind introducing us, Pete?" Steve asked delicately, and I felt my spirits lift even more as I enthusiastically nodded.

"Of course!" I exclaimed, grabbing hold of his and Bruce's hands to pull them over. They were the only one's May hadn't met.

Standing in front of May and Ben's graves, I formally introduced both Steve and Bruce to them. "They're totally awesome people," I informed them. "They're both easy to talk to and fun to hang out with. Bruce and I can do science together while Steve and I can train together. They're great uncles—not as great as you, Uncle Ben, but they try."

Turning to both men, I smiled sheepishly at their stunned expressions. They were probably taken aback at my referral to them as uncles. I'd never told them I thought of them as such, but I did. Them, Rhodey, Happy, and even Vision. They were my uncles and Natasha was my aunt.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Steve eventually spoke. "You raised a fine young man, and you should be very proud." Bruce spoke up next, and then each of the adults took turns to speak, all praising the hell out of me. They talked about how brave, smart, responsible, kind, honest, respectful, lovable, etc. I was. My parents especially gushed about my accomplishments and the bright future ahead of me, and I was sure my face was red by the time they were all done.

"Jeez, guys, you make me sound like some kind of saint and boy scout," I grumbled, outwardly embarrassed while inwardly pleased with all their kind words.

"Cuz you are a saint," Dad remarked before Happy added, "and a total boy scout."

"You're like Cap Jr.," Rhodey commented, and I simply rolled my eyes while Dad openly glared at his oldest friend.

"No need for insults, platypus," Dad complained, which in turn caused Steve to glare at Dad.

"Thanks, Tony," the captain said sarcastically. "Always a pleasure to know how highly you think of me."

Dad smiled sweetly at Steve as he said, "You know I love you, old man."

"Uh huh," Steve replied with a doubtful shake of his head.

Giving the blonde a sweet smile of my own I told him, "Don't worry, Cap, I'd be honored to be a mini-you."

Dad gave a gasp of horror at my words, causing the others to chuckle.

"Thanks, champ," Steve spoke, pulling me in for a side-hug.

"Betrayal! Oh, my broken heart!" Tony yelled loudly and dramatically, hands over his heart as he stumbled around. I couldn't help but burst into laughter at his antics.

"Let's go drama king," Pepper ordered, dragging her over dramatic fiancé towards the parking lot.

The others shook their heads in amusement, Rhodey raising an inquiring eyebrow at me. "You ready to go, or do you need more time?"

"I'm ready to go," I replied, my heart feeling lighter than it had in a long time. I hadn't realized how heavy the guilt I felt for not having visited here had been weighing on me.

Natasha came over and hooked an arm around me as we walked towards the limo. "You look better than this morning," she stated, and I gave her a nod.

"You were looking rather petrified when we arrived," she continued, an undercurrent of concern in her casual tone.

"Yeah," I agreed, "that was dumb, huh? I mean, there was no reason to be like that."

"I don't know," Natasha replied with a mild shrug. "I don't really remember my parents, but when I found their graves in Russia, I'll admit that I was pretty nervous."

I turned to look at the assassin with wide-eyed surprise. I knew next to nothing about her upbringing, just that she was raised to be an assassin. "Were your parents dead when you were taken?" I asked, face paling when I realized the callousness of the question.

"I'm sorry, you don't have to answer," I rushed to say, kicking myself for having had no tact.

Thankfully, Natasha simply smirked at how flustered I looked, ruffling my hair before replying, "No, they weren't, and in all honesty I can't say for a fact that they didn't _willingly_ give me up."

I felt even more awful for having asked the question, and I had no idea what to say. I couldn't imagine what I'd feel if I knew my parents or aunt and uncle had given me up, especially if they knew the were sentencing me to a hellish upbringing like the Red Room.

Natasha's arm tightened around me, and she graced me with a warm smile as she said, "Don't look so distraught, baby spider, it doesn't bother me, at least not anymore. My life is great," she asserted, and while the words were spoken simply, I sensed the honesty. She really was content.

"Could you two walk any slower?!" Dad yelled obnoxiously. "Rhodes walks faster and he's got braces on his legs!"

"We're coming!" I replied, picking up my pace. Natasha, however, narrowed her eyes at my dad, strolling up to and past him. I smothered a laugh at the way he hunched his shoulders and tensed as she walked by him, clearly having expected retribution.

"Wimp," I teased as I got into the limo behind Nat.

 **Tony's POV:**

I aimed a kick at my spiderling's butt, but the little monster easily avoided it, sitting himself down right next to Natasha, who pulled the boy to her side.

"Traitor," I hissed as I sat down across from him, and he responded by maturely sticking his tongue out at me.

"Pepper," I whined as she sat next to me, "Peter is being mean to me."

"Poor baby," she replied, smoothing my hair back before giving me a kiss on the cheek.

"Where to next, guys?" Happy called back to us, interrupting the smug glare I was shooting my oh-so-precious child.

"Food!" was the aforementioned boy's response, and there were murmurs of agreement.

"Okay, so any ideas on where to eat?" was Happy's next question. All eyes turned to Peter, who predictably blushed at the attention.

"Thai?" he suggested, and I looked at Happy.

"Alright, let's grab some Thai," I stated, and the man rolled his eyes as he grumbled, "Sure, fine, I'll just choose some random Thai place and when nobody likes it, I'm gonna get blamed…"

I laughed at his rambling, quickly looking up a place and sending the coordinates to Happy.

Lunch was great, and I really enjoyed seeing Peter happily interacting with everyone. This morning I'd been really concerned for him as he'd been pale and shaky. I knew he'd been nervous, but I'd been afraid he wouldn't even be able to make it to the cemetery. I was so glad we'd done this as he looked happier than he had in a while. This must've been weighing on him more than he'd let on. Guilt surged through me at that thought, but I brushed it away. He was okay now, and that's what mattered.

Continuing to watch Peter's interactions with the others, I was gratified to see how much the others seemed to love Peter. It hadn't escaped my notice when he'd referred to Bruce and Steve as uncles when introducing them to his May and Ben. It was so amazing how Peter seemed to love them as much as they loved him. Even Steve who hadn't been here for long was already wholly accepted and loved by Peter. Any lingering anger or resentment that I'd had towards the captain was long gone after seeing him and Peter together.

"You still planning to visit your parents' graves?" Pepper whispered into my ear, and I mumbled, "Mmhmm," before pecking her on the cheek.

"Alone?" she pressed, disapproval and concern clear in her tone.

I nodded while giving her a determined look. Her lips were pursed as she sighed, but she didn't say anything. This was an argument we'd already had multiple times the last few days ever since we'd planned Peter's visit to his ant and uncle's graves. I figured 27 years was kind of a long time between visits. Not to mention, this might help me get some closure or whatever.

Was this a good idea? Maybe.

Going alone? Probably not.

So, why was I going alone? Because, I'm Tony Stark. I'm a stubborn, idiotic, son of a gun…and, if for some reason I turned into an emotional mess there would be no witnesses. Didn't really think that'd happen, but hey who knows?

Since I'm the king of bright ideas, I was also keeping this secret from everybody, Peter included. After lunch, I was going to head off on my own and have Happy take everybody else home. Knowing my sudden desire to go off alone wasn't going to fly, I skipped out before anybody realized, claiming to need the restroom before sneaking out the back door. I'd chosen a Thai restaurant close to my parent's cemetery, so I wouldn't have to walk but a couple blocks.

Slipping on the hat and sunglasses I had in my coat jacket, I casually made my way to the gated cemetery. With my head down and covered nobody paid me any mind, and I was thankful for the regular hustle and bustle of New York City. People were always in such a hurry to get to their destination that they didn't really pay attention to the people around them.

I arrived at the cemetery and frowned as I stared at the large sign with its name.

Mt. Pleasant Cemetery.

Why was it called mountain when there was no mountain here? And, what was so pleasant about this place? Just looking at the towering gates of this gloomy place made me want to turn around and walk away.

Heading to the front office, I withheld a frustrated sigh over the fact that I'd actually have to interact with someone. This cemetery was for the rich and famous, so they didn't let anybody in here unless they had a relative buried here or permission from a relative to visit.

Pulling my hat off I plastered a wide, cheerful smile onto my face as I approached the very bored looking security guard. The second the young man's eyes fell on me they widened almost comically as he rapidly stood to his feet.

"Mr-Mr. S-Stark, sir, what're you doing here?" the flustered man asked.

I bit back a sarcastic response and simply replied, "I'm here to visit my parent's graves. Mind letting me in?"

"Your parent's—oh…Oh, yes, of course, sir, right away, sir!" the security guard stammered, pressing a button to open the door for me.

"Take a-all the time you need, and if you n-need anything, my names' Larry," he introduced, and I nodded my head in acknowledgement before thanking him.

"Have a pleasant stay!" the young man shouted, and this time I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at him. A pleasant stay? Really? Larry seemed to realize what he'd said because he promptly turned white, mouth agape in silent horror. Smirking in amusement, I decided to say nothing and just carry on.

I stared at all the graves, monuments, and mausoleums around me, and blew out a breath before making my way towards where my parents were buried. I hadn't been here since the funeral, but the place looked pretty much the same. There was a limited amount of room here, and many of the plots have already been reserved per se. There was a plot near my parents for me, but I wasn't sure I wanted to be buried here. Yeah, my parents were here and the place was pretty, but…I don't know.

Before I realized it, I was looking at a large stone gravestone marked Stark. It was overly large and stood out like an eyesore. Obadiah had taken care of all funeral arrangements, I recalled as I definitely would've chosen something simpler. Below the Stark name were my parent's names, a picture of them together along with their birth and death dates.

Huh. I hadn't realized my dad was so much older than my mom. Twelve years difference.

There were flower beds planted all around the grave stone, a water fountain, and a very ornate yet uncomfortable looking bench. Even though I hadn't been here in decades, I did pay for someone to maintain the graves, and I was glad to see they'd done a good job. Aside from the size of the flowers, everything looked almost identical as they day they were buried. It was eerie, and a shiver went up my spine.

Taking a couple steps, I approached the graves and awkwardly stood there, unsure of what to say or do. Hands stuffed in pockets and head down, I rocked on my heels as I tried to come up with something to say.

Is this how Peter felt? He told us he talked to his aunt and uncle, updating them on everything he'd been up to.

Yikes. Bringing them up to date on 27 years would take a long time.

Didn't they already know, though? I mean, if heaven was real, then wouldn't they know what I'd been up to?

I don't really have to be here to talk to them, do I? It's what I told Peter earlier. It's just, easer to talk to them here, I guess. Maybe.

I let out a loud breath, scuffing my shoe on the grass before sitting myself down on the cold bench.

I stared at my parents' names, and a wave of sorrow went through me, images of their deaths flashing through my mind. I grimaced and closed my eyes, upset that those were always the first things to come to mind when I remembered them. I knew it shouldn't be that way. I knew I'd never want Peter's first memories of his aunt and uncle to be of their deaths. He was coping. Why couldn't I? Why did I have to dwell on this so much?

"Hi Mom and Dad," I finally greeted quietly, almost shyly. "I'm sorry I haven't been by. I mean, I know it's been a while…a long while, and I should've visited before, but I, uh…well, I don't really have any good excuses," I admitted, eyes focused on my shoes rather than their exorbitant grave stone.

Ugh. Why did I suddenly feel like a kid again?

"You know," I began before pausing, "I really have no idea what to say. I saw how you died, and that sucked. Tried to kill Cap's friend, Bucky. You knew him, Dad, so…Oh, yeah, SHIELD found Cap. Old dude was frozen, so really even though I call him old, he's physically younger than me. Don't tell him that, though. He sure acts like an old timer. We get along well, now at least. Um, I'm a super hero," I rambled, eyes now focused on the variety of flowers around me.

"I'm Iron Man," I declared with a brief smile. "Mom, I know you'd probably worry, but I'd like to think you'd be proud. You too, Dad. I know we didn't get along that great, and I'm sorry. I know I wasn't that great of a son," I stated, running a hand through my hair as my eyes flicked up to their names.

"I've done a lot of stupid stuff that'd probably upset you, and I'm sorry, but I'm not like that anymore," I rushed to assure them. "I have a kid now—he's adopted, but he's the best thing that's ever happened to me." I smiled widely, telling them all about Peter and then Pepper.

"You'd love them both," I told them happily. "They make me a better person."

I fell silent at that point, mulling over what else I wanted to say. I decided to tell them about the Avengers. I told them about Rhodey, who'd they met. I even told them about Amanda.

"I wish you would've told me," I remarked with some bitterness. "She's a wonderful, caring woman, and I really needed someone after you were both killed. Aunt Peggy wasn't really around, and Obi…Obadiah was a bastard. Used me," I practically snarled, hurt and betrayal welling up inside me.

I took in some deep breaths to calm myself back down.

"Anyways, Amanda is great," I continued. "Just know, Mom, that she'll never replace you. Even if I'd known about her when you'd been alive, I wouldn't have left you or anything. You're both my moms, and I love you both…I love you too, Dad," I then felt the need to add. "As a dad now, I can't say I agree with how you treated me at times, but I know you did the best you could, and that's all that matters."

"I still miss you, guys," I finally confessed hoarsely. "It's been twenty-seven years since you died, and it still hurts, especially since I saw how you died. Neither one of you deserved that. It…," I trailed off, stopping myself from saying, it's not fair. Duh, it wasn't fair, but since when was life ever fair?

I leaned back on the bench, rubbing both my hands over my face before standing up and walking closer to the grave stone. Kneeling, I took in the photo of my parents, etched right above their names. It was taken shortly before they died.

Without really thinking, I brought two fingers to my mouth, kissed them, and then placed them over the picture.

"Love you, miss you, and I promise to be back before another twenty-seven years pass. Bye," I whispered before standing up and turning around to head back towards the exit.

As I walked, I tried to assess my feelings, and I found myself feeling sad. I was glad I'd done this, but I was still sad. Maybe I'd feel better later.

I walked in to the entrance building, and I didn't know whether to laugh or sigh at the sight. A foldout table had been set up in the center, and it looked like a game of poker was going on. The players? My lovely, nosy family. Natasha and Pepper were sitting on a couch talking while Peter, Rhodey, Happy, Bruce, Steve, and even Vision were playing poker. Happy sat next to Peter, apparently coaching him while Rhodey seemed to be coaching Vision.

And the security guard? No where to be found. I felt a tinge of worry but assured myself that nobody here would've hurt him…hopefully.

"Why am I not surprised," I asked rhetorically, words barely escaping my mouth before a spiderling ploughed into me. I grunted at the force of the hug, arms automatically wrapping around Peter as he attempted to squeeze the life out of me.

The rest of the crowd focused on me, expressions varying from concern, disappointment, and exasperation. I groaned internally.

Pulling away from me, Peter looked at me in frustration. "Why are you so stubborn? Why did you have to do this alone? You never would've let me see my aunt and uncle's graves alone," he chided with a disgruntled look.

"Because he's an idiot who needs some sense knocked into him," Natasha remarked, giving me a hard stare.

Letting out a sigh, I gave them all a sheepish smile as I apologized. Apparently, my apology wasn't good enough because I was met with a bunch of frowns.

"You've got to stop doing this, Tony," Steve lectured. "You have so many people that care about you, yet you still insist on doing things alone."

I gritted my teeth, hating being told off by Steve more than anyone else. I didn't think I'd ever be able to get past the resentment towards him for how often my father compared me to him.

"Look, I get it, I should've at least let you know," I retorted. "Clearly, you figured it out, and I'm obviously okay, so let it go."

I looked over at Pepper to back me up, but she remained mute. Nice, I thought sarcastically.

"You say that all the time, bro, and we're getting to the point where we don't believe you. You're awful at letting us in," Rhodey remarked, arms crossed as he gave me a pointed glare. I looked at everyone else and noted how serious they all looked. They weren't planning on letting this go.

"What is this, the Spanish inquisition?" I exclaimed in exasperation, throwing my hands up in the air. "And, what the hell happened to the security guard?" I decided to throw out as I walked further into the room.

"He's around," Natasha answered cryptically, and I rolled my eyes.

"The point we're making," Bruce declared as he stood to his feet, "is that we're going to be watching you, and we're not going to stand by and watch you hurt yourself anymore."

"Hurt myself?" I scoffed in disbelief. "This wasn't me"—I began, but Bruce gave me a look that had me shutting my mouth. It wasn't often the man got angry or stern, but he was levelling me with a look that conveyed both expressions loudly.

"This is more than about you coming here," Bruce continued calmly, "and I think you know that."

I did know that, but I refrained from responding. Instead, I asked, "What do you mean you're going to be watching me?"

"It means we will not just stand by while you shut yourself in your lab, don't eat, don't sleep, or act recklessly," my science bro answered, and I bit back the automatic urge to snap back angrily. Instead, I looked around the room once more at each of my family members' faces, setting lastly on Peter. His brown eyes looked worried and earnest, and I let out a large breath.

"Okay," I eventually said, and several skeptical looks were exchanged.

"Okay? That's all you have to say?" Happy questioned in disbelief.

"Yeah, I understand what you're getting at, and I get it, I really do," I remarked honestly, eyes locking onto Pepper's and then Peter's. Admittedly, this kid was the main reason I didn't bother arguing. Just imagining him acting the way I'd been lately caused my stomach to twist in on itself. I had to be a better example for him, because I'd never want my spiderling to tackle anything on his own. I'd never want him to suffer alone or to feel that he needed to suffer alone.

"In that case, I think it's time for some dessert," Pepper announced loudly, standing to her feet and coming over to me. Everyone started moving, the security guard appeared from who knows where looking a little shell shocked but unharmed, and we all left.

As we sat eating our ice cream that evening, a warm feeling swept through me. Earlier I'd felt grateful for how much everyone seemed to love Peter, but now I was grateful for how much these people seemed to love _me_. It was still a weird concept to me, but I really liked it.

"Hey, Rhodey," Peter called out with a grin, "Dad said you're in charge of his bachelor party. What're you doing, and can I come?"

Both my eyebrows went up in surprise, a smile adorning my face as I looked to my best man. I honestly had no idea what he had planned. I knew it wouldn't be the typical bachelor party. I didn't foresee strippers, clubbing, or alcohol, so I was curious to what ideas he had. I also wouldn't mind if Peter came along as long as it was appropriate for him. I trusted Rhodey to know the answer to that.

Rhodey sported a wide, cheshire grin as he stared at us all. "You can come Pete. I kept it all PG-13 or less," he said, and I grew even more curious.

"What'll we be doing?" Peter pressed in growing excitement.

"Nope, you'll just have to wait till next week," Rhodey stated, and I gave him an inquiring look. He shook his head at me, repeating what he'd said to Peter. I considered pushing, but knew I'd get nowhere, so I settled for a shrug. I'd find out soon enough.

Turning my head to look at Pepper, excitement bubbled up inside me, my heart fluttering as I thought about how in two weeks, she'd officially be Mrs. Stark.

 **A/N: I'm sorry for the extremely long wait. Like I said, this was mostly a filler. The next chapter will be the wedding.**


	74. Chapter 74

**A/N: Welcome to the LAST CHAPTER of** _ **You're Killing Me Smalls**_ **! It's been a long journey, but as Tony Stark has said, "Part of the journey is the end". I want to thank all of you who have read and reviewed. Those reviews have brought me so much joy, so I apologize for having to end things. This is a very short chapter, but I feel it was time for things to come to an end. This doesn't mean there won't be any future stories involving Tony and Peter, but no guarantees of when that'll be.**

 **Chapter 74: Happily Ever After**

 **Peter's POV:**

They were nervous, the both of them, and it was absolutely hilarious. I spent the past hour going back and forth between my parents' rooms calming each of them down and assuring them that the everything would be alright. I was now entering my dad's room as it was time to get started. Locking eyes with Rhodey, we shared looks of amusement and exasperation.

"Took you long enough, Underoos," Dad remarked, jumping to his feet. "Let's get this party started!" he exclaimed, a huge grin appearing on his face as he headed for the door. I snorted, all the while shaking my head in bemusement. Here he was acting like he hadn't been panicking the past couple hours.

Rhodey rolled his eyes as he followed behind Tony, throwing me a long-suffering look that I mimicked.

"How's Pepper?" the older man whispered to me as we trailed behind Tony, who seemed to be speed-walking to our destination.

"Pretty much like that," I answered, pointing towards Dad, who now looked the epitome of calm, confident, and collected.

A chuckle escaped Rhodes's lips. "Tony doesn't surprise me, but I'll admit to not expecting Pepper to be so stressed. No matter," he sighed. "We just need those two to lay eyes on each other, and then it'll be good."

I nodded in agreement. I was sure the second my parents saw each other that they wouldn't have eyes for anyone other than each other, their previous nerves completely forgotten.

"Hey, slowpokes!" Dad hollered at us. "If I'm late to my own wedding because you can't walk fast enough…," he trailed off, leaving a threat to our imaginations.

"Well, we wouldn't be rushing if you hadn't been having a nervous breakdown," Rhodey commented, giving his friend a teasing look.

"Pfft!" Dad responded, looking affronted. "I wasn't having a nervous breakdown. It's just normal, pre-wedding jitters."

"Sure, sure," Rhodes retorted disbelievingly.

Whatever Dad responded was lost to me as we'd arrived outside.

"Wow," I murmured in awe. This place is beautiful, I couldn't help but think. The hotel we were at had a huge multi-level deck that jutted out just above the rainforest, giving us an amazing view of the surrounding area. It was covered, which was a must since rain seemed to come and go at random. The decorations were sparse, which worked as the lush surroundings were more than enough.

As we walked up the aisle, I waved and threw smiles at the guests, glad to see that I not only recognized, but knew everybody that was here. The Avengers were here, of course, including Clint's family. Scott was here with his daughter, Hank, and Hope. My friend's Ned, MJ, and Flash were also able to come along with their families. Happy and Amanda were obviously here along with Dr. Cho, Maria Hill and—holy shit, was that Nick Fury?!

Both eyebrows rose in surprise as I watched the one-eyed man approach my dad with a smirk.

"Nick!" Dad exclaimed in mock shock. "You came back from the dead for me?! I'm flattered."

Fury simply rolled his eye before pulling Tony in for a brief one-armed hug. "Congratulations, Tony," the man said.

Dad's eyes were wide and full of shock when Fury pulled away from the hug, and I gathered that this display of affection from the former head of SHIELD wasn't normal. So shocking, in fact, that Dad's mouth opened, but nothing came out, which only caused Fury to smirk before his attention turned to me.

His eyes were appraising yet kind as he looked me over. "Nice to finally meet you, Peter."

"Um, you too, Mr. Fury, sir," I replied nervously as I shook his hand. The man's smirk widened at my nervousness, and he looked at me intently for a few moments. I wasn't sure what he was doing, so I looked to my dad for help since I was starting to feel unnerved. Dad didn't seem as unnerved as me, though, because when Nick looked back at him, Dad was sporting an expression that was part arrogant and part pride. Fury just snorted, patting my shoulder once before walking away to take his seat.

"What just happened?" I asked, feeling like I'd just missed out on something.

"He likes you," Dad replied simply, wrapping an arm around me as we walked the last several feet of the aisle. The officiant greeted us warmly before directing us to where we'd be standing. He asked Dad if he was ready, and although he suddenly looked a little too pale, Dad sported a confident grin as he nodded at the elderly man.

With a nod, the officiant gestured to his left, and music began to play. I realized in pleasant surprise that the musician was Amanda. In hindsight, I shouldn't have been, but it brought a huge smile to not just me but Dad's face at seeing her. She graced us both with loving smiles before her attention was drawn in a different direction. Following her eyes, I watched as everyone stood to their feet, and then finally settled my eyes on Mom.

I realized the second her eyes locked with Dad's because all tension and nervousness seemed to leave her, and the look on her face seemed to radiate pure happiness and love. Eyes flicking to Dad's, I noticed the same change happening to him. At this moment, I knew that these two were seeing no one else but each other.

Happy guided Pepper up the aisle, Natasha following behind as she carried the train of Pepper's dress. Her walk down the aisle took less than a minute, but from the looks on my parents' faces, it seemed to have been much longer, because it was only Happy and Rhodey's arms that were keeping the couple from seemingly rushing towards each other.

Happy finally handed Mom over to Dad, throwing me a wink before sitting down in the front row. The two love birds gripped onto each other tightly as they stood in front of us all. Their eyes never left one another's, and I knew they probably had no idea what the officiant was saying, especially when it took gentle prodding from both Rhodes and Natasha for them to speak.

The only moment they seemed to hear the officiant was when he asked them to make their vows, and when he officially pronounced them husband and wife. The words had barely left the man's mouth before the couple was pulling each other in for a deep kiss.

I cheered and hollered along with everyone at first, but when the kiss continued, I had to intervene. Rushing over, I placed my hands in between them, loudly exclaiming, "Okay, okay, save it for the honeymoon, or for whenever I'm not around!"

Laughter was heard from the guests as both adults parted. Dad's face was flushed, but he was smiling wider than ever, and Mom's expression mirrored his. As Mom pulled me in for a hug, I watched Dad turn to everyone, spread his arms and proudly shout, "I'm a married man!"

Mom giggled at his antics, grabbing hold of his hand that he now held out to her.

"Mrs. Stark," Dad called.

"Mr. Stark," Mom said, and corny as it was, I couldn't help but grin as widely and as stupidly as my parents were.

As the two made their way back down the aisle, accepting everyone's congratulations, Rhodes slapped my back before letting out a relieved sigh.

"It's about damn time," he remarked with a long-suffering sigh. "You've got no idea, kiddo, how long I've been waiting for this moment."

Raising a curious eyebrow, I had to ask, "How long?"

"From the moment I met Pepper about twenty years ago or so," he answered. "I knew the second I saw how Tony acted with her that she was the one. Hell, I think everyone knew those two were meant to be before either one of them did."

"How did they meet?" I then felt the need to ask, and Rhodey looked at me in surprised confusion. Frankly, I was surprised too that I hadn't asked this before.

"How about you ask your parents during dinner," Rhodey suggested, a grin of amusement slowly spreading across his face. Frowning at him, I huffed as I headed towards my parents.

After congratulations, we took more pictures than I thought strictly necessary. I grinned and bared my way through it though as I saw how happy my parents were. This was their day, and I'd take as many pictures as they wanted to keep those looks of utter joy on their faces.

The reception started afterwards, and we didn't travel far as it was just the level below us. Tables had already been set up with assigned seating, and the center of the room was bare, no doubt to allow for dancing later. Quiet music was playing, allowing for conversation as everyone began to eat.

I sat at a table with Tony, Pepper, Rhodey, Natasha, and Amanda. I let the adults dominate the conversation, but when it looked like everyone was finishing up, I finally had to ask.

"How did you two meet?" I questioned out of the blue, and my parents exchanged first surprised and then amused looks before turning back to me. Amanda and Natasha both looked interested as well while Rhodey just smirked.

"I called him out at a board meeting on a mathematical error he'd made," Mom explained, causing my eyes to bug out.

" _Dad_ made a math error?" I gasped, finding that hard to believe. Looking to the aforementioned man, I found him grinning sheepishly as he nodded his head.

"Uh, well I was kind of under the influence of…some stuff when I did those calculations," he admitted, looking less sheepish and more ashamed. Shaking his head, he suddenly looked smug as he said, "That wasn't a great first impression, but I redeemed myself when I beat the shit out of Pep's boss."

"What?!" was mine and Amanda's flabbergasted response.

Mom shook her head, giving Dad a mild glare before adding, "The old man was a little more handsy than I appreciated." Oh. _Oh_ , I thought I alarm. I wanted to ask if Mom was okay, but looking at both parents, I could tell that whatever happened must have ended well because they were now both exchanging loving looks as if the memory was one to be treasured rather than forgotten.

"Oh no," Amanda stated with a shake of her head, "You cannot just leave us hanging like that. I need details," she demanded, and I totally agreed.

Exchanging looks again, Dad shrugged which caused Mom to sigh.

"Alright, I guess I'll be the one to tell it," she said, and I gave her my undivided attention. "It was about twenty years ago when we first met."

…

 **Pepper's POV:**

 _…So, this is the great Tony Stark, I thought to myself as I watched a young dark-haired man sporting sun glasses plop himself down next to Mr. Stane. He obviously didn't want to be here, as he barely paid attention. More than once, Mr. Stane had to force him to stop playing with some device in his hands, or to give input and actually participate._

 _I was not impressed, but nor was I surprised. It seemed the rumor mill wasn't exaggerating. Tony Stark really was uncaring, spoiled, and arrogant. A party boy as well, it seemed, as the distinct scent of alcohol was coming off of him even with the expensive cologne he wore to no doubt cover it. The sunglasses were probably because he was hungover._

 _Oh, and he was a definite playboy, I thought in distaste, watching him minutely lower his sunglasses for the first time just so he could unabashedly ogle the secretary that came in to take our lunch orders._

 _The more I saw, the more unimpressed I became with the young CEO. He was a genius, clearly, but he was in no way fit to run a lemonade stand, let alone a company like Stark Industries. It was no doubt due to Mr. Stane that this company was still up and running._

 _The meeting was long, or at least it felt that way, and it was all Mr. Stark's fault. When the billionaire wasn't being urged to pay attention, he was making snide and childish comments. He was so unprofessional I was appalled no one said anything but judging from the annoyed yet resigned looks on everyone's faces, it seemed this was the norm._

 _Periodically, I could feel the man's eyes on me, and any time I'd look over, he'd shoot me a cocky grin that unfortunately caused me to blush in embarrassment. This seemed to amuse him, so I forced myself to avoid eye contact with him. No way was I going to allow some spoiled, over grown child to fluster me. Yes, he was handsome (like really, really handsome) but that didn't mean he could treat me like another piece of meat! I got enough of that from coworkers, like my lecherous boss._

 _Yes, my boss was clearly infatuated with me. From day one he'd been attracted to me, which I knew was why I'd been promoted quickly through the ranks until I was assistant manager, a position unheard of for someone only a year in the company. I knew I was good, but I also knew I didn't really deserve the position. There were so many people better qualified, but my boss, Marcus, wouldn't hear of my protests. He wouldn't let me turn down the promotions, especially the one that led me to working closely with him. I knew what he was hoping for, and feeling sick to my stomach I also knew I should quit, but this was too good an opportunity. Admittedly, Marcus had also made a not so thinly veiled threat that if I quit he'd make sure I never worked in the industry again…so, yeah, I was doing what I could to make the best of this situation._

 _Already I was getting treated poorly by those I worked with, many thinking I was sleeping my way to the top, so I did everything I could to prove them wrong. I arrived at work earlier than everyone and stayed later than everyone. I took on more and more responsibilities, learning quickly that in addition to being an old perv, my boss was also lazy. By this point, I was basically doing his job. I didn't have to be at these board meetings, but I insisted on coming, wanting to become more knowledgeable of the company I was working for. I was hoping to eventually take my boss's job, so I had to gain as much knowledge and experience as possible._

 _Right after lunch, Mr. Stark finally stood up to give his own presentation. I had to admit, he clearly knew what he was talking about. His ideas were brilliant, innovative, and for the first time I saw actual excitement in the man as he spoke. His presentation finished, and when Mr. Stane complimented him on a job well done, I was taken aback by how pleased Mr. Stark seemed to get. I didn't think the arrogant man would care what anyone thought._

 _Discussions began on what Mr. Stark had brought up, and I looked over the numbers as everyone talked, frowning when I saw a serious error. This didn't make sense. Stark was a genius, and there was no way he would've made an error like this, and if he had, I couldn't see how he wouldn't have caught it. This error was so egregious that it could cause the company millions of dollars if it wasn't rectified. How could Stark have not noticed this?_

 _Glancing around the room, my frown deepened when I realized I was the only one actually looking through the paperwork. Everyone else just seemed to trust that Stark's work was perfectly done._

 _Feeling that something had to be done, but also realizing I probably wouldn't be taken seriously, I grabbed Marcus's attention. He gave me his sad version of a charming grin as he leaned closer, listening intently as I explained to him the error I found. When I finished, he gave me a pitying look, quietly asking me if I really thought I knew better than Tony Stark. Offended, I repeated myself, insisting that I was right, but he once again dismissed me._

 _"Drop it, Virginia, you don't know what you're talking about," Marcus whispered firmly, which only served to incense me. The two of us argued back and forth, both of growing more irritated before a loud clearing of a throat caused us to go quiet. Face heating up, I realized we now had the attention of the entire room on us._

 _"Something you'd like to share, Mr. Pierce?" Mr. Stane asked with a disapproving look. Next to him I noticed Stark was smirking, clearly enjoying someone else being the object of Mr. Stane's ire._

 _"Uh, no, sir, I apologize for the disruption," Mr. Pierce apologized, shooting me a disapproving look. "My assistant here is just having trouble understanding what she's reading."_

 _I went red at his words, both in embarrassment and anger. Opening my mouth, I blatantly ignored his warning look as I looked directly at the smug genius and declared, "You made a mistake, a serious mistake that could cause this company millions. Frankly, I have no idea how you didn't notice," I finished, letting my confusion and disapproval show._

 _Heart pounding, I fought a blush as everyone stared at me in shock and maybe a little awe. Did no one really ever stand up to Stark?_

 _Marcus immediately went to reprimand me, but Stark waved him off before asking, "Where?" His tone wasn't defensive or angry, but curious, which helped calm some of my irritation. For the first time today, he actually sounded serious as he looked at me. Struggling to maintain my composure with everyone's eyes on me, I showed Stark the pages with the calculation errors, explaining exactly what the repercussions for the company would be if they weren't fixed. Marcus once again tried to speak, but it was Mr. Stane who shut the man up this time._

 _"Tony," Mr. Stane prodded with poorly disguised anger, "is she right?"_

 _I knew I was, but I wondered in sudden anxiety if Stark would admit it. Stomach twisting painfully, I realized that he probably wouldn't. Who would everyone here believe, anyways? Tony Stark or some random girl from finance?_

 _Something had to be said, though, I argued internally. If this error were found out after the company had already lost millions, it would be my department that would be blamed._

 _"She's right," Stark finally spoke, and I couldn't pin an emotion to his tone. His eyes were still covered by sun glasses, which I found frustrating as he continued to stare at me. "Thanks for pointing that out, Ms…"_

 _"Potts," I supplied unsurely. "Virginia Potts."_

 _"Well, thank you, Ms. Potts," Mr. Stane spoke up instead, giving me tight smile. It looked fake, though, and I could tell he was rather upset. He threw Stark a dark look, and I felt sudden sympathy for the genius as it looked like Mr. Stane was ready to throttle him. It seemed Stark realized this as well as he gave a nearly imperceptible flinch when he looked at his mentor._

 _The meeting ended minutes after, Mr. Stane stating that things clearly needed to be looked over more closely, so we'd continue this discussion tomorow. I happily left the room, letting out a shaky breath. I was planning on heading home, suddenly feeling exhausted, but it seemed Marcus had other ideas. Dragging me into his office quite forcefully, he began to yell and lecture me on my behavior the second his door closed. I listened in stunned silence as he described me as impertinent and defiant._

 _"You completely humiliated me in there," he yelled, and I finally had enough. Temper snapping, I yelled right back, defending my actions and condemning his._

 _"I can see why you wanted me in this position, because clearly you need me to do your job since you are so inept at it. You're only embarrassed because I saw what you should've," I argued furiously, past caring about ramifications._

 _Marcus was a man with a fragile ego, so my words unsurprisingly enraged him. Instead of telling me I was fired, as I expected, he immediately got into my personal space. I backed up until I hit a wall, and he loomed over me with a sneer._

 _"Oh, I see what this is about," he spoke icily. "You flirt and tease me, taking advantage of my generous nature. I mean, you'd still be a glorified pencil pusher if it wasn't for me. Now, however, that I can't give you anything else, you're trying to get me fired."_

 _I stared at him uncomprehendingly. "What the hell are you talking about?!" I screeched in disbelief. "You've only promoted me because you were hoping to get lucky."_

 _Marcus suddenly slammed his hand against the wall, and I gave a yelp of surprise and fear. I really needed to learn when to keep my mouth shut, I thought dismally as the older man leaned his face down until it was mere inches from mine. I could see the anger in his gray eyes, but what scared me more was the growing lust I saw._

 _My heart began to race, my throat going dry as I realized what he wanted to do. Leaning down further, Marcus put his lips on mine, and I immediately pushed him off me. I was completely stunned by what he'd just done, and I knew I should be screaming or running, but my legs felt like lead and my jaw seemed to be clamped shut._

 _Get away from me, I shouted in my head over and over. Time seemed to slow as Marcus came back towards me, and this time when he attempted to kiss me again, I finally managed to let out a loud shriek. Unfortunately, he'd grabbed hold of my hands, so I wasn't able to fight him._

" _Shhhhh, Virginia, there's no need for such hysterics," Marcus crooned as he caressed my cheek. I was glaring fiercely at him as he placed a hand over my mouth. "Now, here's what's going to happen"—_

 _Whatever more he was going to say was cut short by the door opening abruptly. Both our eyes turned to stare in surprise at the one and only Tony Stark. The genius's eyes were full of surprise as he took in the scene, but that surprise quickly turned to rage as he growled out, "Let her go."_

 _Marcus's grip on me loosened, and I slowly inched myself away from him. I figured Marcus would attempt to come up with some excuse as to what was happening, but he only looked between me and Stark before a humorless laugh escaped his lips._

" _God, I should've known," he sighed in exasperation. "You're sleeping with that goddamn playboy?! That's what this is all about?"_

" _You're insane," I choked out, and Marcus raised a hand as if to strike me, but the hit never landed because Stark got in the way, roughly shoving the man away from me._

" _What the fuck are you doing?! You don't ever raise a hand to a woman, you overgrown ball sack!" Stark roared in furious disbelief. "Get the hell out of my building and consider yourself fired!"_

 _Stark's words only seemed to add to Marcus's rage, because the older man immediately threw a punch at the billionaire, knocking him to the floor. I screamed in horror, watching Marcus reach down to grab hold of Stark's waist coat. He raised his fist to punch Stark again, but Stark let out a yell before tackling Marcus to the ground. It became a full out brawl at this point, both men rolling around the floor, crashing into furniture. Marcus clearly had an advantage of size and strength, but Stark made up with it with his youth, speed, and tenacity._

 _My common sense seemed to return at this point, for I rushed to the office phone, calling for security before rushing over to my purse. Quickly rummaging through it, I found what I was looking for: pepper spray. I waited mere seconds before I found my opening. I locked eyes with Stark, who immediately noticed what was in my hands, so he scrambled out of the way as I sprayed Marcus in the face. As he screamed out in pain, hands going to his face, I grabbed hold of a vase and slammed it over his head causing him to fall unconscious._

 _I stared in disbelief at Marcus's prone form, unable to comprehend what I'd just done._

" _He's still alive," Stark muttered as he pulled himself to his feet. I just stared at the young genius, noting his split lip and bruised cheek. His previously pristine suit was rumpled, blood from his lip staining the white shirt, and his hair was a mess. His trade mark sunglasses had been knocked off, so for the first time I was able to look into his brown eyes._

" _Are you alright?" Stark then asked hesitantly, concern in his eyes as he stepped closer to me._

" _Yes," I found myself saying, surprised by how quickly I found myself calming down. "Thank you," I told Stark, looking at him in slight awe and gratefulness._

 _Stark just shrugged, wiping away at his lip before giving me a grin. This grin was different than any I'd seen from him before. It was genuine. It was sweet, and it made him seem even more handsome than before._

 _Security finally showed up, and while they took in the situation Stark complained loudly about how long it'd taken them to arrive._

" _I could totally be dead by now. I mean, honestly, what took you so long?" he griped. The guards stammered excuses, all of which Stark ignored. He then quickly filled them in on what had occurred before stating that he was leaving. The guards insisted he seek medical attention, but Stark just rolled his eyes before looking over at me._

" _Coming, Ms. Potts?" he asked, holding a hand out to me. Without thinking, I grabbed hold of it, allowing the billionaire to lead me into the elevator. We both said nothing as it took us down to the garage. I honestly was so stunned by what happened, I had no idea what to say. Was I in shock? Should I go to the hospital?_

 _The elevator doors opened and we both stepped out. It was only now that I realized I was still holding on to Stark's hand. Looking down as I let go, I noticed the bruised and bloodied knuckles._

" _You really should go to a hospital," I blurted out, and Stark looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "You probably need stitches," I expanded, concern blooming through me. This man had saved me, and I couldn't let him just leave. What if he had a concussion?_

 _Ignoring my suggestion, Stark turned towards me, looking very serious as he quietly asked, "Has he done that before?"_

" _No," I answered, noting as his tense posture relaxed._

 _He looked down at the ground, looking rather upset before then stating, "I'm so sorry this happened to you. Trash like that shouldn't be within 100 miles of my company let alone working inside of it. I'll have to work on the vetting process, so this never happens again."_

 _I was taken aback by the apology, the man in front of me such a contrast to the childish playboy I'd seen in the board room. Without his sunglasses, I was able to see the guilt and concern in his eyes. He wasn't pretending. He really did feel this was his fault._

" _It's not your fault," I asserted softly yet firmly, "but thank you, once again, for helping. You really did save me."_

 _Stark seemed embarrassed by my words, his mouth opening and closing as he figured out what to say. Eventually, he settled for just giving me an awkward smile._

" _Yeah, well, what kind of man would I be if I just stood back and let that swine take advantage of a beautiful woman such as yourself?" he asked rhetorically, a teasing gleam in his eyes._

 _I just shook my head before coming to a decision. Heading in the direction of my car, I yelled over my shoulder, "Come along, Mr. Stark, I'm taking you to a hospital."_

" _But I don't want to go," Stark whined, and I rolled my eyes in both amusement and exasperation before leveling the immature man with a stern look._

" _I don't care if you don't want to go, because you're going and that's that," I declared, placing my hands on my hips. "Your lip hasn't stopped bleeding, which means it needs stitches, and you were knocked about, which means you might have a concussion. So, get in the car before I pepper spray you and drag you," I threatened, internally panicking as I realized I'd just threatened one of the most powerful men in the world._

 _Stark stared at me with open mouth shock, but instead of glaring or walking away, he let out a loud huff before walking over towards me._

" _Fine," he grumbled unhappily, giving me an angry expression that looked more like a pout. "Lead the way, Pepper."_

" _Pepper?" I asked in confusion, and Stark smirked as he walked alongside me._

" _Yup," he stated, not expanding._

" _My name is Virginia," I corrected, and Stark gave a chuckle._

" _You just pepper sprayed your boss, and then threatened to pepper spray me, Tony effing Stark," he remarked in amusement. "You are officially hereby to be called Pepper Potts."_

 _I glared, trying to come up with something to say, but before I could, Stark added one last comment.  
"Oh, and by the way, from this day forward, you work for me. Congratulations, Ms. Potts, you are now my personal assistant," Stark announced casually._

 **Peter's POV:**

"And, that's how I ended up as his PA," Mom finished. "I argued, of course, and even refused, but"—

"But, my charm got her in the end," Dad added.

"More like your annoying stubbornness," Mom amended, and Dad maturely stuck his tongue out at her.

"Why am I not surprised that you two meeting couldn't be anything normal?" Natasha asked rhetorically, looking at the two with fond amusement.

I was simply silent, my eyes wide as I had no idea what to say. "That's crazy," was all I eventually managed to get out, and my parents simply laughed.

"Despite his heroism, I still can't believe you managed to put up with him for so many years," Natasha remarked teasingly, but I'm sure there was some honesty to the comment. I was well aware of what Dad used to be like, so Mom must've really cared about him to have stuck around in spite of all his antics.

Conversation continued for another twenty minutes before I saw Rhodey take a deep breath and stand up. Time for the best man speech, I realized.

"Oh god, no," Dad mumbled as Rhodey loudly tapped his glass to get everyone's attention. Rhodey was smirking while Dad looked concerned. I smothered a laugh at his expression.

Everyone went quiet, all eyes turned towards the colonel.

"It was my first year of college when I met the famous Tony Stark," Rhodes began and Dad gave an audible groan that elicited some laughter from the crowd.

"Like the hard-working student that I was, I was attempting to get some studying done," the best man continued, "when this scrawny kid poked his head out from under the table I was at and told me to either stop mumbling to myself or to find a new table." Rhodes paused as people giggled at the image he presented. Dad was leaning his head on Mom's shoulder in embarrassment, but I could see a smile on his face.

"After getting over my shock at being told off by a grumpy shrimp, I found myself inexplicably drawn to this kid, so instead of changing tables, I made it a habit to come back to the same table every day," Rhodey recounted. "There were days, believe it or not, where he'd never talk, except to offer me some of his never-ending supply of food. Eventually, I managed to coax him out from under the table and get him to talk, and he's never shut up since." There were a few snorts of laughter at that, and Mom turned her face towards Dad to give him a kiss to his forehead.

"I honestly had no idea at the time what that first meeting would lead to. I had no idea that I'd just met the best, most annoying little brother I could ever ask for," Rhodey proclaimed, his eyes soft as he turned them towards Tony.

"I've known Tony almost his entire life, and I've seen him go through some of his worst moments and some of his best moments. When he was younger, there were more bad moments than good," Rhodes admitted, putting a hand on Dad's shoulder. "But then… _then_ comes in Pepper Potts into his life like a goddamn whirlwind, and I start to see more and more good moments."

"From the second I saw these two together all those years ago, I knew they were meant to be, and I think _anybody_ that saw these two together knew that as well. Anybody but them, that is," he said with a chuckle, one shared by several others. "It killed me to watch them dance around each other for all those years, and so many times I wanted to smack Tony upside the head for being such an idiot, but I knew as we all do that one does not tell Tony Stark what to think or do. He has to figure it out for himself, and for a genius, he can be goddamn stupid."

Mom giggled while Dad just scoffed at his words.

"Now, the first time I saw these two kiss, I'll admit that while I was ecstatic, I was also grossed out," Rhodes admitted, giving a bit of a grimace as he stepped out of arms reach of Tony, who'd attempted to elbow him.

"You see, it was just after the Expo disaster back in '09," he recalled. "I've just escaped these huge explosions and am collecting myself on this roof when Tony lands heavily with Pepper in my arms. They clearly don't notice me because they start arguing. Yeah, I was surprised too," Rhodey commented sarcastically, which incited another round of laughter.

"So, Tony here is attempting to justify his actions while Pepper is freaking out and exclaiming how she can't handle the stress and no longer wants to be CEO," the colonel continues, edging away from Mom now, who looks like she'd like to smack him. "They're going back and forth, Tony attempting to be understanding while Pepper tries to justify herself. All the while, these two love birds are walking towards each other, and bam! Out of nowhere, they go from arguing to totally making out," Rhodey exclaims before laughing loudly.

"These two can't do anything normally, y'know," Rhodey says, giving my parents a fond smile. "I can honestly say that I'd never seen Tony happier than when he and Pepper began dating. Tony has always been a good man to me, despite some of his less than stellar decisions. With Pepper, though, he's a great man. I was starting to think life couldn't get any better, but then along came a little spider," Rhodey spoke, and I blushed as I felt everyone's eyes land on me.

"Tony and Pepper took to parenthood like a duck takes to water, and knowing Peter seemed to only bring them closer. I thought I'd seen Tony happy, but this scrawny little hero brought a whole new level of joy to his life." Rhodey gave me a loving smile that I returned as he went back to stand between Pepper and Tony. He placed a hand on both their shoulders.

"The point of my long rambles," Rhodes finally said, "is that I will be forever grateful to not just this wonderful woman, Pepper, but to this wonderful young man, Peter, for the sheer joy they've brought my brother. I know he can be a handful, but with you two watching over him, I know he'll be alright."

Holding up his champagne glass, everyone followed suit. "To Tony, Pepper, and Peter Stark," the man announced, and I blushed once more as everyone repeated his words before drinking from their glasses.

"You're an ass," I heard Dad grumble in mock annoyance before he stood up and pulled Rhodey in for a tight hug.

"I'm so proud of you," I heard Rhodey whisper into Dad's ear, and I noticed how Dad's arms seemed to tighten.

"Thank you," Dad replied in a voice full of emotion, and I heard the even quieter "I love you" before the two parted. Rhodey then hugged Pepper tightly, who thanked her just as Tony had. Rhodey then came over and pulled me into a hug, ruffling my hair before placing a kiss on the top of my head.

"Love you, shrimp," he stated, and my eyes widened as this was the first time I'd ever heard him say that to me. I mean, I knew he cared, but I'd never head him say it out loud.

"Love you too," I responded, hiding my ever-persistent blush against his chest.

After all the emotions, the party went into full swing. Loud music began to play, and the dance floor began to fill. I found myself avidly watching as some of the worlds' most powerful people pulled off the funkiest and dorkiest dance moves. As the night wore on, everyone began to see who could pull off the coolest or funniest dance move. Clint and Scott were at the top of both those lists to the utmost joy of their children and embarrassment of their significant other.

At one point, Mom threw her bouquet, which MJ somehow managed to catch without trying. This, unfortunately led to some good-natured ribbing from many people about when MJ and I were going to announce our engagement. It was only the ferocity of MJ's glare that eventually got people to back off. It didn't escape my notice, though, that she kept the bouquet.

It was past midnight when things began to wind down, people milling off towards their hotel rooms with plans to meet tomorrow for brunch before most flew back home. After I bid MJ a private goodnight, I ambled over to my parents who were speaking with Natasha and Bruce. I bit back a smile at seeing them holding hands. Everyone knew those two were together, but it was rare for them to openly show affection towards each other in front of anyone.

Right as I was nearing them, I heard Nat ask a question that had me freezing in place. "So, should we expect a new Stark in another nine months or so?" Natasha asked with a teasing look.

My parents exchanged glances before Mom responded, "Well, we haven't actually talked about it, so probably not."

I didn't hear much of the conversation after that, my mind now filled with thoughts of my parents having a kid of their own. What would that mean for me? Would that change things? Would they even want a kid because of me?

"What is going through that mind of yours?" I heard Mom ask, jerking me from my panicked thoughts. Glancing around, I realized we were now the only ones here besides the cleaning staff.

"He's probably stressing about Tasha's question regarding kids," Dad stated confidently, which caused me to briefly look down at my shoes in embarrassment.

"Do you guys want kids?" I forced myself to ask before I lost my nerve.

Again, my parents exchanged glances before Mom replied, "We honestly haven't discussed it. Would you mind having a sibling?"

"It's not really up to me," I felt the need to reply.

"Peter, you're our son, so of course your opinion matters to us," Mom insisted. "If you aren't comfortable with having a sibling, then we won't"—

"No, I'm not uncomfortable or anything," I interjected rapidly. "I just, I dunno. I guess I was caught off guard by the question."

Both parents looked at me in concern now, and I wanted to kick myself for being an idiot. It was their wedding day, and now they were worried about me.

"Whether we have another kid or not," Dad stated, "you're still going to be our son, and we'll love you just as much as we'll love your little brother or sister. Just because they'll share our blood, that won't change the way we feel about you. You're our son, now and forever," Dad said simply, giving me a kind smile.

I found my muscles relaxing, my heart beat slowing down as he'd told me exactly what I'd wanted to hear. It was dumb, but I had been worried that things would change if they had a biological child.

"Tony's right," Pepper agreed, giving my cheek a light caress. "Please don't stress about this, honey. We have no intentions of having a child at this point, and if we change our minds, then it will be a family decision."

I nodded my head in understanding before feeling the need to say, "I'd be okay with a sibling. If you wanted to—I mean, you don't need my permission, but I, uh, I wouldn't mind having a sibling."

My parents exchanged a look before smiling at me. Walking closer, Dad wrapped an arm around both me and Mom.

"I don't know about you two, but right now, I'm content with our little family. Besides, I'm not sure the world could handle a mini-me," he stated with a laugh as we broke apart.

"What makes you think our child would be a mini-you?" Mom asked in mock annoyance. "What if they were like me?"

"That'd be even scarier," I teased, which caused Dad to laugh loudly.

As my parents began to bicker good-naturedly back and forth, I found myself feeling content. This past year had been a whirlwind of good and bad, but I could say that in this moment, every thing was perfect.

The End

 **A/N:** **As previously mentioned, this is the last chapter of my story. Hope you have enjoyed it as I certainly have.**


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